OMG RECIPE

Fauxsages ala Walt

Put all in food processor in any order you want:

-1/2c refried beans

-1/2c bullion

-2 TBSP olive oil, or if you're a cheapskate, any vegetable oil

-2 TBSP soy sauce

-1.5 tsp liquid smoke

-1 tsp fennel seed, ground up in a mortar/pestle a bit to make it nice and aromatic

-2 cloves garlic

-1 tsp thyme

-2 TBSP nutritional yeast

-Some ground black pepper to taste

-1 tsp dried basil

-2 tsp aleppo pepper (or a smaller amount of normal red pepper flakes)

-1 tsp oregano

-1 tsp paprika

-1 1/2 cup wheat gluten

Process into dough. If it's too shaggy, add a little water. If too wet, add a bit more gluten. 

Take the dough you made and make it into schlong-like sausage-like things. Wrap 'em up in foil and steam for 40 minutes. I like to cut them up and pan fry them in butter before serving.

Mike is an attention whore

And since I am battling some awful gunk in my lungs, and the kids spent all day driving me nuts, I have not a whole lot to show other than his pictures of riding dry singletrack in January. While here in PC, we have never-ending mud season.

Bastard.

Sir Mix-A-Lot Shot

Jealous of a mountain biker from Missouri... how far have I sunk?

Stays/bridge bent and mitered by Mike. I had to do the welding in the end, though. TIG is hard.

Christine - done!

650b headed for Laramie. Well, once it gets a powdercoat.

Geometry details tonight if I have time.

Goodbye

His hips finally gave out, and when he couldn't even walk to have his breakfast, we knew it was time. Thanks for the last 12 years, buddy, and I hope there are lots of rabbits where you are now.

29+ wit a Leftie

Mike came out for a framebuilding class in the fall and built this beauty.

You too could build yourself a dream bike...

I still think Lefties look weird

Yes, those are very short chainstays. No boring bikes at the WW frame school...

Goodbye, Shimano

Dear Shimano,

I love you. My first ever bike had STX-RC parts and I was convinced that because they had an "X" in them, they must be as nice as XTR. I loved that bike. I rode the living hell out of those parts, and they worked flawlessly until my ineptitude (both riding and wrenching) eventually destroyed them all. I've had a billion bits of Shimano wizardry on my bikes over the years. Today my XT brakes are the best I've ever used.

We've had our differences in the past, Shimano. Your answer to SRAM's XX1/XO1/X1 11 speed is too little, too late. Electronic shifting? Neat. But most of my customers want stuff they can crash and replace without selling their cars. I've sold 95% SRAM stuff ever since XX1 came out.

But that's water under the bridge. I'm sure you'll come around and a mechanical XT 1x11 group is just around the corner.

Here's the real problem, Shimano: I can't sell your parts to customers anymore, because apparently you aren't interested in letting me. The only OEM distributor (Security Bicycle) for your parts in the US just got dropped. What's that, you say? I can get your parts through QBP? Hurray!

But Shimano, an XT brake costs $100 at QBP. It costs $80 online from overseas. I can't sell my customers a part for *over retail* on their new bike. Heck, I don't know how a bike shop can sell an XT brake for the supposed "retail" price when they're being undercut like that. If what you want is to go entirely consumer direct, Shimano, just f***ing do it yourself. It's embarrassing for me to quote people what I think is a really good price on the newest, nicest Shimano stuff (a price at which I'm hardly making money) and have them find the same thing for 20% cheaper online.

What's that? I can buy direct from you? Great! Wait, your direct prices are the same as QBP's unless I buy, say, a thousand brakes. Shimano, I only build 50 bikes a year. That's why all the small builders used Security as their distributor. You know, the distributor that can't sell your parts anymore.

It's probably not even worth your time to worry about builders like me, Shimano, because you certainly aren't making the big bucks off us. But would it really take that much to give us a break and let us put your parts on the bikes that the true bike nerds drool over?

I still love you, Shimano. I just don't know if you love me.

Still your friend,

Waltworks

Doh... stupid metal bits

A tiny chip snuck it's way onto my headset press and put this ding into the top cup of a nice blue King I7 (that's for a tapered steerer/44mm head tube) headset.

I'm replacing it with a new one for the customer, so it's up for sale. $90, or free to the next person to order a frame.