More from Taichung…

Today is our last day in the factory here at Ideal. Tomorrow we will be heading to Taipei for the show and the true madness that is the beginning of the season’s multiple trade shows and events. The coin has been tossed and the game is about to begin…

Saturday Steven and I joined a small group ride and rode up Snow Mountain- it’s about 52km of climbing… but thankfully for my big arse, we “only” rode up 18km to the police station.

The climb rose up out of the city and up into an amazingly lush tropical forest complete with bamboo and ferns and tones of trees. The air was so moist that there were corners that had to be ridden very cautiously because the road was covered in moss. But oh how fun that descent was!

On Sunday we went out by ourselves and rode up another mountain/ hill that climbs out of town and has a velodrome that was built several years ago for the Asian Games. The track surface is teak to withstand the weather conditions- which I would imagine actually retains a fairly good grip when wet.

On the way out of the velodrome facility, I snapped my chain. We tried in vain to fix it with a couple of rocks and the help of a very enthusiastic local who was there at the sports facility with his kids. Even though he spoke no English he came running- literally- with a handful of tools to try and help. Just another example of the amazing friendliness of the people of Taiwan.

We coasted down the hill and with the help of more friendly folks, found a small neighborhood shop that had a 10spd chain that I bought and they installed for me with free labor. They were even Fuji retailers and were very happy to help out. I gave them my new business card and then they really poured on the service. Wiping down my bike and lubing Steven’s squeaky chain. Steven had banged his thumb trying to repair my chain and had bled a bit, so the store owner sent his wife next door to the ever-present 7/11 to *buy* bandages for his thumb- even cleaning his thumb with an iodine wash before letting him put the band-aid on!

After that, we headed out again to finish our interrupted ride and stopped for a short lunch. Once on the road again, we climbed back up the hill to the velodrome to finish our intended route… only to find that the road we had been on just 2 days before had been completely cut up for repair! So we had to go back down the hill we just climbed so that we could take an even longer climb back into town. The hills here never stop and come one after another… for ever and ever.

So we rode along the rim of the city before dropping back down to the main road to the hotel… and the favorite part of our all of our rides- chasing the swarming mass of scooters! I’ll have to find a way to get video one day- GoPro perhaps- of sprinting in the scooter traffic. If you don’t know what I’m talking about… just imagine countless scooters swarming through the streets with no apparent regard for traffic laws, lanes or signals… and us sprinting in among them. IT ROCKS!

After all the riding, we got out for some touristy stuff and visited the area called “Art Street”… more on that to follow. Now it is time for another meeting here at the factory.

Ciao- for now!

Tim

Mara Abbott

I posted the link to this fantastic article written by Mara Abbott on Facebook and Twitter earlier today. But, it is worth repeating…

I’ve been a fan of Mara’s for some time now- she’s one helluva athlete and by all accounts that I have heard, a really decent person as well. Mara has had a pretty great career as a racer- last year winning the women’s version of the Giro d’Italia, among other races.

Mara has joined the Diadora-Pasta Zara team for 2011, which means she is racing on Fuji bicycles again (she rode Fuji with Peanut Butter & Co-2012 last year). However, the fact that she rides a Fuji is not what really makes her team blog entry so great- it’s the genuine and sincere passion she expresses that makes it such a great read and makes me feel like I actually know something about her now. Something real. Something personal… something Mara.

I highly encourage you take the few minutes needed to read her entry… you won’t be disappointed at all. She’s eloquent, intelligent and sincere…

I guess my secret crush on Mara is not so secret now. Oh well.

Tim

Get your GEOX-TMC groove on!

This season of racing is going to be a good one for me, probably a lot less for my own racing and results, but from the teams I get to support…

Though I’m no longer with Masi, the Kenda Pro Cycling p/b Gear Grinder team will always be near and dear to me. Over the years that I got to work with these guys, I got to watch the program evolve from a regional Pro/Am squad with a few talented guys to what is now easily one of the best domestic teams in the US- bound for the Tour of California with some real talent to fight with. The team is having their training camp in Florida right now, and I’m just a *little* heartbroken not to be there. I wish the team the very best this year and I’ll always be rooting for them. 

The other side of this racing coin is the GEOX-TMC Pro Continental team that is sponsored by Fuji- one of the brands I work for/on at ASI. GEOX touts none other than 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre, as well as Giro and Vuelta winner and Tour podium Denis Menchov, with a supporting cast of great riders to propel them to success. AND… they’re riding on Fuji Altamira road bikes and Oval Concepts components. Needless to say, as a full-blown race nerd, this level of proximity to the highest levels of the sport has me more than a little excited about the racing to come this year… more than just a little. A LOT!

It’s going to be so exciting to see the KPC guys rip it up domestically (because they’re good friends) and then watch GEOX-TMC compete for the biggest prizes in professional cycling. They were given an inconceivable snub by the Tour de France organizer, ASO, but they will be on the attack everywhere else they go! They’ve already proven their competitive nature and are frequently seen in the thick of the action- they’re aggressive and they make the race happen, rather than waiting for the final field sprint like some other teams. They’ll be making headlines this year… I am sure of it. (How ASO could *not* invite a team with two riders who have won all three of the Grand Tours between them, is simply beyond my comprehension.)

You can follow the team in multiple locations- and maybe more in the future- as well as right here of course (because you KNOW I won’t shut up);

Facebook

Twitter

Fuji website

Stay tuned for more possible cool team-related news and whatnot… this is gonna be a really exciting year!

Tim

Wow, been a few days… again…

I tried to write a synopsis/ wrap-up to my time in Philly while I was still there… but I got distracted by work. Go figure… 

The 8 days in Philly were awesome! I am truly amazed by the level of talent in the company and the amazing amount of work already being done by my coworkers and the entire company. Coming from a much smaller company, now being a part of something much larger is pretty impressive… and pleasantly frightening. Listening to talk about the GEOX team with the Fuji folks, then listening to Kestrel Brand Manager Steven Harad talk about being in the wind tunnel with a couple of his athletes, or the fact that I’ll be working with Joe Breeze… it’s enough to make a bike geek a little lightheaded. 

On top of the bike geeking, I’m working with some great people who are just cool for being who they are. I’m genuinely happy to be working with this team of folks and had a great time getting the chance to hang out a little bit. In about 2 weeks, I’ll be traveling to Taiwan with many of them- and will be in Taichung for a week before the show in Taipei to meet and work with my new partners there… and I get to ride my bike while I’m there too! My coworker Steven Fairchild has already gotten the ball rolling to get me set up with a bike to keep in Taiwan so I can ride when I’m in Taichung… since that’s gonna happen a lot. AND since Steven is an avid racer too, I’m looking forward to getting the chance to do some events while I’m there in the future. 

I’ll have to put together a post introducing everybody individually… maybe I’ll sneak pictures of them on my next trip to Philly and then write up a little something… exposing them to the world. But until then, I just have to give them all a sincere and heartfelt “thank you”!

I got back into LA just fine with a non-stop 6hr flight from Philly. It was smooth sailing- aside from the exceedingly chatty seating companion I had, who told me nearly every detail of her life. In exceptional detail. The officially endorsed Best Friend, picked me up from the airport and we had some great Vietnamese food for dinner before heading to his house so I could get my car. After spending a little more time than planned setting up my “new” MacBook Pro (Jim’s old one), I was finally on the road back to San Diego… at 4:ooAM! The good news is that my car was having some crazy electrical problems that had me terrified the whole way home so I had NO Problem staying awake for the 2hr drive! The electrical system seems like it is going to fail again- the engine computer was replaced about 3.5-4yrs ago, at great expense and frustration. Now, I am an even bigger member of the cult of Mac… with 2 different iPhones, several iPods and now the MacBook… I’m thinking it’s time to dig out my old black mock-turtlenecks. I don’t yet feel any smug superiority, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time. 

Last night was also Katie’s Alice in Wonderland play at school. I have a history of missing nearly all school-related activities, whether due to being unable to get out of the office or from being out of town for work, so each event I can get to is an amazing gift. I’ll have to post a couple pics and maybe a few snips of video too… because it was WAY above the normal level of cute. I only wish Ann and Lily could’ve been here as well- I know they would have enjoyed it too. My mother and step-father came to the play as well… and my son even made a cameo appearance! It was an amazing night for family and a reminder of why I get out of bed each day… it’s for them. 

It’s dumping rain here now, which I find very ironic considering how nice the weather is in Philly right now… so it’s gonna be an indoor weekend. Maybe the punkin and I will get out to see a movie… when not getting caught up on some overdue cleaning. AND… it’s been 2 weeks since we recorded the last Spokesmen, which means we’ll be recording tomorrow morning and I’m really looking forward to it (don’t forget to supply me with some good tips for the show).

And now it’s time to enjoy the weekend… each and every one of yous-guys/ gals!

Tim

Wow, this is getting good…

Jeesh, it’s really been four days since I posted? Dang…

Time has been really flying during this first visit to Philly. The days in the office have gone by super fast and I scratch my head wondering where the time went. I’ve been immersed in trying to contribute where and however I can, which I admit has not been all that much yet- “interpreting” spec files from product speak to consumer speak for the catalog. Even that has taken a long time- and is not done yet- as I’ve been adjusting to the way things are done here and the new product categories I’ve not worked heavily in yet. BUT… it’s been a great way to get to have a better understanding of “my bikes”.

Last Friday, a group of my new coworkers and I went to dinner for a little “getting to know you” time. It was great to spend a few hours with them and I am sincerely looking forward to lots more. Since I’ll be working out of the office, it’s great to get some chances to bond with them. This is such a great group of people with a lot of talent and skill and varied backgrounds. I’m lucky… and frankly a little intimidated by the overall talent level. This is a high-functioning group of people!

Saturday morning, I was supposed to join my coworker Steven Fairchild for a nice group ride… but I of course got lost and ended up missing the ride. Instead, I rode solo for 2 or so hours. I can’t tell you where I went, but it was pretty cool… it’s not like I get to ride in miles and miles of open, snow covered, rolling hills all the time. The ride started with a great tailwind, which I didn’t really appreciate until I turned around and had to fight a very strong headwind!

Sunday, rather than leaving things to chance and my terrible sense of direction, Steven picked me up at the hotel and we drove off to a park with a frozen lake and then headed off on an epic 4hr ride through the rolling countryside. It was incredible- it took every ounce of restraint I could muster not to stop every five minutes and take pictures. The area we rode in- along the Delaware River and into New Jersey- was simply beautiful. I can’t remember when I rode in such beautiful landscapes. We cruised through countless small “villages” and “townships”. It was amazing and I really have to thank Steven for being such a gracious host to take me out on the roads like that. It’s hard to not get to know somebody a little better after going on a quality ride like that.

As beautiful as the scenery was with all the snow, I’m anxious to come back during the spring and see the same roads again when the color is coming back to the trees and the flowers are in bloom… it should be breathtaking.

One of the many cool things about this job, is the products. It’s hard to be a Bike Geek (TM) and not get all hot and bothered when something like this shows up in the office…

… Steven’s new rig; an official GEOX team frameset, decked out in a full Campagnolo Record 11 group. It is OMG sexy! It’s going to be an exciting year of racing to watch. I’m emotionally attached to my boys on the Kenda team still, just from years of working with them and developing some great friendships there, but now I get to be a part of working with a team that will be doing Grand Tours too… my head might explode this year!

And, I am very pleased to report after getting a couple good days of riding on it, the Fuji Altamira is pretty bad ass! I’m super spoiled because the Altamira is going to stay here in Philly for me to ride when I am in town… but I’m also going to be riding a Fuji SST at home in San Diego. After riding the uber compliant Altamira, I’m really anxious to throw a leg over the SST and see if it is as stiff as I think it will be. I’ll report… of course.

Tomorrow is the last full day in the office and then I leave for the airport Wednesday before noon. The time here has been busy and productive, as well as fun. It’s been great to start the process of getting to know my new coworkers and get to feel like I am really joining the brands here. All that earlier excitement I felt is being proven to be warranted. My new life as the “ASI-Guy”, “Fuji-san”, “Spec Monkey” is well underway- I have a lot to learn and it’s a little scary sometimes, but in a good way… stay tuned for more!

Tim