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Full Spectrum Cycling
Weekly Dose of Fat Radio – Show #43 – Sean Coffey Interview
Feb 13, 2015
Weekly Dose of Fat Radio – Show #43 – Sean Coffey Interview
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0:00
Weekly Dose of Phat for Friday, February 13th, 2015. Show number 43.
0:08
[upbeat music] From a transplanted sound stage used to fake the Apollo moon landings here in Milwaukee's own Riverwest neighborhood, it's the Weekly Dose of Phat with your hosts Sven and Gomez.
0:36
That's right, folks. We are Gomez-less in the studio this week because he's winging his way back from Alaska. But first, he'll be making a stop at the Fat Bike Nationals on the way home.
0:46
Fortunately, we've got JK Livin' here in the studio to give us a hand, and sit-in guest Tony Burger. Welcome, guys. Evening. Hi. This show is sponsored by the Surly Insulating Sheath. It's a koozie, tall boy sized.
1:02
It sheaths things in insulation. Need we tell you more? Check 'em out at surlybikes.com. Those are pretty sweet things, by the way. I like 'em a lot. [laughs] It is constantly in bag and in use. Right.
1:16
So what's on the show this week, JK? Oh, the things you'll see, or hear in this case, on this har- wireless teleplay. We have reached the 18,000 likes on the Facebook. [bell ringing] Beer. Dingo, dango.
1:33
[laughs] We have beers and a couple of beards. Gomez checks in from Alaska. We talk to Sean Coffey from Ritchey. We announce the winner of the Megalith from State Bicycle Company. Ding-a-ding-a-ding.
1:50
[bell ringing] Announcing the winner of the State Bicycle- And links from far and wide. Right on. So, uh, we have a third actual beard in the room today- Yes... on the old beard report today. [laughs] T.
2:01
Burger is sporting a, uh, Brett Favre-inspired, um, closely shaven hewn beard thing that he's got going on there. What do you like to call your beard, Tony? Anything but Brett Favre. [laughs] It still stings.
2:16
Uh, it, it- Okay, Favre, Favre Favre... as the, as the temperature drops and I continue to commute, it's the beard that adds that little extra comfort. Right.
2:25
When you have the face mask on, it just puts that little- Mm-hmm... insulating layer in between. It's kinda like Velcro, too. It kinda holds to it well- Oh, yeah... too, then. Right on. Yeah. Beards are good. Um, y- JK.
2:37
Yeah, my coworker at, uh, is from Sweden, and apparently a friend of his posted a picture that he met Benny Andersson from ABBA, which I've, I've... M- That's not one of the girls, right? No. Thank you.
2:50
[laughs] Bearded girls. I was like- We haven't had any on the show yet... I'm like, "Yes." Uh, uh, he was mentioning, "Yes, you look like the guy [laughs] from ABBA."
2:57
And I'm like, "I don't even know where to s- go [laughs] with that." Well, who doesn't love ABBA, though? I, I don't know. In some way, shape, or form. In some kitchy, kitchy- [laughs] Yeah.
3:08
R- uh, late '90s ABBA tribute going. I have no idea who he's referring to as, though. It was, it was the only thing- Well, it's spelled in a Swedish way with a couple of S's. Yeah. And, um, so- [laughs]...
3:17
maybe it's real Swede. Oh. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So I actually had a beard thought. We should have a contest, an ice beard contest. Hmm. What do- What do you think? Should we make it, like, a real contest? Yeah.
3:29
Yes, we should. I think it's a good idea. 100%. I, you know, it just kinda came to me after a ride at Grant Park last week that, uh, was cold and, uh, ice beardy. [laughs] So we're gonna come up with some prizes.
3:39
I don't know what those are yet, but they'll probably be good. And ice beards will be judged. So, you know, ride in the cold, ice up your beard, send us some pics. Uh, there'll be a link in the show notes.
3:51
Just, uh, send it to
[email protected]
. And, uh, y- you can start now. I'll give you details next week on what the actual contest is. [laughs] Curve your own lines on those. Start growing- Yeah... today. Yeah.
4:05
And speaking of beards, we are roughly one month away from the Uptowners third annual beard competition here in the ye old Riverwest on March 15th.
4:15
So who was the dude you were talking to that was doing, like, the, the, the documentary on beard growing with the cameras and the, and had all the different contest, uh- Yeah, it was like- There was like eight different categories for beards and such...
4:28
yeah, it was this guy, Ken, that, um, he worked on an, in, uh, American Movie- Oh... with, uh, Mark Borchardt and Colvin. Sean Colvin? Col- [laughs] Yeah, she's good. I like her. Mike, Mike Shank and- Colvin. Yeah. Yeah.
4:42
Yeah. I- I saw him at the theater one day. I think beard contests- [laughs] I've seen him at the local-... are a good thing... on the trail a couple- And I must say, your, your beard is contest worthy.
4:51
I, I totally agree. Well, I, I, I wanna get on the podium this year. [laughs] I've gone two years where- Right...
4:56
I've c- I've, I've sniffed dangerously close to the podium, [laughs] and then all of a sudden there's, like, a ringer that comes in through the front door- Right, tackles you off... and goes, "Aha, I win." [laughs] What?
5:06
And I get knocked off. Well, m- Hmm... that's why there's... It's nice l- just like the Fat Bike Nationals- [laughs]... there are a lot of categories. Oh, yeah.
5:13
You know, so you h- your chance of winning a, a Stars & Stripes jersey may not be that good at the Fat Bike Nationals, but your beard chances are pretty good.
5:22
[laughs] Or if somebody just goes in there, like, completely clean shaven and see if they have a DFL [laughs] for, for a beard contest. Hey, you know. A DFL in a beard contest. 'Cause I know I can do those.
5:31
Yeah, you might. [laughs] I, I can handle a DFL. There's not even a neck hair to be seen. [laughs] I think we're on to, uh, uh, beer. Beers and beards. Beers. We, we bantered way too long without a beer.
5:41
I think it's time for a beer. Yes. Beer, beer stop. Cheers. Top of the hill. [laughs] What's our beer of the day today? It's, uh, Capital Brewery or Brewery. Capital Brewery. I can't say that word for some damn reason.
5:55
Brew-er-y. Brew-er-y. God, it was hurting me. This 15 millimeter end of the Paul thing is not helping. [laughs] It's a twist off, for starters, which saves everyone time. Ah. Oh. Yeah, that probably...
6:06
[laughs] I just like using my custom Paul component- Crochet... engineering Go ahead, rub it in Beer opener Make me jealous. [laughs] Nice. Do you have one? Yes. I have one. Tony? I do not. Well, you're next on the list.
6:19
[laughs] If one ever shows up here again. No. We could give you a cheesy... No, never mind. No. [laughs] It's probably not the- Speaking of cheesy, how about these, um, beer, Das Bierenstein things?
6:29
[laughs] For the, we had the- If this was video radio, this would be cool... maybe we should have a pic- we'll have a picture of this. We should have pictures of this.
6:36
Uh, it's a, uh, it's a, we, our fluffer beer was PBR, so, um, it's in a, in a thing that looks like a stein that you put your can in, and I didn't really think it was good for anything except novelty, but Tony came up with something interesting for the use.
6:50
It, uh, keeps the bees out, said summer beer drinking Tony.
6:54
Yeah, I think during the RW 24 when you're, you're- Oh, yes, during the Riverwest 24, I think this would be an awesome way to make certain that you could not only drink while riding and keep the beer out, the bees out- Bee and beer in...
7:09
excuse me, but while you're waiting for your next lap. Nice. [laughs] Uh, this is a ThinkGeek thing. I don't know if they have them anymore, but, uh, somebody had a good idea. They'll have.
7:19
[laughs] So we have Capital Breweries- US Pale Ale... US Pale Ale. I'm gonna give it a swallow here. It's an American pale ale. I don't expect a lot from our nation's capital, but I'm gonna give it a go.
7:35
[laughs] It did give a 77 on The Beer Advocate, which lists it at okay- Okay... out of 140, so it's not really- It's- Get over there and click on it if you like... uh, I, I- Yeah...
7:50
it's not super, um- I can see that rating... it's not that flavorful. It's not hoppy. No. Yeah. Well- It's a pale ale. It should have a little bit of hop to it. It's more of an amber to me, taste-wise.
8:00
It's, it's not bad, and I, I, you know, it seems kind of- I'm not gonna throw it away... kind of quaffable. With the 4.9% ABV, you could put back almost as many of these as a PBR. Yeah.
8:11
Yeah, with a little bit different flavor. So 77's only an okie dokie. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I don't think it's bad. No. I think it's, uh... If you don't like hops, I think you might like this beer. Yeah. Yeah.
8:23
I would- There's a little-... put it just a level above, like, a Miller High Life. [laughs] [laughs] I'd get a little higher than that, but a little higher.
8:32
[laughs] I don't even know what High Life rates on The Beer Advocate. It's at least a Schlitz level.
8:35
[laughs] Yeah, Schlitz is, like, one of the top 10 crappiest beers on Beer Advocate, and I don't even know how that's possible. And it's expensive. When you compare it to any other cheap beer, it's not cheap.
8:49
Like Milwaukee's Best is cheap. It... Yeah, even a tall boy of PBR at the right location in Riverwest is cheap. True that. Oh, that's- When you compare it- It's the hipster go-to cheap beer- Yeah...
9:00
at your local uptowner bar. Mm-hmm. The Schlitz got a 68, which lists it at poor. [laughs] So just between 68 and 77, what about when you get, like, a 20? That's gotta be, like- Hmm. Greenbelt?
9:13
[laughs] Greenbelt was awesome. I love Greenbelt. All right. So, uh, we'll be back with our special guest, Sean Coffey from Richey, right after this.
9:24
[upbeat rock music] When it comes to fat bikes, Zion Cyclery in Zion, Illinois, has you covered.
9:35
They stock fatties from Surly, Salsa, 907, Borealis, and Trek, as well as everything from 45NRTH.
9:44
The staff is friendly, the mechanics are top-notch, and they stock the largest selection of fat bikes in the Chicago-Milwaukee area.
9:52
There's a mountain bike park and some great beach riding in Zion, so come, make a day of it. Call 847-746-2200 or visit zioncyclery.com.
10:09
You're tuned to Fat Bike Radio. Hey, welcome back to the radio program, folks. We've got Sean Coffey from Richey Design on the line, and, uh, we're gonna talk about the Commando fat bike.
10:23
Welcome to the radio program, Sean. Thanks very much, Greg. Great to be here. Yeah, I mean, it's gotta be exciting working with Tom.
10:31
I, I, I kinda just did a little bit of, uh, internet dabbling and checking out, uh, what you've done before, and you've got some pretty impressive credentials from a, a reporting, marketing side, but getting on with the team with Tom, how's that been?
10:44
Tom Richey's a pretty fascinating guy to work around.
10:47
I mean, when I was in high school and I first started mountain biking, I would scribble Richey on my binders, and, uh, to actually work with the guy himself is, uh, there's still moments where I shake my head and can't believe that, uh, you know, he and I sit around and talk about product and try and figure out, you know, what he wants to do next and what sort of changes he'd like to make in a product.
11:06
It's, uh, it's wonderful. He's a really sharp guy, fantastic bike rider, and, uh, it's great. Every day is a lot of fun with him.
11:14
Yeah, it's, it's gotta be great working with somebody that's not only, you know, been around as long as Tom, and, uh, but has the experience of actually riding bikes and being a, a very accomplished rider himself.
11:25
Uh, you guys brought back the Commando name from one of the very early Richey bikes to, to brand your fat bike with. How did, how did that come about?
11:34
Well, we have a number of mountain bikes in our heritage, of course, being, you know, really the, the beginning company for mountain bikes. And, uh, the Commando was a special bike that, uh, was made...
11:45
Tom would get these guys that would kind of wander down from the hills in, uh, Northern California in the Marin area, and, uh, they were interesting individuals who were looking for a Richey mountain bike, but they wanted something that had a full complement of racks and mounts and was really designed a little bit less for, uh, performance type mountain biking at the time, and a little bit more of a go anywhere, dry creek bed, uh, bike that was also subtle in terms of how the branding and paint was.
12:14
They wanted something that was, uh- Wouldn't be seen by anybody.
12:18
So if they were someplace up in the hills maybe doing something that they weren't supposed to be doing, that this bike would be, uh, al- allow them to travel a little bit more under the radar.
12:28
[laughs] And, uh, some of these guys were rumored to be potentially, uh, in the illicit agriculture business. Ah. So that's how the Commando was born.
12:37
The bike was originally a, a fade camo paint job and all the components were as black as we could make them. Very cool.
12:43
And, uh, the bike was definitely designed to be this, this fun, go anywhere, purpose-built machine that didn't necessarily need a trail.
12:52
And when we brought out the Commando 2, uh, which is just called the Commando I guess, but the fat bike version of the Commando, that spirit is what we think of when we think of fat bikes.
13:01
We think of this bike that's not necessarily about racing, it's about finding trails where you find them instead of where they lay. Absolutely, yeah.
13:09
I was at the Hand-Built Bike Show last year when we actually saw the prototype that Tom had, had put together himself, and then at Interbike we saw some prototypes of the actual production one and, and now you're actually ready i- in, uh, to get the production version out there in the world.
13:26
What actually makes a Richie, uh, frame, like, better or different than other bikes out there? That's a great question, and it's something that we, we struggle to tell that story as often as we can.
13:38
Uh, one of the things, obviously you guys know that there's a number of other nice steel fat bikes out there, and, uh, what makes our bike particularly unique is, uh, Tom's work with steel.
13:51
There's really nobody else in the bike industry right now that has more experience developing steel tube sets, working with butting profiles, working with tube tapers.
14:01
I mean, Tom was in Asia working with Tange and working with tubing manufacturers really developing advances in butted tubing, which is now ubiquitous in the industry.
14:11
So when he looks at a frame like the, the Commando or any of the Richie frames,
14:17
every tube detail, where the, where the chainring dent is, how much this tapers at this butting profile close to the tube joint, every millimeter is looked over with his sharp eye.
14:30
And I mean, he makes the most minute changes that, uh, somebody like me that's been around steel frames his whole life, I don't even see what he's doing or why he's doing it, but he just knows and understands things about steel, which few people do.
14:42
So the Commando is not just a steel fat bike, it's a Richie in the sense that it's got some of the most carefully considered details a steel frame can really have.
14:54
And then the other element of, uh, all of our newer steel bikes is that it has our proprietary forged and machined head tube with integrated bearings, and that allows us to do a couple of things.
15:05
It usually saves about between 80 and 90 grams with a standard one and one-eighth inch head tube, and it also allows for the, uh, miters of the top tube and down tube to be expanded upwards and downwards closer to the edge and tri- triangulate the main triangle, uh, that much more so, which adds strength, which means you can use lighter tubing in the main triangle and, uh, just dial the ride in that much more.
15:29
Yeah, and he's always been a good at really making a, a steel bike feel like it's, it's part of your ride, you know? Y- so you're gonna- Yeah...
15:36
so the Commando's coming out and you guys are headed to the Fat Bike Nationals next week. Uh, what can we expect from, uh, Richie Commandos- Right... at the Fat Bike Nats?
15:45
Well, we're excited, we're excited to see fat bike racing take off. I mean, on one hand I think fat bikes don't need to be all about racing.
15:52
I think that's part of what makes the bikes fun is the, the fact that it's this divergence from racing and it's a mountain bike that you don't feel like you have to be jumping some huge North Shore gap or doing some XC race.
16:02
You can just get out and have fun on it. But that said, they're such capable bikes that, uh, you know, why not get a bunch of guys together and see who's the fastest?
16:10
And, uh, what we did for Fat Bike Nationals is, uh, we've got a, a friend of Richie, a guy named Kurt Wolfgang, who's a, a local road pro that, uh, we've known for a long time, and, uh, he had a little bit of time on his hands, and he's always racing road or mountain or cross or whatever he can do.
16:26
And, uh, we picked him up and got him a bike and sent him out there to see what, uh, what Nationals are gonna be about.
16:32
And, uh, it was an interesting experience for him because he's a very experienced bike racer, but he hadn't really spent much time on a fat bike before.
16:39
And when he first looked at the Commando, he thought, you know, "Well, okay, all right. This thing's probably gonna feel weird and everything, but I can, I'm a bike racer, I can handle it."
16:46
But, uh, as soon as he got on the bike and started riding around on it, he was all giggles and, uh, really was amazed at, uh, you know, what a fat bike can do.
16:53
And then in general, I think the, the Commando's gonna save a little bit of weight over what some of the other guys are gonna be out there on, and Kurt's, uh, you know, like I said, he's a category one rider, and there's, I've looked at the start list and there's some pretty, uh, pretty sharp shooters out there.
17:07
I think Ned Overend's gonna be on the start line as well, and, uh, Ned Overend's perpetually hard to beat.
17:12
But, uh, you know, we're hoping Kurt goes out there and has fun and reports back to us on what the experience is like and what the scene's like. And, uh, we kinda hope he comes back with a medal. That'd be- So we'll see.
17:21
[laughs] That'd be great. I don't know if you'd, uh, uh, gone back through the archives.
17:25
We had Ned on the show a, a, a little bit while back, and we talked about the, the first, um, Fat Bike Nationals last year at the Fat Bike Birkie, and, uh, Ned admitted he's not a great finisher.
17:36
He likes to, he likes to get out there [laughs] and get in front, so maybe if Kurt has a, uh- Yeah... he has, he has a good kick, uh, you know, [laughs] we'll see how that goes.
17:46
Well, one of the, one of the advantages of, of Ned is they call him The Lung, and, uh, that race is at altitude, and Kurt's got an age advantage over Ned, but, uh, man, uh, it, it'd be a tough call to bet against Ned Overend in any bike race- You bet...
17:58
at altitude especially. Absolutely. We'll see. So, uh, you know, finally, I'm just, I'm curious, you know, when people hear the name Richie, what do you, what should they think?
18:07
I mean, what's kind of the takeaway from the Richie vibe? That's a great question. We ask ourselves that all the time and, uh, we talk to Tom about that.
18:16
And one of the- One of the challenges we have as a brand is that, uh, we don't necessarily follow a lot of the hype and trends and buzz that's out there.
18:24
Uh, Tom is still at, I think he's 58 this year, riding 10,000 miles a year, and he still prefers to develop product that'll handle the kinds of miles and the kind of abuse that he's putting into it.
18:35
So we like saving weight, we like making things as high performance as possible, but, uh, Ritchey is really the company that you come to when you want something that's not just high performance, but the kind of reliability that somebody who's really stacking on a lot of hard miles is gonna demand.
18:51
So, uh, you know, we still like, we still like using metal in the right places. Uh, we still like steel.
18:56
Uh, we know that there's a lot of other great materials out there that make a lot of great bike parts, but, uh, you know, we've still got a lot of, uh,
19:03
a lot of guys out there that ride just huge miles and will just wear through quote, unquote "race parts".
19:08
And, uh, Tom Ritchey's always believed that in order to win a race, you've gotta finish, and, uh, that's one of the things that Ritchey's all about. Right on, man. Yeah, steel is real for sure.
19:17
I'm, I'm, I'm a steel guy too, [laughs] and I really appreciate that he's taken the time to really understand how to make them, you know, the best bikes they can be. So thanks very much for being on the show. Yeah.
19:28
Really appreciate you taking time out of your day. I know you're probably just about ready to, uh- [laughs]... take, take that ride back home. [laughs] Yep, yep. It's about that time.
19:36
[laughs] Gonna head down Foothill Boulevard and- Well, thank you very much for having me. Well, appreciate it again, Sean.
19:41
Uh, we'll look forward to seeing you again at, uh, one of the, one of the trade shows around the, uh, bike industry. Thanks for being on the show. Sounds good. Sounds good. Thank you. You're tuned to Fat Bike Radio.
19:54
[upbeat music] What do Heather Best, Kevin Breitenbach, and Jeff Wooley have in common?
20:00
Well, they're all world record holders and champions of the Iditarod Trail Invitational, and they all chose Becker Frame Bags and Hydration Packs for their championship run.
20:10
Becker Gear is custom designed and purpose-built to fit your bike. Fat, skinny, and everything in between, Becker Gear is the bag maker of champions. [upbeat music] You're about to get your weekly dose on Fat Bike Radio.
20:28
And we're back. How's it going, folks? You know, we have- It's going... Tony sitting in today. Uh, he kinda came by 'cause he's dropping off some parts to, uh, put a fat bike back together that just got powder-coated.
20:42
Uh, but Tony's a, a River West, uh, resident and a fixture. And, uh, I thought we would talk a little bit about something that's going on in the neighborhood here. We have a, a trail, uh, called- Yes, we do...
20:54
the Artery Trail, that- Yes, we do. Yeah.
20:57
We've recently got permission to go ahead and groom up some snow and hold a fat bike race on it, which is super exciting for the neighborhood, 'cause this is right in the middle of the city. Yeah.
21:05
This isn't out on some frozen lake somewhere or, you know, really far away. This is a very accessible place, and having a fat bike race in the middle of town is, is really a cool thing.
21:17
Uh, y- just explain a little bit about the trail, Tony, and let us know kinda how that all came to be and- Sure, sure.
21:23
The, the trail is a old, uh, railroad tracks that's, uh, was an easement for the city and the railroad company to allow the, uh, the section basically b- between the River West and the, um, Harambee neighborhoods.
21:40
It cuts, uh, for anyone that knows the neighborhoods, it basically starts at Richards and cuts itself heading... Ooh, I've had a beer, so- That would be northwest... thank you, heading northwest- [laughs]...
21:52
uh, over, all the way down, currently all the way down to Capital- Right... with, uh, potential to expand that further. Um, it's the start of, uh, what was a project called Material to build a, uh, recycled car tire
22:09
soil erosion protection, uh, bike trail/walking path, uh, from a lot of recycled materials and actually some rather blighted neighborhood objects with all these tires that have been dis- discarded in the neighborhood.
22:25
Sure. Yeah, that was a Kickstarter project. It was a Kickstarter project, and I'm happy to say I funded, and, uh, it was very successful.
22:32
Um, and it's actually turned into a really, really nice path for everyone, and hopefully really soon, a really kickass bike, uh, fat bike race.
22:40
Yeah, I th- it, it's, it's a community resource that needs to be utilized- Mm-hmm... for sure.
22:46
Um, I know it's, like, two-thirds of a mile long, so there's, there's plenty of length there, and, uh, hopefully we'll have a report for you in the future on a fat bike race- Yes, that'd be fantastic...
22:55
on this particular trail. Yeah. Ev- every time I'm going on Capital, I'm always reminded. I'm like- Yes... "Oh, that's where it... I need to get going. I'm..." It's a great- I, yeah... area to explore. Yeah.
23:06
It's really cool. Um, it's really up and coming. Well, Jim and I were up there the other day walking around and, uh, or riding around and checking it out after the Jeep and the snowboarders were back there.
23:14
[laughs] I'll tell you this, the snowboard guys did some nice carvy lines. They were solid enough to actually ride where the snowboarders had been. Did, did you by chance get the video link? Yeah. Yes.
23:24
Yeah, we can- [laughs] We'll throw that link in the show notes. That was, that was- 'Cause that, yes... a lot, a lot of fun. You can see what it looks like. It's really cool.
23:30
I mean, you know, this is obviously unique to Milwaukee, but if you have something like this in your n- in your neighborhood, it doesn't take a big, huge area to make something really cool happen, and fat bikes can be part of that.
23:41
So, uh- Absolutely... investigate your neighborhood and come up with something cool. So- What e- we had a race, too, that Frosty Hog race. Yes, in old Cudahy. Cudahy. Cudahy-hy-hy.
23:53
That was in a county park, which is a great place, obviously, to have a race, too, right on the lake. But, uh, the best part about that race, besides there was, I don't know, 80 people there racing- Oh...
24:03
it was a lot of racers. Yeah. The best part about that race was the Grant Park beach ride after the race. [laughs] It was sweet last week. Yeah.
24:10
I lost my directionals and I [laughs] it's like, "Where are you guys going again? I'm hungry. [laughs] I need to-" I'm not sure the single speed would've been the bike for that adventure anyway. I don't think so either.
24:19
That's how I'm ra- Possibly... I'm rationalizing it. [laughs] Right. Yeah. That was a good call. [laughs] Well, it, it was actually on that ride that I came up with the ice beard contest idea- [laughs]...
24:28
because it was, it was chilly, and, uh, there was some huffing and puffing, 'cause we were working hard, and the icy beard did make its showing.
24:36
[laughs] So, um, other stuff we've got going on, 45NRTH recently opened up their, uh, their Groomed Singletrack website.
24:45
Um, there's already over 40 locations that are around the country that have groomed singletrack specifically for fat bikes. This isn't necessarily a repurposed Nordic or other things like that.
24:56
This is groomed singletrack with fat bikes in mind. Um, there's a locate by zip code feature, uh, and there's a mile circle so you can find stuff within 50 miles of where you are or whatever. Um, check that out.
25:08
It's at groomedsingletrack.com or- Yeah, it's a, it's pretty... It's a cool interactive- Right on... I was playing around with it earlier today We'll have a link in the show notes so you can check that out.
25:18
Uh, JK, we [laughs]... We... His, his, his, uh, former Bluetooth speaker took a crap. Oh, as always. So there's, there's been a concerted effort to come up with a replacement- [laughs]... for the Bluetooth speaker.
25:31
Uh, what'd you decide on? It's my, my revolving door of, like, 20, $20 investment [laughs] into everything. Uh, it's a... It was, like, from Goose New York, and I don't know, it, it, it just, uh, it snaps on,
25:45
on the, on the bars. And so instead of it being a, the dangler from the backpack strap, which works out very well, 'cause boom, you're listening and- It kinda looks- It-... like the same... Like, I have this link here.
25:58
You'll see it in the show notes. There's a... I, I funded a Kickstarter project that's a bike-oriented thing with lights. Yeah. It kinda looks like a similar kind of a- Yeah, attachment...
26:06
strap-on your bar system as that. Uh, should be pretty interesting. I'm- Yeah... I'm kind of excited about these lights. They look like old rally- Oh, they're... They-...
26:14
like rally, World Rally Championship lights, or maybe more like Baja lights. They do look like Baja lights. Yeah. They are very cool. More, more than, more than Swedish rally, they look more like Baja.
26:24
[laughs] JK, you- you're been sporting a Megalith pretty much lately. We, we made a slight change to it last week. Yeah. Swapped out the, uh, [laughs] swapped out the tires and, uh... Saved how much?
26:36
It was, like, four pounds. Four, yeah, four and a half pounds- Four and a half pounds... of weight. Uh- Yeah. Made a marked difference and yeah, just been riding around, a lot of urban exploring
26:47
down to, down to Bayview in the Milwaukee area, a good 10-mile burn here and there, and the other where. Yep. So yeah, we get... There's still snow on some of the trails. Oh, yes. Yeah. Thank goodness. Yeah.
27:01
So we can, you know, I can still play around at times, and kinda the general neglect of the infrastructure of plowing- It's almost-... and whatever... two weeks later and they're still pushing snow around. Yeah.
27:14
It's, it's pretty amazing. [laughs] So it does allow for the, uh, you know, jumping around and having a little urban good times. [laughs] Right on. I think even campus is still pretty- Oh, yeah...
27:25
snow covered and- Yeah... been a lot colder I wanna, I wanna, I wanna jump into the fountain. [laughs] Tear it up. I rode through it- Yeah... a couple of times. [laughs] Especially on the, uh, the, the, uh, Black Burrow.
27:36
Oh, yeah. That's a pretty- Yeah, that thing was gnarly through that whole thing. We're actually- That thing was solid... gonna finally get a report up on that.
27:41
Tony did a good job writing up his, his time with the bike, uh- That was a great bike... probably next week, early next week we'll have that- It was a great bike... that review up on the site. Um, yeah, check it out.
27:51
That's a great bike. You know, we've also got, uh, the Fat Bike Birkie coming up.
27:55
It's, uh, less than a month away now, I guess, actually, and fatbike.com and CAMBA, which is the IMBA chapter up there in Hayward, are sponsoring the after party- Mm-hmm...
28:06
at the Sawmill Saloon right there in Seeley, which is halfway between Cable and Hayward.
28:11
So if you're up there for the Fat Bike Birkie, all 750 of you racers and your friends, come by the Sawmill and check out the after party.
28:19
We're gonna have raffle and prizes to benefit CAMBA's efforts to groom a ton of trails up there. They've... O- one of the local guys bought a Rokon out of his own money- Wow...
28:29
to pull around a Crothers Brothers, um, groomer. But they're looking for more equipment, and they really are dedicated to making it a destination.
28:39
Like it is in the summer, they've got o- over 100 miles of mountain bike trails. Check it out if you're at the Fat Bike Birkie.
28:46
Before we get to the links, how's about we give, uh, that Megalith fat bike from State Bicycles away? Yeah. You know what? We do have a winner. Oh, yeah. I'm gonna call, I'm gonna call him in just a little bit.
29:02
So his name is Chris Stewart. Hey, Chris, if you're listening,
29:06
gonna be calling you in just a little bit, but you are the winner of the Megalith from State Bicycles, and we'll, uh, give you a shout here in just a few minutes. You're tuned to Fat Bike Radio.
29:19
[upbeat music] Chumba USA builds innovative, technically superior bicycles that are race ready, ride driven, and tested to withstand the harshest conditions and tackle the toughest and roughest terrain.
29:35
Learn more about Chumba’s American-made Ursa, and coming soon, Ursa Major, at chumbausa.com. [upbeat music] Hello? Hey, Chris Stewart. It's Greg at Fat Bike Radio.
29:52
How are you doing? Hey, Greg. Good. How about yourself? [laughs] I'm doing great. Hey, congratulations, you are the winner of our State Bicycle Fat Bike Giveaway Contest. You're winning [bell ringing]
30:06
the State Bicycle Megalith Fat Bike. [laughs] Awesome. [laughs] Yeah. Congrats, man. Yeah, man. Uh, we've been doing this contest for a long time, and, uh, glad we have a winner. Uh, how do you feel? I feel awesome.
30:20
I can't wait to get it and, uh, ride it, for sure. So, uh, uh, I'm just looking at your area code. Are you in Idaho, or is that, uh, a, a former residence? Former residence. I'm actually, uh, Park City now, and, uh, yeah
30:37
It's with the, with the cell phones these days, you can't tell where people actually live anymore. [laughs] I know that Idaho- For sure... I know that Idaho has all of 208, though.
30:45
That's the whole, the whole Idaho thing. So, uh, yeah, uh, JK here, uh, in the studio has been rocking the, uh, the Megalith for a couple of weeks now on, on the test thing, and, uh, it is, seems like a new bike, eh?
30:58
Oh, yes. Yeah, very solid. I think you're really gonna enjoy it. Uh, thanks for playing along, and, uh, uh, maybe shoot some shots of it when we get it to you, and, uh, let us know how it's going. In the natural habitat.
31:12
For sure. I'll, uh, definitely take a photo, put it on Instagram and tag you guys, and, uh, I'm excited to see one of you guys out there at, uh, Fat Bike Nationals this weekend.
31:22
I forget who's, uh, going out there, but I'll be, uh, racing as well. Oh, right on. Uh, yeah, actually Gomez is gonna be there.
31:30
In fact, he just landed on the ground in Salt Lake City and is gonna be calling us as soon as he gets off the plane, so [laughs] He's gonna give us a report. Awesome.
31:40
Yeah, he was up in Alaska doing the, uh, the Homer Big Fat Bike Fest, and he is now, uh, just spending some time in the local area there before the big race up in Ogden. Are you...
31:52
You're competing in the, uh, Fat Bike Nationals? I am. [laughs] That's... Man, that sounds awesome. It's gonna be sweet. I actually raced the course last weekend in our local series, and, uh, yeah, the course is awesome.
32:07
Big bank turns, some, you know, little whoops and, uh, yeah, it's gonna be, it's gonna be awesome. Yeah, I think we were talking to Rebecca Rush about the course, and there's some climbing in it, uh, and some, uh...
32:22
So you earn the descent, I understand. [laughs] Yeah, so you start off with a pretty good descent, a little, couple rollers, and then, uh, you make this turn and the, the climbing starts.
32:34
And last weekend it was, uh, 30 mile an hour winds sustained and drifting, so it was, the steep part of the climb was actually a hike-a-bike. Wow. I'd run- [laughs]... because the drifts were getting...
32:47
And every lap we did, it was getting worse, so it was, it was tough. Cool.
32:53
Well, uh, maybe, uh, we can hook up with you after the event and give us a report from, from deep inside the, the race, uh, you know, center of the race.
33:03
That'd be fantastic, and hopefully, I get a new, uh, Stars and Stripes jersey as well. [laughs] Yeah, you can sport that on the Megalith fat bike. [laughs] For sure. I'll, uh, send many photos if I have a new jersey.
33:16
So, and, uh, if you guys need any of my, uh, address or any of that stuff- Yeah, we'll just take care of it through the email, but, uh, just good enough to know that Chris is happy to win a fat bike. [laughs] Congrats.
33:29
Heck, yeah. All right, man. It's gonna be awesome. Hey, we'll talk, we'll talk soon, all right? Thank you so much. Okay, Chris. Have a good one. All right, bye. Bye. This is 45 North pro rider, April Morgan.
33:39
When I ride my hill repeats, I listen to Sven and Gomez on Fat Bike Radio. And we have some links as well. There's a ton of links this week. I, I don't even know where to start- There is... on all of these links.
33:51
[laughs] It's like, uh, you know, there was a really good story about, uh, somebody that participated in JP's, uh, Backyard Fat Pursuit. That was pretty cool. Um...
34:04
I saw a, a picture of a spinner for the, the Pugly, the Pugsley Worlds. [laughs] Yeah, they're, that's coming up.
34:12
The Pugsley Worlds are actually the same day as Fat Bike Birkie this year, which means you gotta make a choice. Uh, it was just, I gotta cover the Fat Bike Birkie, so I know, I know where I'll be.
34:22
[laughs] But, um- Isn't another racing organization also supposedly having a fat bike race? Yeah, that's actually coming up next weekend, the USA Cycling- Yeah... Fat Bike National Championship. I- Wha, wha, wha.
34:38
You know, I, it's, it'll be interesting to see who wants a rainbow... No, not rainbow. Stars and stripes. [laughs] A Stars and Stripes jersey. They have, you know, age groups and I, I know that, uh, there's gonna be a,
34:52
a, a lot of racers there. I think the Fat Bike Birkie's a lot of people having fun, and a couple racers. I, I'd rather be there. [laughs] Well, we've got a lot to report on racing-wise, so yeah.
35:08
Ra- Rebecca Rush was, uh, in Sports Illustrated or on the website? Yeah, off her, uh- Yeah, nice... off her website. She was on our radio show before she was o- on Sports Illustrated's website, apparently.
35:17
Launch pad here, I'm telling you. [laughs] Yeah, that's right. Hey, if you folks wanna get on Sports Illustrated, really can't promise anything, but obviously somebody made it. We're star makers. Yeah, that's right.
35:26
[laughs] Beauty. [laughs] Yeah, there's another link of, uh, kind of a breakdown of how to effectively transport beer via bicycle, so- Ah... I found that to be a little eh.
35:40
Well, we have a new, we have a new entrant in the Kannenstein. Yeah. [laughs] Das Kannenstein is another- Das Kannenstein... potential beer, uh, transporting device.
35:50
I, I find transporting beer in a cargo bike is quite efficient. Fat cargo bikes. Fat cargo bikes. There's only how many now? Three, four in the world? Oh, yeah, maybe. There's not that many. [laughs] Yeah, there, yeah.
36:00
Yeah, I saw that one picture and that was pretty awesome. The Long John fat bike came out. Yeah, that, that's, that's getting to a whole 'nother level. Right on.
36:08
Well, we're gonna close out the show with taking a few calls, uh, and we're gonna probably check in with you next week. Bye bye. Au revoir. It looks like we have a Gomez. Au revoir, pee.
36:21
Let's see who, let's see who we have here. My nipples are swelling. Is it the Gomez? What's up, dudes? Welcome to the radio program caller. Who do we have on the line? [laughs] You know what this show needs? What?
36:36
Show needs more Gomez. [laughs] Moremez? More- Moremez? Is this, where's that, where's that bell? More Gomez bell. Car, car bell? Car bell. Hey, Gomez. How was your flight?
36:51
Oh my God, the first and second flight was not so bad, but the third flight into Salt Lake, ay caramba. Center seat to, uh- [laughs] To Salt Lake. It was... I, I think that I have to limit myself to, uh,
37:10
to two flights, one layover. Yeah. Three is too much. Yeah. And I'd just like to make a s- make a stand against all carry-on baggage. [laughs] All the time. Unless you can fit it overhead or no?
37:24
Uh, just no carry-on baggage. You can carry a wallet, a purse, a hat, your glasses. A beer. That's it. Yes, a beer. Hey, uh, Tony Burger's here with us today. Hey, Tony. How's it going, bro?
37:37
[growls] [laughs] We've, we've, we've, we've had a couple of fluffer beers and of course the beer for the show, so, so there you go. [laughs] All right. Uh, did you, were you able to- That's right... imbibe on the plane?
37:51
I stopped in LA. I, uh, had a Fat, what was it, a Fat Scot Ale by Silver City Brewing. Oh, was it? Not bad. Is that- Enjoyed that too. Is that Nevada's, uh, up in, uh, Nevada? Silver City, where is that?
38:09
I, or maybe it was Seattle. [laughs] [laughs] I don't know. Same alphabet. Close, close enough. It's an S word. It's all, it's all West Coast from here. It's been a day. Yes. [laughs] Was, so how was Alaska?
38:23
Was it, was it worth all the travel hassle to have that big fat Homer Bike Fest action up there in Alaska? Yeah, Alaska, I, uh, we successfully, uh, completed all missions and, uh, had an awesome time.
38:40
Homer is, uh, should be a destination city for fat biking, dude. Absolutely. I mean- For sure... saw a few pictures that you'd posted and, uh, made me jealous. [laughs] Well, there's always next year. True that.
38:58
Uh, so just before you called in, we talked to Chris Stewart. He was the winner of the Megalith fat bike from State Bicycle Company.
39:06
[bell ringing] And, uh, believe it or not, Chris is actually racing in the Fat Bike Nationals [laughs] So he's gonna be out there in Ogden, where you're headed next.
39:15
Uh, what do you, what do you expect to see at the Fat Bike Nationals? Uh, well, looking at registration, there, there's, like, only four pro women registered. Right on.
39:28
So- Sorry, are, so can you enter that class or do you actually... [laughs] [laughs] Chris was a dude. [laughs] I predate the attachable penis, so I am, I am out of luck. But, you know, it's, uh...
39:45
I'm hoping to see top name mountain bikers competing to win. I know there are a couple of fast guys from Tip Sports there in, uh, Anchorage are coming. James Stall and Will are coming, so,
40:02
uh, I just, uh, I don't really know what to expect. It's, uh... Is it noisy? It's like a freaking party here. [laughs] Yeah, not too bad.
40:13
Actually, uh, believe it or not, we, I think we've solved our latency issue with our, uh, call-in studio guests because, uh, you're sounding nine by five or whatever they say when you're doing the old trucker lingo.
40:25
Nine by nine? [laughs] Is that it? Five by five? Five by five, whatever. [laughs] Nine. Um, cool. Uh- Am I- Any, any- Alaska was, was awesome. I, I, it, could it be anything but?
40:38
Uh, and, you know, I got to see lots of cool peeps and it's, I'm just always taken aback at the hospitality that I'm shown when, uh, when I go to Alaska. Well, that- Did you see Russia? Yeah. Did you see Russia?
40:57
[laughs] [laughs] Excellent. Um- I understand our b- That bike is hell. I understand our buddy Adam is gonna be out there from, uh, Boo Bicycles.
41:07
I know he ta- called in last week and said they were getting ready to go to the Fat Bike Nationals and, uh, Sean Coffee, uh, with Richie, those guys are gonna have some... Are they gonna have guns out there?
41:18
Let's find out. [laughs] Yeah, they, they, they're putting a big gun on, on their new Commando bike. Right on. So it'll be inter- interesting to see how that works out.
41:31
I know Specialized should be, uh, you know, I, I know Ned and, and Travis are registered for that race. Well, and we have the other Fat Bike Nationals coming up here in a couple weeks at, uh, Hayward, Wisconsin.
41:45
[laughs] It, it seems like that one's gonna be a lot better attended. Well, you know what? They're pushing 700 people. Right. And you know, do you know why they're pushing that many people?
41:59
Because we're hosting the after party up there at the Sawmill in Seeley, so [laughs] I think everybody wants to hang out with, uh, with the fatbike.com guys. [laughs] Yes. They gotta go there. Absolutely.
42:12
We know how to throw a party. [laughs] Well, you know how to throw a party. I, I'm just an amateur party thrower compared to you, but, uh- I can hear it in the background. [laughs] Right? We only have Tony.
42:21
You've got, you've got a- No horseplay in the ball bin. You've got a whole airport full of people there. [laughs] Oh my God, I just walked up and both my bags are here. Wow.
42:31
Being on the radio is, uh, is good luck for baggage. You bet. Cool. Well, uh, uh- Talk to me while I, talk to me while I rent the car now. [laughs] Hey, can, are you getting a Ferrari?
42:43
Because I understand those are really good in the snow. Um, I, I always shoot for a Cadillac, you know? Long car, shiny and black. They have butt warmers [laughs] You got the right one. JK is all about warming butts.
43:01
Yeah, right. And Eddie Gotts. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm staying in some ghetto motel though, I'm telling you. Is it called- It's like 40 bucks a night. Wow.
43:09
You, you, you know how to keep the expenses down on the old Fatbike.com expense account. [laughs] Or you just sleep in the car. [laughs] And keep your butt warm. Butt warm. I know. I see the rental car sign. Absolutely.
43:26
Go. I'll move. Gomez, go. Rental car, go. [laughs] So did you, were you able to take the 907 that you borrowed up there? Like, did you shrink it down and put it in your baggage? No, I had to return it. Darn.
43:38
[laughs] But, you know, maybe next year I'll be riding the 907. I don't know. I don't know. Little early to say. Maybe. Maybe. All right, man, um- You just don't know... so- What could happen... what can we look for?
43:56
You wanna maybe give us a call later in the week, uh, when you have time to hang out a little bit, and we'll get something ready for next week. Sounds good, man.
44:06
I'll actually be back in town, so I'll be in the studio next week, bro. Oh, of course, yes. I just thought maybe something interesting would happen in the interim like Fat Bike Nationals. [laughs] Oh. Oh, oh, yeah.
44:18
Yeah, that too. Daze to the morning. But, you know, they can always go to www.fat-bike.com. For all their fat biking fabulousness. [laughs] Those guys are fabulous. Oh, wait, they're us.
44:30
People are looking at me because I'm talking to myself really loud- [laughs]... in my radio voice. [laughs] A mom just shooed her children away from me. [laughs] Hey, uh, uh, here's a question I got about Alaska.
44:44
Uh, I understand that's a fairly beard, uh, heavy place. Uh, did you see some interesting beards up there? You know, uh, even the, the musk oxen have beards, and I saw beautiful women, dude. With beards? Oh, my God.
45:01
With, with beards? [laughs] No beards. Oh. No beards. I wanted to hide some of them in my beard. [laughs] You know what I mean? Uh, know what I'm saying? The, the, the, the thigh loofah is, uh- Oh...
45:13
is getting lubricated. [laughs] Exactly. [laughs] Hey, we're list- Well-... we're listed as explicit on the, uh, the iTunes, uh, podcast thing, so we can say whatever the fuck we want. [laughs] All right.
45:27
You can lay those F-bombs out. Right on, brother. I'm on a m- I'm on a moving, I'm on a moving sidewalk, you know? [laughs] Now you're sounding like Robotron. [laughs] All right. All right, guys. Okay.
45:40
So this is your way. Hey. Disorganized aero- aeropuerto reporto. This is Gomez from Salt Lake City, signing off. Thanks very much for taking time just after you got off the plane, man. We'll talk to you very soon. Bye.
45:53
Bye. Bye. All right. See ya. Bye. [outro music] You've been listening to Fat Bike Radio's Weekly Dose of Fat. Find us on the web at fat-bike.com/radio.
46:10
We'll see you next time.
46:14
[outro music]
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