Fork Makeover

Here are a couple of shots of a fork makeover I did last week for Phil Passantino.  The fork on the right is obviously the new one and has zero miles on it while the one on the left has been to the moon and back and is gonna be set free in the pasture for the New Year.  Phil was a customer of MEECH in my rookie year so I included a photo of the frame I built for him.  He put the finishing touches on this beautiful bike and as you can see he has classy taste. I have stayed in touch with Phil over the last couple of years and I am glad to have worked with him.  Repeat business is always a good thing. Thanks Phil! I am finishing up my third year as a frame builder and I have learned alot and looking forward to the years to come.  I have been playing with carbon fiber a little bit in my spare time for the fun of it and hopefully will have a frame built sometime around spring, but, I am all sure that there is nothing that will ever ride as good as a steel frame with a steel fork so the torch is always gonna be burning here at MEECH.  Thanks to everyone who has helped me out in my business; customers, friends, and family alike.  I hope everyone has a Happy New Year.  Cheers!

Shoot It Already

Holidays slowed me down a little Scoot but I finished up the stem yesterday and its finally ready for paint. The saddle is just for looks although it doesn't look so hot after 40,000 miles. Its not the first Avocet O2 Air saddle that I bought but its seen my arse more than any of the others. Check back to see Scoot's ride.  I feel synergy coming on.

Scoot's Custom Frame

Here are a couple shots of a frame I just finished up for a buddy of mine, Scott Taylor, aka Scoot.  A couple of years ago he talked me into doing the Bicycle Tour of Colorado with him.  Definitely a memorable and  worthwhile experience, alot of flat stuff out there, you should go check it out.  It was around the time I had started my frame building business and I rode the first frame that I actually built for myself.  Screaming down a Rocky Mountain pass at over 50mph for close to a half hour is a good way to test your frame and fork.  I have been working on better  fillet-brazing techniques and here are some of the results. This frame tipped the scale at 3.3 lbs with no paint.  Stay tuned to see what kind of paint Scoot likes.

Arkansas 'Cross Championship

Here is a little action shot from the state championship here in Arkansas.  Can you believe these Pro 1-2 guys are still playing on playgrounds.  Yancey held down a 6th place in this class while Nate Rice took 2nd place after a tough sprint.  Other notable riders from my hometown of Jonesboro were Mike Suminski and Jason Broadway.  It was a cold day but they laid it down and left it on the track.  Good ride guys.

Danny MacAskill - "Way Back Home" - NEW street trials riding short film

He's back and I don't think Mt. Everest could stop this guy.

Sexy Blue

Here is the first stem that came out of my new stem jig and its going on Bryden's custom build.  This is a sweet color that would look good on  hotrods, choppers, and definitely custom bicycles.  This is a small piece compared to an entire bike frame but Paul and Wayne from Ace's Wild Custom still put in the same quality of work regardless.  Thanks guys. 

Chompin at the Bits

Every since I started building frames about 3 years ago I have spent less time putting in miles and more honing my skills as a frame builder.  I haven't raced a bike in probably 2 years and for the most part I thought I was done with it.  But the other night I went to a little motocross race here locally in Mountain Home and every since then that old racing itch has been driving me crazy.  To be truthful, racing a bicycle wasn't what I wanted.  I wanted to get on something really fast, something with a throttle, something that you can only get the feeling from like a 250cc 2-stroke engine, 0-60 in the blink of an eye.  My body can't handle motocross anymore.  My back isn't as strong as it used to be, my hips are uneven, and my right knee is like an old screen door hanging on one hinge in a cold November rain.  Oh no, did I just make a reference to a lame GNR ballad, I do need some action. Visions of shifter karts entered my head through the help of my buddy Yancey.  Yeah man, shifter karts.  Screaming at 70+ mph sitting 4 inches off the ground, pulling Gs through the corners sounded just like what I needed but problem is I don't have one, not yet anyway, and there are no tracks close by if I did. Not sure how the neighbors would feel about me screaming around the local in a go-kart on steroids. So anyway this itch is still there and the only thing I have to race is a bicycle that I threw together this past week, thats a little on the small side, and an upcoming 'cross race in Mempho. I have mentioned that I am a miserable cross racer on several occassions. Jumping off a bicycle and climbing trees with it on my back isn't enjoyable to me in the least and the only time I like sand is when I am laying on it in Ft. Walton Beach, but its a race and I am pysched, ready for the Pain Party.  I have been training for almost a week now.  Every since I finished off that basket of Halloween candy I have been eating sorta healthy and punishing myself on the bicycle with whatever i can handle under 140 bpm.  I have been doing at least 20 push-ups in less than 48 hours for more than 6 days now.  Yep, I have been training Rocky-style, punching chickens and chasing big slabs of meat around, and mind you me I have caught a couple of them. I may not be pulling any Gs on this bicycle but come Sunday in Mempho baby, if there are any chickens in my race they are gonna be going home with some bruised ribs.

My New Jigastem

This is my new stem jig that my good friend Bob Davis turned out for me the other day at his shop.  Its super-simple and does everything I ask it to. I just realized in this photo its not even tightened down yet and it still works.  What more could you ask for? Look at all that steel in this photo.  Ok, maybe a little aluminum to shave a few grams off the Jigastem but what did you expect, it is high performance jig.  I can't wait for my big box of carbon fiber and resin to get here.  Don't expect to see any clean photos like this one.  Stay tuned.  Chao.

Awesome dude on road bike gets away from the police!!

Not sure if this is real or not but I love it. I'm guessing he was running 40cm bars and cranks with a super-low Q-factor to get outta this one. 

La Curviosa

Threw a couple extra curves into this one for the Texas Show.  Check out that roller coaster fork with the silver buttons brazed into the back of the fork legs.  I let a local air brush artist have his way with this one and he set it on fire.  Thanks Mike!  This one has an integrated seatpost and the front brake cable hanger is brazed into the fork.  Oh yeah, I couldn't leave out the finger smudges on the seat tube.  I am "theeee" worst photographer of all time. 

Vintage Doping-The Way Real Men Do It

 I am so sick of all the doping allegations in professional cycling.  Its become a soap opera, an unending, boring and pathetic one at that.  How much can the average cycling enthusiast take?  Unfortunately its not just the pros either, even weekend warriors are boosting their poop just so they can look good and get a piece of a $500 prize pool, mind you its at the expense of the riders racing clean.  At least these ol' boys here are open and honest about it, heck, they're sharing the goods with their competitors and having a good time as well.  Go figure. Riding together, holding each other up while they pass the good stuff around, wearing those trippy goggles like they are fixing to fly an airplane or weld something. Nobody is attacking one another, and they'll probably all stop at the next cafe and have a cappuccino together here in a bit, not even worried about who wins the stage. Look at those 2 flasks mounted to the handlebars, probably one filled with Wild Turkey and the other with Coke. On the far left you have what appears to be Fabian Cancellara's grandpa saying, "Come on man, stop bogart'en that thing and pass it.", but check out the guy back in the middle of the peloton craving attention, "Whoo hooo, look at me man, I'm number one!" Or maybe he is trying to tell the team car that he is out of 

Wild Turkey and needs a fresh bidon.  Man, what a good time.  Wish I was there.

The Pain Party Has Started

Cross season has officially begun and here is a quick photo of factory racer Larry Yancey at his first event.  Actually its his second but the first race in Herman, Missouri got rained out, yeah rained out.  How bad does it have to be in order to rain a cross race out?  Well, apparently cars were floating away during the storm.  Anyway, this course in Carbondale, Illinois looks a little more accommodating, dry dirt covered in grape vines.  No excuses for bonking here and I guess that explains why the prize purse was paid out in bottles of wine. Larry took first place in the Masters class while his racing buddy Nate took third in the Pro 1-2.  Congrats to the Jonesboro boys for a solid race day, and for all you cross racing whinos out there you may want to mark your calendar for this one next year.  Cheers.

MEECH 650B Belt-Drive Mountain Bike

I finally got this frame built up this week.  I have had this frame laying around for a while and have been gradually putting it together and it feels good to see the finished product and test ride the belt-drive system.  It rides super-smooth and the belt-drive seems very strong with no noticeable weaknesses.  The finished product tips the scales at 20.9 lbs. but who cares, just ride it and enjoy it.  Its stacked with components from White Brothers, FSA, American Classic, and of course Carbon Drive Systems.  Its roughly a size medium but I can fit my lanky arse on it and be pretty comfortable, enough to get the vibe anyway.  That carbon shell saddle by FSA is more comfortable than I thought it would be.  I don't know about doing any double-centuries on it but I think I could get use to it.I'm taking this thing to the Texas Bike show on October 16 & 17 so feel free to come by and check it out.  Chao amigos.

Eric's Cross Machine

Eric got his cross frame a couple days ago and didn't waste any time getting it built up.  He said it floats like a magic carpet.  Who wouldn't want one of those?  Anyway, it looks like a straight ahead race machine to me. Oh man, check out that hardpack California terrain, thats what I'm talkin about.  High speeds and skinned up knees.  "Tell me tell me what your after, cause i just wanna get there faster."  Let it fly!  Thanks E!

YouTube - Neil Young and Pearl Jam

YouTube - Neil Young and Pearl Jam
Don't forget Neil.

YouTube - Pearl Jam - Rockin In The Free World @ Pink Pop 92

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUJGlI13KdE
Vedder is a skinny little rocker here, looks hungry.  He'd look good attacking up Mont Ventoux.

More White

Chihiro's frame looked very sharp after I picked it up the other day but after seeing photos of it he told me that he was expecting more white so I hesitantly took it back to Ace and said he wants more white.  No questions asked.  I picked it up today and now it has more white.  I have to say I like it even more.  Check out that head tube paint work.  Paul hit another homerun with this one.  Thanks go out to Paul and Wayne who take extremely good care of my frames and customers.  Thanks guys.

Texas Handmade Bike Show

The Texas Handmade Bike Show is happening in Austin, TX on October 16-17.  On Saturday everything is taking place at the Music Hall but come Sunday its gonna be shakin down outside in the middle of a mosh pit, or a cyclocross race for those who may be unfamiliar.  It will be the first show I have gone to and I'm stoked to meet all the other builders and check out some sweet custom frames.  On Sunday my good friend and factory MEECH privateer rider Larry Yancey will be strapping the 'cross boots on to give it a dig on Austin's soil.  He'll be riding the first S3 cross frame that I built and it tips the scale at 16.8lbs.  If you would like to see it come by the booth or tent and check it out.  If you ask him nicely he might even let you pick it up, or he might bite your fingers, he gets a little funny when theres a race fixin to go down.  Here are some photos of a couple of frames I will be bringing with me and I have a couple more that I am keeping a secret, actually they just aren't painted yet, but thats still a secret cause I didn't tell you how I'm gonna paint them.  See you there!

Eric's CX'er and David's Stem

Here are a couple of photos of Eric's cyclocrosser and David's stem fresh out of the paint booth.  This is about as white as it gets and I love it with the black logo, so simple yet so bold.  Before long maybe Eric will send us some photos after the mud has been applied, personally I am a hardpack fan, can't stand the mud or anything else that slows me down. While I'm at it, screw the wind too. Ahh that felt good.  Sometimes you just have to get things off your chest. I can't wait to see this frame built up and race ready and maybe David will send us a photo of his ride as well. Let It Fly!

Chihiro's Road Racer

A while back I posted the build of a frame for Chihiro from Japan.  It was my first international order and I was pretty excited to be sending a frame to Japan.  Anyway here are some photos after Paul from Ace's Wild Custom got finished painting it.  They always do some sweet work and I'd also like to thank my good friend Bob Davis for turning out the integrated seatpost.  Thanks guys.  Now I just gotta get it on the bus to Japan.