Of all the people in the world to have this frame it has to be brown…I have no doubt that overnight service fees will be charged but little hope the same overnight service will be provided. At last check MISFIT PSYCLES had only ONE inbound freight account – that’s good. The trouble? Well, Misfit Psycles has no less then 11 import/brokerage accounts. Now despite the best efforts on my part and meticulous work on the shippers part…MISFIT PSYCLES is almost ALWAYS on credit hold. Usually because someone in Moncton, NB couldn’t decide which of the inbound brokerage accounts to use…so they create a new account…that, OBVIOUSLY is less work then dialing 10 freaking digits… So this new account is created and OF COURSE, done without a credit check. Therefore all deliveries requiring brokerage are to be COD.

Following this pre-clearing fiasco the lovely box then sits in a large room marked – URGENT, likely with 3 or 4 brown shirts looking at it, no idea what to do. I have to call. Now, if I call too early I’m an impatient dolt (you MUST wait until it’s LATE duh). If I call after it’s late I should have looked after the problem sooner and no service guarantee is offered, duh.

If you are reading this People of Brown…here is the tracking number…do the right thing…

Now before we move on to the sneak peeks, the young man in upper Carolina had a question:

1. dicky Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 2:28 pm eIzzat a SS Rotor ring? I need more info on that puhleese.

Well it is in fact a 33T Ring. Best ratio they had in stock (in Canada – Yes Dicky perhaps I am being punished). Here is what they said at ROTOR USA

Do Q-Rings work for Single Speed or Downhill use?
The 34t or 38t will work without the need for a tensioning device, but here are a few things you should note: If using the 38t DH ring on a DH bike, you will have to use a chain guide such as the MRP System 1 (World Cup 36t-40t model) http://www.mrpbike.com/product-system1.php, in order to avoid the chain from falling off.

If using either the 34t or 38t on a single speed bike, position the crank between 3 & 4 o’clock (largest part of the Q-Rings will facing up) and then tighten the chain the same as you would on a round ring. Because the effective tooth size is a gradual change, and not that extreme, you will be able to ride in tough terrain without the chain failing on you.

You will obviously have a small change in tension if you’re feet are at 12 & 6 o’clock, but when going downhill you’re feet will likely be positioned at 3 & 9 o’clock (highest tension). Therefore, the only time you’ll be at 6 & 12 o’clock is when you are pedaling, which means that you will be applying pressure on the chain at this point.

Will it work? D’know but it will look pertay.

Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for…painstakingly photoshopped to remove incriminating contaminates and vile egg laying birds:

Distracted, disgruntled, derelict and damn near disabled by some sort of head-cold viral tantrum of epic proportions in my giant noggin…thusly the lack of activity and insight…not that a personal/corporate blog of nerdly birthing isn’t a priority in my reality…seriously, sometimes life gets in the way of the story is all.

That does not mean there has been a complete lack of activity…as you can see (over there <<<) commercialism and self promotion are the new black.  And apparently phottoshoppe skills are the new permanent marker on the white board of your mind.

People, the children of Dingle are hungry so pony up…the price is right, the server secure and the corporation is just as evil as you want it to be.

On the Ti Chi Bo front…brown has been busy…just about every-little-thing for the build has been dumped like yesterdays bran flakes onto my front porch of life. Here are some thingies for your viewing pleasure and a link to the full on library of brilliance (still no frame…oops?):

It has been more then 24hrs since a fire ate one of my favorite blocks in Toronto…well one of the only places I still returned to after my many years of moving away. As many know the solitary reason for the visits was the staff and the Institution (not in the nut house license plate manufacturing way either) that is Dukes Cycle and Radio. Ok the radio part, whatever, but it appears on the cheques so I have included it and I think it’s novel…

Just in case this drivel is your one and only source for education and enlightenment here is yesterdays news documented proper-like:

CTV VIDEO
GLOBE AND MAIL
MTBR Forums
FLICKR

Fortunately no one was seriously hurt and the staff of Duke’s remain upbeat about what the future holds…my thoughts (the good ones, not the really black evil ones I can’t stop) go out to Michael Cranwell, the Duke family and all the staff…for what thats worth.

NOW…If I might be so bold as to suggest something. Perhaps they should take a page from the seventies greatest icon of bionic proportions, one of my childhood heroes…Steve Austin…please note the authentic real-live bionic eye…

Duke’s Cycle, bicycle shoppe. A store barely alive. Gentlemen, they can rebuild it. They have the technology. They have the capability to build the world’s first bionic store. Duke’s Cycle will be that store. Better than it was before. Better, stronger, faster…

Disclaimer: You know that ‘better’ is intended in the good way, not in the ‘like it needed improvement anyway’ kinda way sorta thing n’such n’such.

With any luck the new Dukes will make be able to incorporate sound in all of the staff…and find a way to have them run in super slo-mo all the time:

‘dddddddddddddddddddddd…ggggggggggggg’ “A large? Sure, wait here, it won’t take but a second!”

‘dddddddddddddddddddddd…ggggggggggggg’ “Here you go, I brought twenty because things are so incredibly light since we opened the new store.”

‘dddddddddddddddddddddd…ggggggggggggg’ and so on and so on.

‘dddddddddddddddddddddd…ggggggggggggg’ “Stairs? There are no stairs in this building we jump from floor to floor!”

‘dddddddddddddddddddddd…ggggggggggggg’ “Inventory control? Physical counts? What the hell for? I can see through walls n’schtuff!”

Footnote: Two Misfit diSSent’s lost their lives in the tragedy. The frames parted without owners and without ever seeing the light of single track. Our thoughts go out to the remaining bikes and those that went before them. Initial reports from the front lines indicate that the diSSent’s had moved towards the children’s section in an attempt to shield the mini-bikes and helmets from the flames…bumper stickers and black ribbons will follow.

Brown has been busy…looky what came today…oh yes it is…and some said it wouldn’t happen…it couldn’t be…they said I wasn’t deserving…they said things about Columbo too…and probably other things about Imelda Marcos. Neither of which am I but could be with enough support, guidance and liquid paper.

To fast?
Yes, I may have blown the surprise a tad early, no build up no suspense no denouement. C’mon, it’s not like I kept it a secret, you knew this was coming… What? Don’t remember 5th grade english? Denouement: This is French for “unknotting” and is essentially the wrapping up of all the loose details of the plot in order to satisfy the reader or audience.
Unknotting? The inlays are petrified Mahogany…Mahogany, that’s a wood…anyway there are still too many loose details to concern you with, never mind your satisfaction dear reader, let’s move on.

So, because it is worthy and many of you mortals may never see it again…here it is in super slo-mo mini images:

Reserve!

Phhhhewww, that’s hot.  Thanks Paris.
In related-ness, despite only just shipping last week, brown made a second dump in the court of Dingle…this time…we use Cinéma-vérité to relay the action…in loosest terms of the expression where the camera is making up the cinéma and vérité is being comprised of the fact that the bits were actually in front of me when I Cinéma’ed them, making it very vérité…and too much vérité is just too much for some, or so I imagine it is anyway.

Try to keep up.

Hello Marta!

No the Venti isn’t lighter then the stock SL rotor…infact it’s like a planet heavier…but if it is a planet heavier…it’s Mars heavier…cause Mars is red…look at the rotor, part of it is red and planets (I assume) are heavy…drapes/carpet…matching type stuff.

Piss owrf…this is plenty, especially for an evening post.

So this fantasy speckled in red is really starting to sound sweet. The Ti Chi Bo build, in all it’s two dimensional ink smeared glory, is everything I could imagine it might be. As some of the wee bits and pieces start making their way to the Court of Dingle, the reality, the magnitude and the unfortunate scope of this project is taking shape…and that shape is growing in both size and blackness…but that’s good…

The Bad:

• Mike at Universal Cycles emailed…the 355 Rims I need did not arrive in the appropriate state. Apparently Stan reached around (note the sensible absence of a link) and mistakenly pulled rims from the tiny and obsolete pile and sent them in error…begs the question who uses 26″ rims still?

• Peter at Cane Creek called yesterday morn with some bad news…the 110 Red Headset was not in stock…back up plan? Nooooo, and no silver available either. As for other headsets, I’ve never been able to wrap my head around that ‘other’ headset available to peoples with discerning tastes and fat wallets, maybe it’s a result of warranty abuse I suffered at their hands many many moons ago…but that is another story.

• Manuel at Full Speed Ahead emailed to warn me that the K-Force flat sweep I was hankering…may not be in stock…so now I wait for them to fill orders and count the chads…

• Cranks. Mother of pearl. What to do we do for cranks? White Industry ENO WITH Phil Ti BB? OR Rotor Cranks with red accents???

The Good:

• Mike at Universal Cycles said he had notified the villains responsible for this travesty and they were going to ensure he had the rims today…Friday February 15th…going to be tight…tight-tight.

• Mike at Universal Cycles expressed some interest in the products of greatness from Misfit Psycles INCORPOFREAKINGATED…so please contact Mike or Universal and gush at just how much you love things Misfit…about that time I saved the orphans from the burning building ‘n such. Of course this could be the ultimate switcharoone, the ultimate dancing hand of distraction. “Enough about me and the missing rims, what about you?”

The Awesome:

• Peter at Cane Creek had THE solution to my headset worries…

I may have been thoroughly impressed at Interbike with the new 110 offering from CC…but a Reserve Edition? More betterer a Reserve Edition for me?

This headset in all of its Ti and Mahogany glory is ONE of ONLY 50 produced…the retail price is as obnoxious as it is beautiful and rightly so…not to mention this very same headset graced the face of the NAHBS 2008 “Best in Shoe” Naked Baba Ganoush crafted by Sam Whittingham. How the hell am I going to bring myself to install something of this pedigree, never mind part with it once installed.

Price just jumped the moon kids.