counting days now...

well, its getting close to my return date and I am starting to count days now! scary thought. I have been busy with some design stuff, and acquiring a new machine for the office to prototype bits. Titanium is the name of the game!

This is a pic of Heidi at Heidi and John's booth at the SLC artshow last week, notice the super awesome bikes making an appearance in the backround?

made my day!

hmmm, drop outs

well, here you go, the new batch of the indexing singlespeed drops are rolling. This shot is in the rough, final ones will be tumbled and anodized. Steel and titanium,of course!

still working the other stupid job that I hate, but its a means to an end right? working on some other things that will come to fruition shortly,I keep replaying the whole thing in my mind....argh.

So here is a thought, could you ride your bike without the use of lycra decorated with all the latest cool sponsors and logos for one season? how about a challenge....email me pics of your riding and racing in your normal guy duds and I will pick one person to get a new frame at cost...hows that for cool? jeez, does anyone even read this?

Bicycle Repairman

You have to love this skit, if you don't, get your head checked....

yummy goodness!

hooray! Kevin Nierman sent along this photo of his round valley 29er singlespeed today. God dang if green is not the most sexy color in anodize!

I have to say this picture came at a great time. As some of ya know, I have this shitty ass job that I do to pay the bills and I was forced to return to it after the shop hit a pretty big bump. The job, as I am sure some of you can relate to, doesn't define who I am, its just a stupid ass lame job that pays bills so I can occasionally come up for air. And when I come up, I make bikes and of course ride them too.

If you have ever made something and then had the joy of using it, or even seeing others use it and enjoy it, than you can relate to the smile I get on my face when I see one of the bikes I made out there.

So, I am going to keep on keeping on, making the frames, and doing the lame ass stupid job, until something better comes along. Til then, pics like this make me feel alot closer to home! Thanks Kevin, thanks everyone....

brilliant

its actually brilliant, Carelman's Coffee Pot for Anarchists, it takes a second, but if you let it soak in you will get it! I was kicking back reading one of my new favorite books DIET..Design of Everyday Things..and came across this illustration. The author was making a point, that bad design is often accepted by the end user and the resulting poor performance or failure to understand how to work the damn thing as being user error...think about it! Those god damn morons that design road shifters...really? just because you can train someone to do things 'your way' doesn't matter, that is design dictating function! Folks, SRAM is a classic example. First off, any rich asshole can buy up all the manufacturers out there and start churning out product. Remember all those horrible grip shit..I mean 'grip shift' shifters? I remember being one of those sponsorship crazed racers that accepted a pair of x-rays (gee, brilliant..you can see thru the body!) anyhow, because of the muddy joy that IS New England racing, the damn things wouldn't let you shift if you grabbed them when wet! Solution? zip tie with the ugly and sharp little tab sticking out to get some grip on! folks, people were racing world cup with this! but I digress. At some point, SRAM swallows up Sachs and bang! now we make chains! then they buy up Rockshox! Bang, we make forks! then...Bang! we make road shifters....uh, in case you are coming in late to the scene, there was a time when Sachs (pre- Sram) made a shifter that was just like the Campy stuff, but priced for shop lackeys and rock solid (no cross bike was complete without a Sachs shifter!)

My point? simple, if I was the only guy making everything you used, don't you think I would have monopoly on things? Just because some world cup lycra clad weenie uses it, doesn't make it right, they got a habit to support!

So next time you are riding, and get pissed because you ended up cross chaining, or forgot to lock out your 3500 dollar full suspension (god, don't get me f-ing started on that stupidity) don't blame yourself, blame the 'system' and demand shit that works man!

out!

I have been busy trying to get the shop set and ready for my return in a few weeks, looking good so far! I have spent the last break building out the workspace and doing the electrical so with the exception of picking up some more argon I should be up and running soon.

I am interested in input on a lug ti/carbon frameset. Yes, I know there are others out there, is this not cool anymore? Full ti will be available, but I would like very much to have a carbon frame in the mix too.

The trails should be drying up nicely by the time I get home, and that is sure to get my creative juices going. I have found a new inspiring trail in Heber City at Dutch Canyon, its brilliant and really words cannot do a justice. Think of a trail that makes you want to run a helmet cam!

I am at a great spot for riding currently, but no bike to ride! go figure! I am forced to run daily and fantasize about putting in a pump track. The mountains nearby are amazing, but sadly no one has seen fit to embrace a form of recreation that doesn't involve rockets and guns. I am damn sure a singlespeed would command so much respect that I could ride unmolested in them hills!

Spread the love on the blog, and stay tuned for new toys in June!

new stuff

so, yours truly and Genius John have been busy with the new goodies to come in June. After many months of hard work, I am in a position to start the new stuff that will reflect some of the awesome advances in frame construction out there and still sport all the goodness and yankee know how that has made edwin bikes work.

Titanium and carbon, lugs milled to tolerances that will make laying a tension weld cake even after a pot of my strong coffee!

The new shop is set up, and yours truly is looking forward to getting some frames done! (kevin, this includes your 29er)

well, one can only imagine what life would be without being able to ride, and Laura can surely relate due to a recent knee surgery! Laura sent me a nice email and I found this pic posted on her blog of her edwin parley's road bike!

Laura is a super fast Xterra type, triathlon with some dirt...excellent!

Shop is rolling along nicely, spent the past week building the new workspace (drywall, electrical, paint, etc.), I can just now bend down to tie my shoes without groaning! ha ha.

As for new stuff, look for titanium and carbon framesets in late June early July when I get back into the shop; I assure you it will be worth the wait!

Until then, get out and ride and send your friends over to the blog so I don't feel too lonely here! ha ha...

new shop space!

howdy,

well the wheels are in motion and yours truly anticipates being back up for June (late June). Have a few frames to wrap up soon, ti cross....how the hell did I go from cross season to cross season and miss everything in between?! oh yeah, I was gone!

of note, I will be switching to just titanium from this point forth. It is too hard and too big a sea to compete in for steel, even though its light and strong...Titanium is still the best. Average frame price is 1600, cross frames will be on special (listen to me, like some grocery store guy!, dork) at 1600 for frame and fork. Don't get too excited, this ensures that yours truly can be super lazy and make sure you use the right fork for the job...no more wheelie bikes due to incorrect axle to crown height!

On a side note, I don't recommend techno music and coffee (two pots) while doing home renovations, unless of course you are trying to get alot done in short time..

I have also successfully posted the edwin page online again, and updated the edwin facebook page with new photo albums of the last few bike projects.

I really am looking forward to making more bikes, and maybe...just maybe....staying home for awhile.

cheers.

new weldah!

sweet(insert Cartman'esqe voice)! picked up a replacement for the trusty miller...HTP! this one goes to 11 !
Yeah, I know, boring...but this is big for me! these welders are great, and...RED!
stay tuned...almost time to go back into the shop, will post pics of the renovation and set up!
oh, and need more followers on this blog, tell your friends...get ten referrals and I will give you a bike at cost!

sneak preview...

so this is just a 'before' shot of the new location, going from 2200 square feet to roughly 150 square feet is challenging for sure...will be milling up the parts in salt lake at John's shop, then dragging them up to my house to TIG up..it isn't perfect, but it'll work. Stay tuned, the shed has a few improvements to go through.

almost spring!

so its almost springtime and that means yours truly better get his butt in gear and start making bikes! (pardon the pun)
I have been working out some spacial issues with the new workspace, which will be in my own backyard, the rent is cheap! have some serious work to do, but rest assured it'll get done!
I have some new bike widgetry to work out, single-speed dropout shape, and a seat collar with a stop integrated in it for the hard corps cross riders who keep it real (insert ...suicidal) with cantilever brakes! (is there anyone who made a better brake than shimano's XTR cantis? I think naught!
this pic is of Adam Wachendorf's cross bike, and he is clearly putting it to good use!
see you in the spring!