Single Speed 29er Mountain Bike

Here it is, my Specialized Hardrock single speed 29er mountain bike.

For my drive train I'm using a Funn Tenacious crank set with a 34 tooth RaceFace chainring, Surly Singleator and 18 tooth cog. The 34x18 is suitable as most of the trails I ride don't have too much climbing, most of my climbing comes on the road as I commute to my local trails.

I'm using the Funn Kratos handlebar (29"), stem and seatpost, Funn Throne II saddle, Surly Ogre fork, Avid SD-7 brake levers, Shadow Conspiracy BMX pedals, FSA MX Orbit headset, stock wheelset with Specialized Ground Control 2.1 tires, and of course I have to have the Wise Cracker bottle opener. Below are some photos and a video from my ReplayXD 1080 mini camera.

Glovic Racing

In March I set out to enter into the bike industry with a part time job as a bike tech at a local sporting goods store. Shortly there after I landed a job at a local bike shop, where I am now at full time. Being full time is a bike shop is a great blessing, especially during the winter months. Working in a bike shop you meet all sorts of people, one that really stood out to me is the owner of Glovic Racing.

Glovic has been coming into my shop for months, trying to get us to carry a European mountain bike parts brand known as Funn. Two of the guys who work at the shop were getting gear floated to them as they would get the products seen at the races they competed at. Being a bike commuter it wasn't likely that I was going to get gear unless I either paid for it or raced. I decided to go a different route though.

I went out and did a bit of research, I noticed Glovic was a young brand, has potential growth, and their website wasn't working correctly. I pointed this out to Glovic and I was not prepared for what was about to happen. I just thought I would get some gear for fixing the website, which I did, but I am now also working for Glovic Racing.

Since starting to do work for Glovic Racing, I found out that Funn mountain bike parts isn't the only company they represent. Glovic Racing also represents ReplayXD mini cameras, Miranda crank sets, Enduro bearings, Schwalbe tires, SKS products, and will be producing their own carbon mountain bike wheels and hubs! It's really exciting getting on the ground floor of a start up bike company that is bringing European mountain bike parts to the US.

Currently I am setting up the website and doing some other work for Glovic Racing. Starting in 2015, not only will I be working full time at a bike shop, but I will also be working (again) in digital solutions for Glovic Racing. We're looking to make a big push this year. Check out Glovic Racing on Facebook and Funn on Facebook. Thanks and stay tuned for more!

Where Your Bike Can Take You

11 March, 2014 - That was the last time I really talked about anything cycling on the internet; and it was a short post about possibly getting a job as a Bike Tech at Dick's Sporting Goods. I got the job, and I already left... a lot has changed.

At that stage in my life I was the digital marketing manager for a family of car dealerships. I was riding my bike to work, didn't own a car, and didn't even life cars (all three of these things remain true to this day). I got a part time job as a Bike Tech, cut the marketing manager job to part time, and got a job at a local bike shop for Saturdays. After working two months at three jobs I was offered full time at the bike shop. I now work full time in a bike shop, but that's not the end of it.

I made the career change, turned 30 and decided I should try my hand in racing. My first race was category 5 mountain bike race where I took 3rd. I did a duathlon where I took 2nd in my age group and placed 14th out of 43, then did a national championship category four cyclocross race and did horrible. I liked doing duathlons the most, and am now training for a full duathlon season this upcoming year. A career change and racing, those are some good changes, but that still isn't the end.

From time to time when I was working full time in digital solutions I would meet some entrepreneurs and help with some business ventures. Well, while working at the bike shop I met an entrepreneur that is bringing some European brands over here to the states. I pointed out that his website wasn't working properly, in 2015 I'll be bringing some European brands to the states and introducing a a new carbon mountain bike wheel brand to the industry.

I genuinely didn't think I would have moved this far this fast. It's truly amazing where your bike can take you; the past nine months have been quite the trip, and I'm looking forward to bringing this blog along for the ride. Let's ride.

Long Time Comin'

This has been a long time comin', I meant to start this months ago... roughly five months ago when this journey began. Due to technical and financial set backs this whole blog thing was put on hold, but the adventure was not. A little over five months ago I left my the career field I had working in for the past decade and started a career in the bicycle industry.

Over these past five months of working in a bike shop I have entered three races that I never thought I would do, got beat up a few times, tasted a close victory, was served a large slice of humble pie, created new bike routes, had a legit meeting with a guy who owns his own bicycle company in France, made friends with riders who make my head spin, built up my winter commuter bike as a single speed 29er mountain bike, got a computer with Windows 8.1, and installed Ubuntu Linux. It's been a fast, strange trip. Oh yeah, I also turned 30, lost over 40 pounds and have changed my diet to be nearly all vegetarian.