Building the Bland Plan – Spotlight on Chris Blandford
Chris Blandford of Bland Bicycles emailed us a little while back to show us photos of his recent accomplishments, and it was really the photography that caught my eye. Macro shots that really encapsulate the beauty of the process that we call frame building. More of a passion project, Blandford can spend as much or as little amount of time with each frame that he produces. In each photo though, the observer can nearly feel the heat from a fresh braze, smell the metal burn, and hear...
They told me “Racing is dead.” I told them, they’ve never been to the Sea Otter Classic..
UBI has traditionally attended Sea Otter each year and this year I was at the event both to represent UBI as well as to race the PRO Downhill on Sunday. In cruising around between the UBI booth, Downhill practice, the expo area where many of UBI's industry partners are, and our campsite I saw four days of vibrant bike geekdom. And I say bike geekdom with the utmost of affection as I am one of the bike geeks myself. Ten year old racer Johnno Forsyth (Neon kit in the foreground)...
#ownyourraise: It’s not only about being a good mechanic
As you may already be well-aware of, many mechanics get into fixing and riding bikes because it gives us the time we need inside our own heads to get stuff figured out: mechanical problems, planning the next bike project, or just how to spend less time cooking and more time riding… It’s this insular aspect to so many mechanics’ brains that can sometimes get between many really talented people and their economic and spiritual success at the shop. While becoming...
Stolen Bike: The Empath Tableau
That sense of loss, or the possibility of it, is the risk every single cyclist feels like they’re taking when they leave their bike in the hands of the mechanics at their local shop – like they’re dropping a loved one off at the hospital for major surgery. But there are no visiting hours, no assurances from important people in doctor’s coats explaining what’s going to happen, and no opportunity to say the words that have always been left unsaid, just in case...
If you could build yourself a frame… #whatwouldyoubuild
I built a titanium dirt jumper a few years ago and I’m stoked about it. [And if you’re anything like me, yes, a ti DJ is as sick as it sounds.] However, in medium to heavy wind conditions, it feels almost too light in the air and a little sketchy. So why not build a steel (heavier) version! In one of the more recent classes, I had the chance to. The geometry of a dirt jumper is a little unique and can be very personal. The design process isn’t like a road bike or cross...
Michaela Albanese, 2016; from Assistant Manager to Field Marketing Representative for Trek Bicycles
BV: What work were you doing before the scholarship?MA: I was the Assistant Sales Manager at a bike shop in Philadelphia. BV: Which class were you? How many years did you apply before winning the scholarship?MA: 2016. This was my second time applying. BV: Where are you now?MA: I'm currently the Field Marketing Representative of the Northeast for Trek Bikes. I am in charge of scheduling and conducting events in my territory, such as demos, expos, and advocacy events. I have a sprinter van full...
Danielle Fry, 2017 Scholarship Recipient
BV: Which class were you? How many years did you apply before winning the scholarship?DF: 2017 and I applied once the year before. BV: What work were you doing before the scholarship?DF: I had just become the Director of the Ogden Bicycle Collective. BV: What impacted you the most about your experience?DF: Getting to know the other people in my class from across the country who have similar experiences and learning from experiences they've had that I haven't. The collaboration with...
Elyse Bejasa
Bejasa also made sure I never missed a day of class(more on this in a later note), organized our study sessions with Laura Solis, and got in her cyclocross workouts nearly every day of the scholarship. Elyse also contributed an article to PrettyDamnedFast(another 2016 scholarship winner’s blog - Anna Maria, you can read more about her here) about the experience in last year’s scholarship class, you can check it out here for the full run-down of 2017. Even now, she’s the glue behind all of...
Christine Hill: Old Spokes Home
Familiar stories along the same lines as her compatriots, Christine Hill found the confidence to tackle the harder parts of being involved in the bike industry; giving back to the community successfully, while battling the frustration of losing faith with an industry that seems to not want us here. But check out the awesome things she’s doing out in Vermont, and check out the Quality Bicycle Parts interview, that came out this morning; it gave me another reason to be thankful this morning....
Anna Maria Wolf
Although she has put aside many of her duties at the blog, Wolf has gained innumerable new responsibilities by opening her own bike shopand continuing to be a driving force in her community at large. As an all-around hustler, she continues to focus on her new shop Sun and Air. BV: Which class were you? How many years did you apply before winning the scholarship?AMW: 2016; Only applied once. Anna Maria during the 2016 class BV: What work were you doing before the scholarship?AMW: I was working...