I’ve been alluding to a little project. And I’ve told you the story about how somehow the transformation of the assless into the hardass led to a mountain biking addiction, which may well have pulled me out of a postpartum like depression, or at the very least funk, that I’d been experiencing since treatment last finished up for me a year and a half ago (a refresher if you’re already lost).
I have absolutely loved riding the Satori that Cory hooked me up with, but have wanted all along to be riding something that I built for myself. Doing so was a project that I had imagined I’d get to when I got to it. No particular rush. Well. The timeline around here has changed a little. If I want to guarantee that I get any time riding the thing, I need to get right to work!
So I’m building myself my ULTIMATE bike. Though maybe we need to find a new name.. The double entendre of best and last, contained in “ultimate” might be a little heavy handed. AND might turn out to be flat WRONG. I mean, I’m not promising that I’m going to die here.. there could well be more, and better! I suppose we could go with the already running ass theme.. There’s been the assless.. then the hardass.. (susan M. is getting the kiss my ass, eventually). Perhaps the Badass.. or just the Fasst. Your submissions welcome. This is a digression.
It has been pretty hard for me to focus on bike building these last weeks. I’m sure that you understand. But there’s nothing like a project for yourself to get you back in the shop!
So here’s the idea. I’m building myself a superb (well appointed) 29er hardtail am/xc bike with a 1×11 (yup) drive train, a very tight back end (the tight ass?) and plenty of travel up front. When I am no longer able to ride this bike, I will auction it off and the proceeds will go to a yet unnamed cancer research organization.
Much like when I built the Assless all those years ago, the bike industry is backing my play!
When my good friends at Schwalbe heard the idea, they said they’d donate the tires.
Industry Nine makes some of the very best hubs and wheels in the industry, right in Asheville, N.C., and when I told them about it, they said, “Hey Ezra, We’re in, 100%. Just tell us what you need and we will make it happen. We are grateful to be a part of of this project.”
Discussions with SRAM are still in process. Some of this has been a little tricky over the holidays. But the word coming down is that they’re going to be donating at least one of their brand new XX1 drivetrains!
So. Well on the way. Once the new year comes, and people are back in their offices, I’ll be talking with some folks about rims and cockpit.. More to come!
Yesterday I got back into the shop and started work on a prototype frame, that my brother and I will throw a hodge podge of parts on and *cough* product test the first chance we get!
Pictures of the process coming soon on facebook and the process blog (perhaps even a movie or two).
The promised discussion of our decision to proceed without aggressive treatment is coming. I promise. It’s a lot to wrap our heads around, and I want to be sure that I deliver it the right way. I’m waiting for a morning when I wake up early and don’t feel all in a rush to go and get stuff done! But the decision is pretty clear at this point. We are looking into the options for palliative care and eventual hospice care. (crazy to imagine. I FEEL fine. This whole thing may be a hoax..)
out!