Rollin wit da' Bling, Bling...

It took a while to gather all of the parts but it finaly came togather today.

Lennie's BLING Steel Rock Lobster w/S&S Couplers

 

Check out the nipple padren, Lennie had me lace them in a "nibblet" code that repersents the number's of his birth date.

 

The Specs are all over the map

SRAM Shifting and Cassette
Dura-Ace Chain and Front Der
Phil Wood BB
Campy Record Crank
Mavic Brakes
Thompsen Seat Post and Stem
Ritchey Bars

His Wheel Set
Black Chris King 32 hole Classic Road Hubs
Gold USA Ti Spokes & Black/Gold Nipples
Black Mavic Open Pro Rims and Skewers

 

This isn't a touring bike either, it handels like a F-22 fighter jet. Lennie couldn't wait to get out of here and take it up Mt Hamilton this afternoon.

 
Damn those are some NICE wheels!

CCCX #1

Rick got some nice shots of the action.

I really like the race at Manzanita Park, for me as the Mechanic it has the easiest pits to set up and work of all the races we'll do this year. It was a bummer to miss the first race of the season.

While the team was kicking ass I was setting on mine in "SAG #4" at the Tour For Woodside. Not exactly what I had hoped to be doing with my Sunday but it was for cycling and I got paid. It wasn't boring either, lots of flat fixes and a couple of wrecks kept me hopping.

Next week should be a big showing of 'lobsters with the guys back from Inter-bike.

I did get alot done in the shop.
 
Sara's "A" Bike, except the stickers and the Tubing it's exactly like her "B" bike


 
Matt's "A" Bike, my camera was acting goofy this was the only good shot of the SRAM Force he's running. Cool build up, those Reynolds forks are sexy.

 
Betina's frame and the wheels I've been building and glueing... lots of wheels... and more wheels...

 
MMmmmmmm wheels...

The storm makes land fall

and it begains...

Great Party, awesome new (and old) teammates, me running around like a chicken with it's head cut off... IT'S CROSS SEASON!!!!

Jeff got the snaps of the party...

It was a great time, a couple of hick-ups with parts and clothing but hell we're still a month ahead of last year and I got some work out of the team to keep me busy for a week.

I hope more of the crew askes me to build up their stuff. A lot of new frames were handed out but only one made it in to my garage, I'll post it up tomorrow...

well I got a set of brakes to install and a wheel to build... my posts will be much shorter 'till January...

Planes, Train, and Autos...

Today it was more like Trains, Buses and Bicycles.

A great day working and getting to know Paul professionally and personally. I was slow... very slow... new (to me) tools,



learning real (not the UBI or Bike Shop shit) frame prep, and the fear I would screw something up was always looming over me. But Paul was very cool, "Fast isn't as important as doing it right, do it right" was the theme of the day. It took a couple of frames but I started to "get" how thing work at Rock Lobster, meaning the tools and the expectations. Facing the BB's was my crux, I was/am so scared of reaming the shell below a 100th of a mm below 68 mm. Yeah Paul works to the hundredth... and I thought I was a bad ass for cutting spokes to the tenth, time for a personal review... It just goes to show why he's so good.

Paul also taught me a new appreciation for an instrument I have loathed for years, the Saxophone. IMHO Coltrane was/still is the only person who can play that thing. Then he busted out the Muddy Waters and we shared our stories of our axe sling'n. I can't wait to get away from bikes and jam with him... after the cross season...

I did get to work on one of the most beautiful bikes (Photos Soon) I've ever worked on today. The first thing Paul had me do was replace the fork and stem on the red/chrome lugged road frame he built up for the '07 NAHMBS (ok it's the '08 link) That will be shipped out to new owner very soon... it's an awesome bike and if it wasn't already sold I would have bought it...

ugh time for bed, it's a "school" night...

I can still smell the Al cutting fluid on my fingers... yummm...

The Calm before the Storm...

Sounds like Thursday the real work is going to start… Paul and I spent some time on the phone last night, Michelle always laughs at me because I normally hate talking on the phone and keep it short but when Paul’s on, she isn’t going to see me for a while, haha I guess if I was on the other side of the hill I would just go over and see him, ah well…

I typed up the parts list and made the special order form for my stuff for the season, got them all e-mailed off. As soon as I know what frames are coming in, I’m going to start contacting the riders to set up appointments for their builds… I have Tuesdays and Thursdays off all months from the shop I’m checking out right now, so I have time for the team bikes. I’ll be making trips over to Santa Cruz on the weekends too, so riders over there can drop their stuff off with Paul and get it back in a week from me…

ok break is over, back to it... type, type, type...