Blogs

It is going to be pretty quiet around the PDW HQ for the next week, as we're both headed over to Asia for the Taipei Cycle Show. We've got Shawn from Ruckus handling our orders, so you can still get stuff while we're out. We'll have spotty email coverage too, so we'll try to get back to you if we can. We'll see you soon!

Our friend and neighbor Shawn Small, owner and sole fabricator at Ruckus Components, just got done with his first batch of bash guard prototypes. Here's a video of him dropping some bash guard knowledge on me. Email him and pre-order one today!

The guy who does maintenance on our building, Gene, just threw me under a truck. Another tenant here, Gary, has all of these barrels stacked up in the parking lot (see pic below) and he sells them on Craigslist. So this Russian guy is outside by the barrel pile pestering Gene about buying barrels and Gene points at me and says "ask that guy, he knows more than I do." Then this Russian dude starts getting after me- it went a little something like this (imagine Russian accent):

Russian: I want barrels, I see barrels on Craigslist.

Me: You have to talk to Gary.

Russian: Where is Gary?

Me: I don't know, I don't have anything to do with him.

Russian: Gary is gone so now you are boss. Sell me barrels.

Me: I don't want to have anything to do with the barrels. They're not mine.

Russian: I give you cash, I take barrels. You give to Gary. Better: you keep cash, no problem.

Me: Sorry, can't do it. You'll have to get Gary's number from the Craigslist ad.

Russian: Is it number for Portland Design on building?

Me: No, you have to get the number from the Craigslist ad.

Russian: I have no time, I need barrels now.

Me: Sorry, I don't have anything to do with them.

Russian: I give you money and take barrels. No problem...

You get the idea. He just wouldn't give up and I eventually had to walk away while he called after me. Next time I'm just gonna sell the barrels and put the cash in the beer fund.

Staying hydrated today, or at least bandying back and forth between hydration and
dehydration.

Also, check out the design detail on the Red Bull Cola tab. It's a nice touch.

Here's a screen shot of my computer right now... not exactly getting a lot of work done.

The last six days are a blur of airports, snowbanks, friends (both old and new), lots of coffee and some really great times. We just returned a few hours ago from the Midwest where we had the great opportunity to attend Quality Bicycle Products annual Frostbike show. For PDW, it was a chance to meet a bunch of dealers from all over the country and have them check out our product line in person. We decided we needed a different approach to presenting our stuff, so we took a page out of the "art environment" installation play-book for our 6X8 booth space. After visiting some shops in the Minneapolis area, we hit the IKEA out by the Mall Of America and picked up a car load of goods you wouldn't typically associate with bicycle products.

The dinner table setting gave folks the opportunity to see some of our products both up close, and out of context. People loved grabbing the lights out of the bowls, the grips off of the platter and the utensiles off the table to get a better look. One guy even pulled out a chair, stuffed the napkin down the front of his shirt, grabbed a Poco in one hand, a 3Wrencho in the other and asked if we were going to be eating chicken with Stove Top.

Have a seat.

Radbot: It's what's for dinner.

Our friend Beth at City Bikes sent us this pic of her new short track racer, "Stompy." Nice grips!

Erik and I will be out of the office from tomorrow until Monday afternoon. We'll be on the road, well in the air then the road, to the midwest to visit some shops, old pals and to attend the Quality Bicycle Products annual Frostbike Show. We'll try to answer emails when we're out there, but we won't be able to ship anything until we get back. See you soon!

Got blasted by my own RADBOT last night. Man, those things are bright!

Thought I'd take a moment to introduce one of our neighbors here at PDW shredquarters. MapleXO is a brand of jewlery made from old skateboard decks and wheels by Lindsay Jo Holmes. She handcrafts everything in the space next door to us and it all looks real good. Here are some pics I snapped of her operation a couple days ago: