Just get here already!…

Finally tracked down someone yesterday to talk to about the incoming ocean shipment of my frames. Because I haven’t exactly imported anything, I think what happens next is I arrange for a broker to get my frames through customs and to a truck and to me (simplified version). Yesterday, I arranged for the broker to do just that. This waiting is killing me.

While I was arranging all that (phone calls, e-mails, faxes), I converted that old white Cannondale bike to flat bars and index 6-speed shifting. All while the new owner of the bike sat on the couch and watched me. Now if you work in a bike shop, you know what it’s like to have the customer watch you work on their bike. Multiply that feeling many-fold due to my communicating with the broker and because the bike was previously set up with an ultra-6 freewheel, I needed to rearrange the spacers in the hub to fit a standard 6 and then redish the wheel, and… Well, if you are a mechanic, you know the challenge of converting something old.

It turned out to not take a long time because I knew all I would need to do ahead of time and instead of dinking around and trying to make the existing parts work, I just dove in and got it all converted. Done. Works great. The guy is super happy with the way the bike looks and rides. And I’m happy to have the work in January and that my frames are one step closer to getting here. And because I was so busy, forgot to take pictures…

And a big shout out “THANK YOU” to Guitar Ted for including my cross frame as one of his finalists for his “Ultimate Gravel Grinder Bike.” Thanks a bunch G-T! I first “met” Guitar-Ted through the 29″er scene. When I designed the Haro Mary, I enlisted G-T’s talents as copy-writer for Mary’s catalog copy. Turned out aces. Thanks again, G-T!

(What’s playing: KWMR‘s new Wednesday morning show, Hump Day)