Good Times never expire!

By now those to whom this matters will already know that Joselyn's Bicycles has closed up shop. If you did not know, uh...surprise!

I have worked in several (that's more than a few, but less than a bunch) bike shops in my time, so I know a fine establishment when I see it. Joselyn's was a sleeper; what seemed overcrowded and 2nd tier upon the casual looky loo was actually a tight ship in the classic submarine style. They'd store smoked hams and nets full of cheeses tucked into the piping because it's all necessary and there's only so much room when you are underground (can we mix metaphors? or does that muddy the water?). The "BIG" brands were already sewn up, so it was Giant and Jamis- solid performers with good value for the dollar.

We've all been into the shop that can't be bothered to help, or that has nothing but shitty attitudes for any one but "PROs", etc. This was not the case with Joselyn's Bicycles. The staff were wildly varied in their bike interests: BMX (race or street), flatland, commuting, trail riding, cyclocross, road, bikepacking. It was a real shop. Any discipline was welcome and at home with somebody. The mechanics were among the finest I have known. Everybody was passionate about bikes. Everybody was a kook. Most of all, Fist Frank Panto...the proprietor...the hub of all this bike love.

Fist Frank sponsored athletes and players in all those categories mentioned. He himself rides in more than a few but less than a bunch of them. We all have our shortcomings and our faults and our poorly disguised obsessions and our thinly veiled depravities and our flat out craziness, and none more than Frank. But let's not dwell on what an ass Fist Frank is, let's celebrate what an asset he has been to the local scene.

Joselyn's will be missed, but Frank will not. He is still here. You will see him out on a ride. When you do, ride up behind him real quiet-like and softly grab hold of his seat. Sit there, in his stinky draft, and when he finally notices tell him it's not unusual to be loved by anyone.



Thanks for the ride, Frank.





P.S. Those of y'all shopping bikes and parts online? FUCK YOU. Your local scene can only thrive if YOU make it thrive. Support your local bike shop. Those are the people working for safe routes to your schools, performing maintenance on your trail systems, sponsoring your race series, helping you with repairs or parts before/after hours, knowing the secret spots, ready to help with route advice or area specific tyres or dialing your sag or drinking your beer or any one of a thousand things. Don't talk about it, be about it. Local Bike Shop!

is there any Ladies out there lonely?

Maybe one day you'll velocache.

who knows a hero?

Here's some pictures:




That was Day 1.




That was Day 2. (Which included among others La Honda, Alpine, and Pescadero roads...holy ish those are primo!)

The 2 Days of driving SAG for the Team Joselyn's Training Camp. You know I'm a big shot sponsor this year.

All's I can say is: To anyone who has ever driven support on any of the cockamamie rides I have planned or been on, Thank You. Now I know.



Oh, and the Full Wolf Moon? A howling success. 14% wider and 30% brighter! Bikes, gloomy cloud cover which kept the riff raff out yet gave way to the perfect moonlit idyll, drunken stupor...check, check, check.

As you were.

It is waaaaay more fun if you add an L, and a ZE, sucka

Sea Otter was up and down.

Overall I had a great time. The Joselyn's Booth was hopping and well executed. A well lubricated team, so to speak. Meet the new Frank! Organized chaos was the theme, with sales and massage and shi_talking and beer drinking all going on simultaneously under one very large roof. Seriously, Frank, hats off- that was well done. you made a lot of folks' experience better with your inclusive tent of wonders.

And by Sunday I was able to see the inclusiveness at the Sea Otter Classic. Which was a welcome and unexpected shift from Thursday's feel of schism. I just lik bikes, you know? Downhill suspendy super new school techno bendy latticework anodized (again with all that?) 650b (650BS if you axe me, which you did not) hydroformed latest material aerospace expensive "whips" or just a bike...it should be a sweet ride and a celebration, bitches. I was not feeling it that day. Maybe it was the jacked up stickered up raised up shut the _uck up vans and pickups aggressively proclaiming their "be a hero" hype. But all I could draw from the scene was a sense of dislocation and sadness at the way everyone passed one another with their attitudes in the air and their sunglasses on- like a day's worth of the shi__iest attitude you ever got from whatever shop nearest you it is that only employs snotty wannabe PROs who give you the once over and sneer. Downhill vs XC vs BMX vs Road vs hipster vs us. I suppose it is reflective of humanity (as in oh, the) that there exist these splits, but I say let's end the sectarian violence and just ride the damn bike.

I was bumming out. I had some good coffee and walked around a little more, looking for Goodness but it was covered. Several friendly faces were absent this year (economy, new babies, etc) and when you have been staggeringly out of your head drunk around these type of events enough times to wonder if you are getting that reception because of _____________at last year's Interbike or if you are imagining things you welcome an old friend like...an old friend.

I was pleasantly surprised to come across B. Spoke Tailor Nan Eastep, who was gracious and makes cycle specific clothing that really floats my boat. That was nice. The yahoos at Santa Cruz (you know who you are) went a long way also.

However, there is only so much sadness one 40 year old teenage girl can emote when in the presence of a cooler full of cold beer and a lot of bikes, so I got better. By Sunday, I loved everbody again (especially you). The boys had a good time checking out trialsin demos and jumpyhouses and icecream.

sLeaZE otter is best forgotten entirely, because those people are just no good at all.

Shop Ride

Joselyn's Bicycles (the best damn shop on the peninsula!) closed up with the "Gone Riding" sign...




























So. That is how some sections of Fort Ord look. That is how some guys ride their bikes.

It has been unseasonably warm and dry. I hope Sr. Hamachi is wrong, but he may be right...this dry warmth spells D-R-O-U-G-H-T. I guess I hope it gets cold and rains soon. And for about a month? Ugh.

oh, hey look, some folks don't wear helmets and then ask if I've taken my "cool bike" off any sweet jumps...