New MEECH Cycling Uniform

The new MEECH cycling clothing just came in a couple of days ago from Nalini so I had to go give it a try.  I've been wearing alot of Nalini the last couple of years so it wasn't a big surprise for me.  It fits me well and has always held up pretty well and so I hope this clothing is no different.  I started on this project back in March if you can believe it and while most everything went pretty smooth I had a little trouble getting a couple of logos in the 

'vector format' that was needed.  Anyway it all finally got done and the clothing turned out very nice and so it was worth the wait.  Here are a couple of photos of me semi-posing to show off the new gear.  "What is semi-posing?"  Its where you planned on just posing but in the end it turned into real work, in this case on the bike.

Ok, I admit that this was not work however when you turn around and start to come back you actually have to pedal.

Check out those glow-in-the-daylight tires.  Oh PA-leeez.  You can't tell that this is much of a  hill however about 50 meters back its like 30% grade.  After we got done shooting the photos I went out for a little ride and noticed my chain dropping when I would stand up.  Turned out one of the links had been pulled off one of the pins.  This chain was one that only had a few miles on it on a road bike, so then I put it on this cross rig and had to add a few links.  I'm notorious for piecing together chains.  

Look at Dizzy dropping me like a sack of potatos.  This dog can run all day long.

Got to say thanks to the sponsors.  Jim Little and Jeremy Ellis from Little & Associates Architect Firm in Jonesboro were a couple of the guys that helped me get started on this project.  Also, Bob Cook from Blue Ribbon Fly Shop and Angler's Coffee Cafe here in Mountain Home.  Thanks for the support guys.

Handmade bicycles right here in beautiful Mountain Home, Arkansas.  Also a big thanks to my wife Anne for shooting the photos for me.  Thanks baby.  Man, my arm looks pretty skinny here.  Think I'm gonna go do a few curls.  

MEECH Custom Bicycles

Mountain Home, Arkansas

Custom Chain Ring Clearance

Thought I would show you a little process that I use to create chainring clearance on my cross bikes.  Its fairly easy and looks more custom than indentations.  Here is the cut chain stay with the cutout filed into it.  

I use head tube material to fill in the cutout because its a little thicker than most of the other tubing as I want this to be pretty solid.  I just cut a piece in half, sand it, and clean it up really good in order to make sure you get a nice bond.

Quick check to make sure everything fits and is nice and snug.  No problems here.

This is how I secure it while I'm brazing it.  Need to put a little flux on it and then I just tack it into place.

Here is it after everything is brazed up.  Now the cleanup.

I cut off the excess with a little Dremel cutting wheel getting as close as necessary.  The closer you cut it off the less you have to file off afterward but you don't want to be reckless and ruin your hard work, so don't rush it.

When I'm filing off the edges I put a piece of duct tape around it just in case the file slips.  It also acts as a good indicator when you are getting close to the actual tubing.  You can see where the file has scuffed up the tape.  When you get this close its time to back off and get the smaller files.

Here is the finished piece.

Theres a lot of steel in this photo.

This is Dizzy dog watching over the entire operation to make sure I do the job right.  Nothing gets by Dizzy.  We look just alike, long skinny legs, a big nose, and big ears.

Couple of pics of the seat stays mitered and in place.  I don't think they were finished during the last post.  Everything is cut and fit on Andy D's cross frame and the brazing will commence shortly.

Thanks for checking things out.

MEECH with Wings

I've been getting a handful of pictures from people putting their MEECH to good use here lately.  This is Jess Parker, avid bike racer, rabid cyclocrosser, and also one of my old riding buddies from Jonesboro.  He was one of my first customers and when I told him to "Fly with MEECH" he took it to heart.  Here he is airing it out at a cyclo-X Halloween party last year. He's got some speed behind him in this little dig as well, see that blur. For this photo he gets a free MEECH cycling cap.  This is a beautiful photo.  I've seen a couple of photos out there of people jumping their cross bikes but I never thought I would get to see a MEECH completely aired out.  I love it!  Just for the records, I also love to see wheelies, one-handed especially, so if anyone feels like riding their MEECH on the back wheel (or front)  I've got another cap waiting.  

Fly with MEECH!

Micro-X

Couple of pics taken from the Micro-Cross event that the Highroller Cyclery is putting on in order to get a little cyclo-x training in before the season kicks off.  This is a pic of Branton Moore's MEECH but I can't tell if thats Branton or not.  He may be letting someone else give it test ride.  Anyway, looks like a few Arkansas boys are getting stoked about the 2012 season.  If you're interested in getting in some pretty intense little workouts I believe these Micro-X events may be the ticket.  Get in touch with the Highroller Cyclery in Fayetteville, AR.  www.highrollercyclery.com  Check out that storm in the background.  Thats how close cross season is and its looking rough.

This is Branton's cross racing machine, but he also puts alot of road miles, both paved and gravel on it.  I know he's done at least one century ride on it because I read about it on his blog.  I should have the link to his blog and will try to find it but if you follow the link to the Highroller Cyclery up above I bet it will lead you to the blog.  He just put these carbon tubular wheels on his bike and it definitely looks racey, kinda like a subtle/racey look.  I like his style, we clicked from day one.  Thanks for rollin a MEECH!

I want some new shoes.

Here is a pic I stole off www.velonews.com from the Eurobike Show.  These are the new 

Fizik R1 shoes and the style is right up my alley.  I love the look and they're made with kangaroo leather so you know you'll be bouncing all over the competition like that kangaroo that Sylvester 'the Putty Tat' used to take a beating from.  One thing I don't like about them is the buckle, i hate buckles.  Three velcro straps or laces but please no buckles, thats just my opinion of course.  Oh, two things I don't like, they're $400, and thats just for the left shoe, but they give you the right one for free.  No matter, before I will be sporting a pair of these they will probably no longer be made.

Contador Finishes It Off

In the best grand tour of 2012 and also one of the toughest, Alberto Contador finished atop the podium in Madrid.  He was flanked by a couple more Spanish riders, Alejandro Valverde and Joaquin Rodriguez in 2nd and 3rd repsectively.  I enjoyed watching this one.  With so much press about doping issues this year I have lost a lot of interest in pro cycling.  I have no idea who is clean or doping but at least these three guys put on a heck of a show for the fans.  Lets cross our fingers and hope they're racing clean. 

“I do not race to shut people’s mouths,” Contador said. “I race because it’s what gives me pleasure.”

Andy D's Cross Build

Got a few tubes cut and fit for Andy Derousseau's new cross frame.  All I need to do is fit the seat stays and then I can tack it.  This frame is the priority on tap and soon as its finished I'm gonna have to go into paint mode.  I'll be painting this frame as well as a couple 2-3 more in hopes that I have enough frames to show at the Texas Handmade Bike Show in October.  Its in Dallas this year and I believe the dates are the 27th and 28th but I'm fixin to go check that out to make sure.  I haven't been to Dallas in quite a while so it should be a good time.  Its not a bad drive from my hometown of Jonesboro, only about 7 hrs.  Well I used to be able to make it in 7 hrs because I used to haul ass everywhere I went, we'll see if I still got it.  I'm sure I still got it in me but the state troopers may try and take some of it out of me.  Back when I raced motocross I was walking a tightrope to keep my license because I had too many tickets.  I would slow down for a while until one or two went off my record and before I knew it I would be sitting on the side of the road getting another.  I once tried to bribe a cop. I asked him if he went to church, and he said yes, so I told him that if he wouldn't write me a ticket that I would donate the money to his church. About landed me in jail.  Talk about fast talking.  I talked faster than I could ever ride a bicycle or motorcycle. I never actually lost my license but it was pretty close there for a while.  Once I got a ticket and I paid for it with a check in the mail right before I left for Spain.  At the time I didn't know you couldn't send a check to pay.  So I left thinking everything was cool and my mom started getting notices about me missing court dates and payment of fines and blah, blah, blah and they had her all scared that I was in some trouble and had bailed.  All that hassle just because I was going a measely 90 mph. Pffff, thats nothing for me, I can downhill that fast.  Ok, I'm BS'n you all now.  I'm not a great descender at all.  If I don't know the descent I usually keep a finger on the brake, I don't like surprises at 50 mph these days.  I used to be banzai but these days I enjoy life and I want it to continue, don't need to exit the pave into the bush where theres no trail if you know what I mean.  Ditches, rocks, and trees have never appeared to be afraid of me, quite the contrary.  Oh geez, I just realized I'm such a pussy now.  

That fit is tighter than thong underwear.  Just for the record I don't wear thong underwear.  Seriously man, I don't. I'm serious.  Why don't you believe me?

There is some serious heart and soul going on here, you feel it?  Its gonna translate into speed and you're gonna feel that, all sure.  I'm having visions of skyscrapers for some reason.

This is better than writing your name on your underwear.  I don't do that either.  What?  So now you think I wear a thong with my name on it?  You're wacked man!

This is proof UFO's exist.  Look at that first bottom bracket picture above and now look at this one.  You gonna tell me that there wasn't a UFO with aliens right outside the window spying on the MEECH headquarters?  I'm just kidding.  Everybody knows theres no such thing as UFO's and aliens.  I don't want you all to think I'm crazy or something.  Well, I might be crazy but there is no such thing as aliens or flying saucers, I don't think.  Or maybe there is, hell I don't know, I'm just a framebuilder not an astronut.  "Maybe Jasper does the astro."  Recognize those lyrics? All this talk about thong underwear with names on it and spaceships with aliens and Jasper with astronauts, you see what's going on here don't you Virginia?  "Yeah D, its crystal clear."  I need to go ride. Aw man, I got to mow the yard today.  That sux. Chao.

Victory or Death

Alberto Contador would not stop attacking and today on Stage 17 he finally broke Joaquin Rodriguez.  In one of the best one on one battles I have ever seen, I thought that Rodriguez had taken everything Contador had and was gonna win La Vuelta but el Pistolero was just relentless and would take no quarter for a second place finish. Apparently he just went out on a suicide mission 50k from the finish and made it happen.  He said, "Its the only way I know to race, I don't race for second place."  I have to admit I thought maybe Alberto had lost a little bit of fire in his legs or more likely would be that he just wasn't up to full race speed but regardless he dished out more 'race' than most people have ever seen.  I seriously doubt anyone is gonna be able to stop him in next year's tour either.  I think he just wants it too bad.  I feel bad for Rodriguez because he rides like a champion and was very close at the Giro and then to lose this Vuelta, it has to be a major blow.  The race isn't over yet, anything can happen, but I think everyone just knows that they don't want it as bad as Alberto Contador.  Remember when Axl Rose came into the public eye?  I remember looking at all those tatooes and he had the one that said, "Victory or Death."  All I could do was just think about it.  Victory or Death is the way Contador has ridden this Vuelta.  I've thouroughly enjoyed watching it.  They made the entire tour of Spain for the excitement of the spectators and it paid off.  Viva Espana!

Fist Fight on a Bicycle

This is about as far away as Alberto Contador can get from Joaquin Rodriquez.  The Vuelta has housed one of the best 'mano a mano' slugfest on bicycles I have ever seen.  I can't remember ever seeing Contador attack this many times and never escape.  In stage 14 he had a pretty good gap and I thought he was on his way but Valverde and Rodriguez put in one hard effort and closed it up at the finish line.  There are still a couple more places to give it a dig before this race is over but Rodriguez looks like brick and mortar right now.  We'll see.

Just got started on a cross frame for Andy D. out of Fayetteville.  Nothing but prelim photos here because I'm waiting some head tube material and bb engraving.  Hopefully I'll be in full swing by the end of the week.  I've got a lot of work to do if I'm gonna make it to the Texas Handmade Show.  I was telling Larry Yancey last night I may have to borrow a couple of his MEECHs to take to the show if I don't get some stuff done.  He said, "No problem, if I don't crash'em all up before then." (He's had a little trouble keeping it on two wheels here recently but his luck is gonna change when the new MEECH cycling kits come in.)  And then I had a slight vision of showing up at the Texas show with one custom bike that was all mangled up from a cliff dive.  The fork and head tube would be raked out like an Easy Rider chopper, the top tube would look like a big 'V', and a pair of $2500 Zipp wheels would be shaped like a couple of Pringles.  I would probably have plenty of people at the booth checking my stuff out.  Ok, I've talked enough, I've got to get to work.  Thanks for checking things out and I'm gonna try to do better on my blogging.  I know I've been slacking lately, but that part-time job at the bistro has cramped my frame-building style a bit.  But thats ok because its giving me a little more financial freedom with my framebuilding budget.  And I would like to say thanks to those guys for letting me work with them.  They're good people and make some beautiful food.  I think I may ask them if I can bring my frame jig and torch down there and set up in the back somewhere.  I would have my food and work all right there together.  Hmmm, if I could just find a place to put a cot then I'd really be set up.  I wouldn't even need a car then. Wonder how Anne would feel about that?  "Go to work Dimitri!"  Ok, I'm gone.  Chao amigos.

La Vuelta

Today was the first of three really tough days in la Vuelta and while it looked like Contador had things under control with about 2 k to go, Joaquim or Joaquin Rodriquez (they spell his name both ways, I don't know which one is right) pulled himself back up to Alberto in the closing meters and easily outsprinted him gaining a few more seconds.  Contador is not use to this and is clearly getting a bit frustrated.  I don't think anyone really expected this but if Rodriquez gets through these next couple of days he may have el Pistolero's number.  Valverde came through 3rd a few seconds behind Contador and Chris Froome lost roughly a half minute as I'm sure he is feeling all the racing from the Tour in his legs.  There were only three weeks between the end of the Tour de France and the start of La Vuelta not to mention Froome also did the Olympics.  He's got to be fried.  Tomorrow is a new day.  Hasta luego.