Friday location: Home Lock Down | 5:30 am – lots of naps – 9:40 pm
photo: from television coverage. Camo guys in front of Seven Cycles.
Time Marker: Today the police used Seven Cycles’ parking lot as a command center for the Boston Marathon Bombing manhunt. I was on lock-down at my house today. The police rocked today.
Post tile: Richard Thompson, Withered and Died
This cruel country has driven me down
Teased me and lied, teased me and lied
I’ve only sad stories to tell to this town
My dreams have withered and died
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Thursday location: Seven | 7:30 am – 7:05 pm
- Product Development: Finalized the Ride Studio Cafe Menu 1.0 today. It’s so different from anything I’ve seen before that it’s been difficult to explain to the town, those helping, and the suppliers with which we’re working. I’m trying to anticipate the issues that will arise. It’d be so much easier to just sell a lot of chocolate.
- Product Development: Wrapping up a 3-Bike Limited Edition “Cross is Boss” project for Honey Bikes. This is a big ambitious design challenge. Fortunately it’s very limited edition: only 20 bikes will be available. Details posting soon.
- Ride Project: Working on the most ambitious ride project yet: Highpoint. Riding to Mount Greylock and back. I started working on this last year and had to shelve it becuase it was too big. But now RSC has found the right team to help bring it to fruition – six people, in addition to RSC employees will make this ride of rides happen sucessfully.
- Note: My friend Patrick Brady has posted a Kickstarter about a book project he’s doing. It’ll definitely be worth it.
Post title: Aristotle’s Physics VI: 9, 239b5
Wednesday location: Studio | Seven | Studio || 6:50 am – 6:40 pm – scouting
- Graphic Design: Seven Cycles Ads – we’re rocking on them. The photo above is one example of images from the series. Kirk is outdoing himself on this set of photos.
- Graphic Design: Wrapping up the finishing touches on Seven Cycles’ Bike Catalogue; it’s a supplement to the Seven Brochure. And, as an aside, we’re already working on the 2014 Seven Brochure.
- Graphic Design: Wrapping up the latest rendition of the Ride Studio Cafe summer cycling caps. Two designs for summer.
- Recruiting: The ongoing wave of hiring continues. I feel like I’m averaging at least an hour a day on this. And it would probably wise for me to invest even more time on this work.
- Note: I get M&A faxes and emails just about every week. They’re random and irritating because every time one comes through the fax machine my paranoia makes me think that employees must think I’m looking to sell Seven Cycles. Fortunately nothing could be further from the truth. Today I receive a particularly cool automated fax. Part of the pitch was, “[The buyer is] interested in buying all or a substantial portion of Vandermark.” Finally, an offer in which I’m really interested. I definitely want to sell all of me. Not sure if the offer includes tattoo coverage, servitude or something else. I can’t wait to contact the, “Mergers and Acquisitions Dept” – that’s the name of the company. My next business will definitely have the term “Dept” in the company’s name. Very clever.
Post title: Ethics is not expedience
Tuesday location: Seven | 8:05 am – 8:35 pm
- Product Development: Working on Seven Cycles’ bottom bracket system. Seven currently offers five types of bottom bracket. We’re looking at adding a sixth type. In order to do that we’re reorganizing the entire bb management system.
- Words: Ride Studio Cafe just posted an interview with Erin Faconne about her new Honey Final 200 Meters race bike.
- Event: Some folks from Seven Cycles and I are heading Signature Cycles in Connecticut for their Meet the Makers day. They did this a few years ago and it was a great ride and event.
- Product Design: The Seven Cycles Track Jackets arrived today. I think they’re already sold out. Limited Edition. Too limited.
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Ride Studio Cafe – Honey’s number one retailer – just posted an interview with Erin Faccone of the RSC Road Team. It’s a great piece by Joy Stark-Smith. The Honey Final 200 Meters is a unique bike that seems to do it’s job.
“[…] it’s been beyond my expectations. It’s stiffer than any bike I’ve ever ridden before. It felt super zippy even on the first ride. I took it through some hard cornering and a few quick sprints and felt great – like I’d been riding it forever. After my first long ride with it, I’m more pleased than ever. […]
“The Honey is the first bike I’ve ever felt more comfortable on the hoods and, dare I say, in the drops than on the flats. On my first ride, I did some out of the saddle efforts, and was shocked at how stable I felt sprinting from the drops. Aside from the bike itself, I had a fitting with Rob from RSC which was super thorough. We ended up changing my position pretty significantly from what I was used to. The result has been more comfort and more power, so win-win!”
Thanks Erin and Joy! Have a great race season Erin! – And the entire Ride Studio Cafe Team!
More frame photos after the jump.
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Monday location: Seven | 7:40 am – 8:10 pm
- Students: We has a high-school class from Rhode Island visit Seven Cycles on Friday for a tour. The kids seemed engaged and fairly interested to see the factory and what it’s all about. [photo and link]
- Words: Chip Baker wrote about his new Honey Bike: All Along the Watchtowers. Great stuff.
- Words: Velouria of Lovely Bicycle! shared some nice words about a recent ride from the Studio.
- I know I’m working too hard when I bonk while sitting in my work chair. This happened today for the first time. It took me a while to realize that I was bonking. That shouldn’t be possible while not exercising. But I did it.
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VeloCB’s perpetual enthusiasm machine, Chip Baker, put together a review of his first ride on the Hup Honey Cross Limited Edition bike. That’s a mouthful – and a great article. Here are a few highlights:
“Now typically this would be a crazy idea. […]
“Honey will blow people’s minds. […]
“The paint is amazing. But to be honest the bike rides better than it looks and that is saying something. […]
“The Honey was incredible. So smooth. Everything I could have asked for and more. […]
“The Honey was not only super smooth and stable it was a great climber. It felt at home. Perfect baptism by fire.”
And last, but certainly not least:
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Sunday location: Studio | 7:20 am – 7:10 pm
Fifty eggs for the Randonee ride, and as an homage to Cool Hand Luke – one of my favorites.
“Just let that little old belly sag and enjoy itself.” – Dragline from Cool Hand Luke.
Lovely Bicycle!’s content locomotive, Velouria, just posted a nice piece on the Season Kick-Off Party and ride today.
“The Blue Moon Permanent marked this year’s New England Brevet Season Kick-Off Party. The start of the ride was crowded, with a varied mix of cyclists. The bikes ran the gamut from road race to traditional randonneuring machines. […]
“We go through our learning experiences, growing pains and all the wonder that comes with them but once.
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Saturdays location: Studio | 7:45 am – 10:10 pm
Pamela B. getting everyone oriented for the Rando Season Kickoff!
- Three Fold Event: The Ride Studio Cafe had a brunch, a 100k ride, and a party today. All related, all distinct and all complex. It went really well and people seemed to have a great time.
- Ten Fold Rides: I believe we had five distinct rides heading out from the Studio today. I believer there are five tomorrow, too.
