The S............ is here

Posted by Charles Thu, 02 Feb 2006 05:28:00 GMT

The S…...... is here!!!!! We’ve been an S-Works Specialized dealer since around Christmas time & have buit up the complete bikes and displayed the frames but as of Feb 1 we have the S…....... That is, (can you hear the drum roll?) the Carbon Fiber S-Works Stumpjumper FSR 130 The drool factor is so high we’ll have to pass out bibs before we allow anyone to look at it. All black with a Brain Fade and a Talas RLC. It also comes with a mix of XTR and SRAM X-0 gear for you parts spec weenies. We haven’t weighed it yet, but we expect the built up bike will be close to 26lbs with 5” of travel. Come on in and check it out, if you think your heart can stand it.

Posted in Bikes

Futher Lounge Outfitting

Posted by Charles Wed, 25 Jan 2006 07:56:00 GMT

Passion’s lounge just got another installation. Meet Ethyl the Caffeinator.

She has been warming the shop and cyclists for a few days now, snuggled up between the kitchen sink and the, uh, Kegerator tap. And that’s about a pound of Peet’s Italian Roast, just sittin there. Launching your next Waterdog ride from Passion will now give you the chance for both pre and post ride hydration therapy. See you soon.

Posted in Passion

Cleaning A Muddy Bike Without a Hose

Posted by Charles Wed, 04 Jan 2006 05:56:00 GMT

Hosing your bike off washes grease out of places that are hard to get lube back into, like cable housings, suspension pivots, QR skewers and headsets. It can also wash fine dirt particulate into places it might not normally get, like chain and derailer pivots and pedal spindles. Pretty soon your bike starts talking to you, a little squeak here, a creek there, and it starts taking progressively more effort to shift it, close the QR skewers, get into your pedals, and so on. I sell a lot of drive train parts to hosers. This isn’t what you have to do everytime, but it is what I do when I want to do a really nice job, and I have done it so many times it doesn’t take very long, or very much effort. Any cleaning at all, if done properly, will improve your bikes appearance and performance, and help reduce long term maintenance costs.

Posted in Passion

Getting Into the Clothing Business

Posted by Charles Mon, 26 Dec 2005 07:48:00 GMT

What we had was a lot of brick, exposed conduit, and a small awkward bathroom, and what we really needed was a comfortable, well lit place for trying on clothing. Armed with the experience of building the huge office walls, Berry went to work planning a 6 by 5 foot dressing room. I think you’ll be pleased with the results.

Posted in Shop

The Shortest Day, And Others, Are Behind Us

Posted by Charles Sun, 25 Dec 2005 21:26:00 GMT

Passion’s Lounge is nearly completed, and we cited this occasion to throw a party at the shop, the first Passion Loungewarming. The real reasons however, other than obvious subliminal marketing intentions, were to mark my 40th and Berry’s 57th birthdays, as well as celebrate the Winter Solstice. December 21 was the shortest day of the year, in other words, the day when we have the least daylight. On the Solstice the earth’s axial tilt leans Belmont as far away from the rising and setting sun as it will be this year, and we now begin our tilt back toward the sun and warmer weather. The ground is still cool, as is almost everything else, and the coldest days of Winter are still ahead of us, but in a fine Pagan tradition, I will celebrate a little every morning knowing the Summer is coming.

Posted in Passion

The Doors are in and the Place is Shaping Up

Posted by Charles Tue, 20 Dec 2005 08:02:00 GMT

I have driven in through the roll up door for the last time. Passion now has a new set of glass doors and windows, more in line with what we are trying to get away with here. Having a huge doorway for drive in deliveries was nice while it lasted, but now that the temperatures have dropped, I have had trouble deciding whether to keep the inside outside cool, or make a hard to find shop darned right impossible to notice. This make the decision easy, keeps the PG & E bill tolerable, and might help keep money trickling into the till.

Posted in Shop

The first two rules of Urban Riding

Posted by Charles Mon, 05 Dec 2005 07:34:00 GMT

I wouldn’t be one to know if they are the two most important rules, but they’re the first two I learned. I told Dave that Scott and I were on our way to Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont last Tuesday night for a little Urban expedition, and asked his advice. He replied “Start high up and work your way down, and keep moving so you’re less likely to get chased out”. When I relayed this to Scott, he said that wasn’t just a Notre Dame thing, but pretty much how it works best for every Urban ride.

Posted in Passion

Ladder Is Up, Clothing Is Next

Posted by Charles Mon, 21 Nov 2005 05:12:00 GMT

Shane was back at Passion today to mount the North Shore diorama on the office wall. The banked turn is still in the conceptual stage, and waiting for materials, divine inspiration, or both.

Posted in Shop

The Ladder and the Lounge

Posted by Charles Fri, 18 Nov 2005 07:30:00 GMT

Passion has two very high profile projects going on right now. The first is one of the Bike Dioramas, the North Shore ladder, and the second is the plumbing of the Lounge, which sounds pretty boring at first mention but is sure to become a social focal point.

Posted in Shop

And another thing...

Posted by Charles Sat, 05 Nov 2005 06:57:00 GMT

Or another great bike, anyway. Today Intense Cycles jumped on board. This rounds out the Passion family of full suspension designs. Intense adds their VPP suspension to Maverick’s Monolink and Giant’s Maestro. Turner represents both the Horst Link and TNT Four Bar Link rear ends, leaving no good rear suspension type unrepresented.

The Intense 6.6 frames will be available for the first time in a large in about a week, and Passion has them on order. Let me know what color you would like to see.

Posted in Bikes