Every ShopOwners Dream Come True

It is not very usual for shops to come to the point where they amass "the dream team"
Well,let me tell you that we have done that at Hartley's.
The snobby, grumpy, complainy crew that once dominated the shop has slowly gone away, fizzled like warm Coke.
Today we have a crew that works together, Mechanics that can solve ANY problem thrown to them. So without much more to say I congratulate this group of people for what they are. I will do whatever it takes to keep this momentum going like it is now.
Now fuckin' get out and ride and stay away from dem damn cars.
Ari

Monsoons in July

Got a real taste of riding the great western trail when its wet. I have destroyed my bike and at this point it is not going to change. For the type of riding that I am doing I think a sturdy steel frame is the ticket. I rode through the swamp this morning and had to dismount several times to get over the fallen trees. Yesterday Dekalb received 4 inches of water and today it rained/stormed again. The corn is almost 6 feet high when it should be knee high at this point. Had an inspiring ride home today. Headwind, cool after storm temperatures, sunshine, gravel and digital music, mainly Arcade Fire. Pictures are my Waterfor built Heron on the GWT, then the gravel road which is part of Old State Road. Come out and ride with me.
I guarantee a smile on your face.
Ari

Just in case

Just in case anyone gets lost out in the corn fields I post this picture so you know what we look like. Found an extremely rare Flandria poster on ebay and also a really cool Bianchi one. Somebody donated a very nice top for my workbench with cubby holes and an electrical outlet. All I have to do is make some legs and ready. I have decided to mount most of my tools on pegboard and then have wire shelves for the small parts bins. Lot of work to do and regular work and the restaurant are kicking my ass.
Tomorrow I will ride in to rest my head and body. It feels good to get on the bike when you have troubles. Also all ailments and pains seem to fade. I had some obnoxious pain in my knee and back in the winter that I though were serious. I just came to realize that I had totally forgotten about these pains since the weather got nice. Sorry for all grammatical errors and typos. I just type as fast as possible before hitting the sack. I have not watched the tour yet. I have a bad taste in my mouth.
Hey if you are bored, take a kid out for a ride. We need more juniors out there. Teach them how to ride and how to take care of themselves. Us old farts should be doing that.
Ari

Three Monsters of the Bike. Circa 1977

I ran across this picture on the internet and whoever snapped it may you cherish that strip of negative all your life. I cannot think of a more fearsome trio than Merckx,De Vlaeminck and Freddy Maertens. We all know how tough Sean Kelly was and still is. When he first signed on with Freddy Maertens team he supposedly went out on a training ride with Freddy. Freddy rode him so hard that he made Sean Kelly toss his cookies. Roger was an exceptional rider and know as "the gypsy" He had incredible talents on the bike and would like to goof off by riding wheelies on his Gios Torino. Merckx became a legend and Roger went on to coach some great stars in cyclocross. Freddy on the other hand made a lot of bad decisions and ended up working in a museum and nearly broke. It is when I see pictures like this that it makes my blood boil. I want Flandria Velosport to carry on this energy and to be able to transmit this passion for the bike.
ride,
Ari

Flandria King: Freddy Maertens

Getting a taste of it.

On Sunday there was no car available for me. So I suited up, lubed my cameo and rode into work. I hooked a partial ride on the way home and ended up with a 85 miles. On Monday there was no car again so I went the length of the sausage and piled another 104 miles. Same situation on Tuesday. Between the three days there was almost 3 centuries. I felt stronger every day, though the trail was starting to fatigue me mentally. I did start to use my i-river and listened to both Fire and Funeral from the Arcade Fire. The Chamois butt cream is useless. It dissapears within 25 miles and your cameo turns to sandpaper. My precious container of Assos Cameo cream is a lifesaver. With clean shorts everyday I have eluded the obnoxious boil syndrome. Also when I arrive to work I wash all my clothes and let them dry out in the sun. Hygene is sometimes a neat thing.
Lately I have left my ultra modern Scandium/Carbon fork Salsa at home. Cross bikes suck on the road. I have been riding my Waterford built Heron. 531 tubing with Mavic components and fat Michelins in 700x25mm. The bike accelerades, rolls, and climbs like it should. I am running a 52x42 in the front with a 13x25 duro-ace Freewheel in the back.
The fifty plus miles cost 3 bottles of water and one or two gels. Same for the ride home. Cars, so far, have been civilized and a small bell has been helpful on the trail. I have also noticed that once I get out in the country the temperature drops and it is really comfortable.
I don't know how long this type of riding is going to last and what I am going to do for a car. I am still dealing with weight issues. I started this year with 270 pounds and my last weigh in has been 259. My weight during my Cross times was 197, so if I can come close to those numbers I would feel good. It would also give me the chance to use some of my old jerseys. I will start cutting wood for the workbench this week. Flandria Velosport business cards are printed. Big thanks to Brad for all the web work. No clue how he does it.
Must sleep,
Ari

Eight years later, finally

It has been eight years since i first toyed with the idea of starting my own shop. I was in class during my grad years when I started to doodle some ideas of how I would want the shop to be and what it would stand for. Buddy Brad is my main guy with the web thing since I have no idea. I fix bikes, and build wheels.
If you are interested in taking a look check out www.flandriavelosport.com
As all this develops I will keep you posted. I will be doing repairs and building wheels for the start and will see where that goes.
ari