August 2009

recalibrated awesome meter

Submitted by icepick on Mon, 08/31/2009 - 11:31

Mondays are not so bad when you had a really good weekend. Saturday we rolled down to Eugene, OR to welcome our old pal Frank to the Pacific Northwest were he'll spend the next few years of his life working on a Math PhD at U of O. Speaking of Eugene, we were lucky enought to hook up with Lane of CETMA Cargo, and have him show us around town. On our tour, we just so happened to make a stop at Ninkasi for a tasting. Thanks Lane! Below, Frank shows off some bling: his gold chain, and one of a kind gold electroplated 3Wrencho.

Yesterday, some of Jen's co-workers invited us out to their houseboat for a cookout and a some sunshine. We spent the whole afternoon, literally, on the water! I'm not sure how they get anything done, but I liked hanging out there for the day. Here is a shot from their kitchen, looking out past their living room. Yep, roll up garage door style south facing wall.

new wheels for the weekend

Submitted by icepick on Fri, 08/28/2009 - 13:30

We keep saying that at some point, we're going to have to buy some type of work vehicle. We've had some suggestions from our pals, but we just haven't found the right thing...that all changed about 20 minutes ago when I was walking across the street to our PO box and I spotted this:

And it is for sale...I'm just saying. I mean the winch alone makes it worthwhile. Plenty of space for our corporate logo...or a sweet airbrushed mural.

BLAM!

Submitted by minnesota_slim on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 14:35

Be there.

get some

Submitted by icepick on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 11:32

shorty dapper dan update

Submitted by icepick on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 09:58

We've had a bunch of emails lately about the status of shorter Dapper Dan grips that will fit with grip shifters. We'd like to thank everyone for their patience with these grips. We think they'll be worth the wait. We should have them in stock hopefully next week and on the site shortly after that. They will be available as a set of one short, one long grip, or as a set of two short grips. They will only be available in the darker leather version.

weekend warrior

Submitted by icepick on Wed, 08/26/2009 - 10:48

As much as I love riding my bike for transportation, my passion for bikes was planted a long time ago deep in the woods of the American midwest. Yes, I'm a fat tire junkie, probably always will be. With the exception of a 4 month stint as an intern for Bike Magazine, I'd lived my whole life east of the Mississippi and I loved the riding there. That was until this summer.

Now before I get ahead of myself, places like Levis Trow and the U.P. will always have a place in my heart. But I've fallen head over heels for the riding in the Pacific Northwest. Just in the last few months I've hit some sweet riding spots in Hood River and Bend, right close to Portland at Browns Camp and Scapoose, and this past weekend, the Lewis River Trail in Washington. The LRT (Trail #31) is described as a trail for "Weekend Warriors", but I think dismissing this trail as easy is a great way to end up with a broken collar bone and mouthfull of bloody teeth. We hammered out a 5 hour ride Saturday on it from Curley Creek to Middle Falls, where we stopped for lunch and soak before turning around and riding the whole thing back the other way.

Singletrack, singletrack and more singletrack! It was incredible, twisting, climbing, drifting along the river. Huge trees, peace and quiet, a huge elk bone pile, skinny bridges, waterfalls, etc. Everything you can want in a trail. Here is just a sample of some pics I took with my phone. They do the trail no justice, but you get the idea. I'm excited to get back up that way and ride again soon, maybe Plains of Abraham/Ape Canyon, in the next few weeks. Oh, and if you get up there, make sure to eat at the Cougar Bar in Cougar Washington.

death adder

Submitted by minnesota_slim on Mon, 08/24/2009 - 09:00

After a good Portland Timbers soccer match Saturday night a sample of a mysterious drink was forced upon my friend, Matt. For some reason the way energy drinks are marketed amuses me to no end and this one is especially over top. For your enjoyment, here is the text on the back of the bottle:

Death Adder- When you want piercing energy and instinctively quick reflexes, you need the cold-blooded Venom of the Death Adder, delivered in a fruit punch strike.

Do you think it gives you the energy to pierce things or energy that sort of pierces into your body?

step right up

Submitted by icepick on Wed, 08/19/2009 - 11:17

Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and feast your eyes on the newest editions to the PDW family, the Poco and the Magic Flute. They may be small, but they work great, and look even better. We started from the ground up on these two pumps months ago. They are sleek, stylish and serviceable just like we wanted. Ask for them at a shop near you.

train yards

Submitted by icepick on Tue, 08/18/2009 - 09:30

PDW HQ is down in the working class portion of South East Portland. We're across the street from the Tri-Met garage, next to a scrap yard and kitty corner from a forge. We're also a stones throw from the biggest train yard I've seen since Detroit. It is constantly in flux, with long, loaded trains coming and going 24 hours a day. Sunday, I was heading home from a BBQ, and got caught on the north side of the tracks. Not wanting to "ride a mile to get 100 feet" so to speak, I picked up my bike and cut across the 8 tracks. Right as I was about to hop back on and ride, I spied some cars that were certainly not boxcars. Upon further inspection, this is where the Empire Builder goes to die...