Skills : Tradition : Tubular Tyres : Young Punks

[Too Tall]

MY BAD! A few days ago I was hanging out at my pals new bike shop chatting up the head wrench. We are getting to know each other as I plan to spend lots of time supporting the shop. At first glance the mechanic is: very young, very pierced, is not athletic and perhaps his fingernails are not quite grizzled...enough ;) MY BAD, in my mind I was thinking "this will be a slow but enjoyable process to blend his skills and enthusiasm with my view of what is a bike...yada yada...." MY BAD folks sooooo bad because....the first and I do mean first words out of his mouth were "I wish more people rode tubular tyres". No chit' Turns out that despite his age this lad had worked since he was quite young in a traditional Italian run bicycle shop in the Northeast. More talk revealed all sorts of gems. That's how the universe deals with us, sometimes you need a good smack to remind that listening is an under utilized skill.

[Sandy]

A new bike shop? Where? I would be interested.


Sew-up Sandy

[H.Frank Beshear]

One of these may help, you being the old fashioned Gent and all :D .

[Grant McLean]

No chit' Turns out that despite his age this lad had worked since he was quite young in a traditional Italian run bicycle shop in the Northeast.

I started wrenching at a local shop when I had just turned 12.
Did I ever get a lotta questions about my age, since I looked
even younger. Ok, i was 12 1/2 by end of summer :)

g

[saab2000]

There's a dude I know in Northfield, MN who was more or less juvenile delinquent and headed for jail 'til he started hanging around the shop. Then he really got into it and he gets it. One of the finest wrenches I know and still very young. He runs his own shop now and is maybe 25.

[rwsaunders]

Don't show your age Too Tall, or should I say Obiewan. When your seven year old son calls you Dude instead of Dad, you learn to appreciate the compliment. I'm sure after a summer of being exposed to you, this wrench will have accelerated his experience many fold. Turn him on to the Forum, and you will definitely push him over to the dark side. How do you get him interested in brazing frames?

[Too Tall]

In-ta-lesting. No no let's keep him working bikes and talking up that old school line he already knows. Brazing frames...oh that's really hard ;) hehe. I'm finding new appreciation for the skills of seasoned small builders as time goes on and on. Everything is about people isn't it?

Snandy my boy, you are still just a boy, it is a small insignificant shop in Logan's Circle Washington, DC. Good mojo, great coffee nearby. www.bikerackdc.com I can vouch for the mechanic, he's good. The owner on the otherhand...hooo boyeee ;)

Grant we b twins. I started putting together bikes at a local shop when I was 13 in exchange for ...uhhh I guess the honor or not getting kicked out? Ordered a Hetchins the next yr. from newspaper route / lawn mowing $$. Built up my first set of tubulars using proto-type Phil Woods + Fiamme Red Label rims and some rubber hose tyres...ouch. Still have the hubs :)

[gasman]

TT-

We all need a good smack down sometimes to expose our prejudices we rarely acknowledge.

Yep we all got 'em.

[fogrider]

its good to know there are young guys that know what tubulars are. about 5 years ago, I got two flats and only carried one spare. my buddies rode to the nearest shop...the guy did not know what tubulars are!

[-dustin]

M"I wish more people rode tubular tyres".
did you ask him why he said that? rather than the question, i'd be more interested/ impressed with his answer...

[Too Tall]

-dustin - I did not ask should I??? Was so please to hear it no questions asked. He did offer that his apprenticship in a traditional Italian run bicycle shop had alot to do with his views and values. I'd reckon we'd not need to look any further than that?

I've leveled my tubular tyre karma and am *I think back in black. Yesterday I finished part three of lessons for a local resturant owner who is riding tubulars this yr. He brought over a flat rear wheel, we changed it for his spare...which had some glue on it just like I taught him :) :)....and re-visited how to pre-stretch tyres just before putting them on and why you have the tyre glue bed dry to the touch. He is a champ and suspect it is somewhat due to the fact his a professional chef and works with amazing food of his own creation day in and day out. The guy has a steady hand.

In three weeks I'm having a tubular tyre repair party at my place. Flyhedst and David and anyone else who wants come over with your popped tubulars, a repair kit and I'll have cold beers. Can't beat that deal can yah?

[Ginger]

-dustin - I did not ask should I??? Was so please to hear it no questions asked. He did offer that his apprenticship in a traditional Italian run bicycle shop had alot to do with his views and values. I'd reckon we'd not need to look any further than that?

Yeah...ya do.

Could be total true. Could be gett'n on your good side and all that. Could be a little of both...

Owner dude probably warned him...said: This here Too Tall, you'll know him when ya see em. He's nuts for the tubulars, ya wanna quiet day and smooth sailing with this dude? Tell him you wish more people would ride them tubular tyres.

(spelling added for emphasis, I don't know the owner...)

:)
If a duck quacks and there's an echo but you can't hear it, did it really echo?

As long as he's a good wrench, does it matter?

It's nice to believe though.