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Thursday, August 31, 2006
We shouldn't need a reminder, but here's one anyway. Wear your helmets when you ride your bikes. Last weekend one of our engineers, Blake, was competing in the 100 mile MTB endurance race in Park City, Utah. On the first lap he went down really fast in a hard crash. As best as he can tell, he thinks he flatted extremely quickly while on the descent, tossing him sideways into some rocks. He took a serious blow to the head from a rock. It did hit the lower part of the side of his helmet but also hit directly on his skull. The skull fracture pushed pieces up against his brain, but we are extremely thankful that he apparently didn't receive any brain damage. We count that as a blessing. The crash also broke his collarbone and scapula and dished out a severe hematoma to his right side abdomen. Blake was airlifted to a Salt Lake City hospital. Today we got our first Blake sighting as he stopped by work after returning to Minnesota. Same Blake filled with energy and vitality. For that we're thankful as well. So while Blake was wearing his helmet, this should serve as a real reminder for you to wear yours, whenever you are on the bike. Things can happen awefully fast sometimes so it is best to be prepared for the worst. Bicycling is something we all love to do. Let's do it safely so we can ride off into the sunset at a nice old age. Cheers. -Kid Posted by Salsa Kid : 1:18 PM 0 comments 
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
So Jason and Chuck depart for Eurobike today to show some of our new Salsa goods. I say 'some' because we're holding back a few items for Interbike at the end of next month. That keeps a little suspense running and hopefully will give folks a little added incentive to stop by our booth (#974) in Vegas. Eurobike means that fall is coming. But it is already easy enough to tell that from the mornings around here. Temperatures are starting to drop a bit lower at night and the early mornings are turning slightly crispier. Now I'm a 4 seasons man. I like 'em all, although I'll admit that winter can run a little long here in Minnesota. Still, the seasons put a nice cycle to the year and that cycle of new life to dying out is so good for the soul. It's the natural calendar that reminds me of how precious each and every day, week, month, and year are. That it is best to enjoy them to their fullest, breathe it all in, and let it out slowly. Yes, fall is definitely coming. Breathe it in. -Kid Posted by Salsa Kid : 9:57 AM 0 comments
Thursday, August 24, 2006
This is one of the busiest times of the year for us here at Salsa, although there really isn't much of a slow season anymore. Catalog and tradeshow work dominate our days (and sometimes our early mornings and nights too). From photoshoots to figuring out how we'll fit 'X' number of bikes and all our components and clothing into our 20' x 30' foot space at the show, there is always something pressing to work on. Of course, all the regular day to day work has to continue as well. Next week we're having one of our future product planning meetings which I really enjoy. It is great fun to toss around ideas and then argue which are most valid and worthwhile for our brand at this time. That leads to frustrations as well though. We've always got more ideas than time or staff to develop them. I suppose it would be a bigger problem if we didn't have enough ideas. And while work goes on you still want to try to find some time on the bike, especially with Interbike coming up (also known as the most unhealthy week of the year). Last evening I went out for an hour on the River Bottoms trail which is just down the road from Salsa world headquarters. I hadn't been on that trail for a while and I wasn't feeling particularily energetic either, but it was fun to cruise along checking out the changes from last season. The River Bottoms trail floods almost every year so it sort of modifies itself from time to time. That keeps things fresh of course, which was probably just what I needed. So there it is...a glimpse into bike industry life in late August. Now back to work... Enjoy your day. -Kid Posted by Salsa Kid : 12:25 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
This past weekend our parent company held its annual retreat up at Telemark Resort near Cable, Wisconsin. For those of you that aren't from around here, the area has a huge network of off-road mountain bike trails known as the CAMBA trail system. That stands for Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association. The trails have always been fun, but a beautiful thing has happened in the last few years. There's been an extensive effort at developing more true singletrack sections. I got my first and second tastes of the Ojibwa Trail this past weekend and truly enjoyed it. It is technical in that it keeps your speed down but never so technical as to make things unrideable. Riding its 13 miles took at least a couple hours which gives you an idea of the speed involved. Big props to the folks that developed that fine new piece of northwoods riding. I didn't get a chance to ride the new singletrack at Rock Lake unfortunately. Word from some others that did was that it was fantastic though. So it was a sweet extended weekend of mountain biking, family riding, croquet, swimming, storytelling, and more. Heck, we even had a bear cub run across the road in front of us on Sunday evening. If you are an upper midwestern mountain biker that hasn't hit up the Chequamegon area trails yet, you should get on it. Spend three or four days there sampling the dirty goods and you'll go home plenty satisfied. Rubber side down. -Kid Posted by Salsa Kid : 4:06 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Last night I crashed pretty hard. I was riding with my buddy Kevin who is much faster than I am. It was late. I was tired. I was hungry. I was chasing him. You know what happened next? Yep, a big crash. I did something really stupid. It was totally avoidable. Even worse, I crashed right in front of some people we had just passed. Damn. I got up and bent my brake lever back into place and finished the ride with severe pain in my left arm. I've got bruises everywhere...Yes, my new El Mariachi is OK. Thanks for asking. Turns out, the crash was worse than I thought. I busted a bone in my arm. I've got a surgical consult tomorrow and it looks like they will be putting pins or screws in my arm to put the bones back together. I guess it was time. I've been crashing for 18 years and this is only my second trip to the Dr and my first broken bone. Thankfully, I don't expect this to be the type of injury that would put an end to my cycling. It will just be some time away from my mountain bike. Heck, maybe I'll even start to like road riding again by the time this is over. Who knows what this break will bring? That's the great thing about unexpected breaks from your passion. You just might get something great from it. Jason Posted by Butcher : 8:29 PM 0 comments
Monday, August 07, 2006
Saturday morning I was finally in town for a weekend so Jordan and I headed over to Wirth Park for his first taste of the trails there. Compared to the River Bottoms, they were a lot more twisty and technical but Jordan was game and he did really well. He took a few diggers of course and was sporting a big purple bruise on his knee later that evening, but I was really proud of how he gave everything a shot. I think back to when I was a kid and not only were there not mountain bike trails, but my father didn't have time to do that sort of stuff with me. I'm glad I have the time and opportunity to get out there and do this stuff with Jordan. It'll mean riding a lot slower than you may want to at first but give your kids a taste of the dirt. It's something they'll get a taste for and hopefully stay interested in (or at least come back to) when they are older. Have a good day. -Kid Posted by Salsa Kid : 1:38 PM 0 comments
Friday, August 04, 2006
So my lady is in Germany so it's just me and Jordan keeping the homestead in one piece for a few days. Then it'll just be me as he heads off for a week at summercamp. That means 6 days of me flying solo. Wow. It is almost too much for me to imagine at this point. The early plan has me trying to ride my bike as much as possible and trying to get a chest-style freezer out of the basement without destroying the house. That should prove interesting. It's strange to suddenly have a bunch of potential free time on my hands. I've gotten used to having Cub Scout meetings, ball games, and family stuff to do. Not that I'm complaining. But it is sure gonna feel weird to be alone again. Enjoy your weekend. Alone or not. -Kid Posted by Salsa Kid : 5:47 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Bobby and I returned from PedrosFest late yesterday afternoon. We had a blast at the festival (except for Bobby the last day). Thanks especially to those that came by to demo some of our rides or just to chat a bit. It was great meeting and riding with a bunch of (now former) strangers. And of course it was nice seeing a bunch of folks that we do know too. Riding at the event was great, but I wish I could have done more. Nice technical trails with some of the most slippery rocks I've ever been on. I loved the extra challenge that adds to the ride though. Around here are trails are generally a bit 'challenge deprived'. Those slick, slimy roots and rocks were a real treat to try to maintain traction on. No braking. No sudden accelerations. Just smooth, steady progress up and over. Nice. To those that haven't attended PedrosFest yet, you should consider going. It is pretty much the epitomy of what I'd call the mountain bike community. Folks that like to ride getting together and hanging, having some fun, and riding to their hearts content. We're proud to be a part of that community. Now it's time to get back to catalog work. Some deadlines are looming and it isn't gonna get done by watching the rain (finally) come down outside. Enjoy your day. Kid Posted by Salsa Kid : 12:40 PM 0 comments |
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