Saturday, December 24, 2011

Sunday, December 04, 2011

Two's Company


Sometimes, It's As Simple as a Good Picture

Like a two year old who can't quite read, simply looking at pretty pictures makes me "Ooo and Ahh." Adults would probably rephrased it as motivation.

The Embrocation Cycling Journal currently has two sets that, as they say, "Do it for me."




Then there is this. A starting point, with motivation to have this single back have three or four War Axe WMD's around it. All ready for the weekend. Ready to Thrash.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Hitting a Reset

The holiday season is often a season of lists for the avid cyclist. I tend to be more guilty than most of this little habit. Grand plans laid out and, in the last couple of years, little of them actually achieved.

This holiday season I'm taking a different approach. Keeping it simple. Keeping it week-to-week, month-to-month. Instead of paying for race registrations that end up wasted dollars when race day finally arrivals, I'll take a chance on missing out and focused on being better prepared when I do make the starting line.


Off season config. Made for Miles.

So what's up first, how about simply getting some solid miles in, some rides with friends, restart a few 'bromances.'

In the process, I'm using a few tools to help me stay on course and be accountable to myself, if nothing else.


I like my data... to a point. Strava let me know what I want and I can ignore the details that geek out the paralysis by analysis crowd. Plus, I can tell what my friends are up to and feel a little peer racing pressure.


Yes, it's a calorie counter. But, it's a well-designed calorie counter that works for me. Ten pounds down so far. Hoping to be a light heavy weight by Jan. 1.

I also plan to post a bit more about the effort. Prepare to be bored.

Lastly, as a reference point. The Velomanti. Rule 71.

(Yes, I am willing breaking a few of the Rules in the picture above.)

Saturday, November 05, 2011

Mother Cover

For DK and Marc W

The rest of you may enjoy as well, sorry about the ads, there's no way around it.


Wye Oak covers Danzig

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Fork 395_47




















You can't see it, but it says Grindcore.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

How to Create Propaganda

So if you count back from Nate, you'll find the fat guy in the War Axe kit in a battle for the top ten, right? I also heard that guy also took out Matt T, Belgian-style.

Signed, The War Axe Minister of Disinformation.


Thursday, October 13, 2011

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

The Goods: CX Season 2011

If you didn't make the launch party, there are a few new items on the War Axe Bicycles menu that you've likely not seen. Here's a quick look at what we've put together for our relaunch.


While a few people have commented that our new embrocation smells like cloves, we are sticking to our guns. Essence of coffee, rum and a touch of vanilla highlight this little bit of skin care love. Currently available in a mild heat to match the early CX season, we experimented until we found a slightly heavy, easy to spread blend we were happy with. With the coffee aroma seeming to grow over time, perhaps we will have to add "extra shot" to our descriptions soon.





The Parabellum T-Shirt. Si vis pacem, para bellum or If you wish for peace, prepare for war. Our friends at Screen Ink put the specs to a parabellum cartridge to good use, designing a shirt that was being ordered before the ink had even dried. Printed on American Apparel quality for the hipster in you.

||| $20.00 Available in Small thru XXL. |||













With a subtle shout to iPhone icon graphics, the WMD shirt came together quickly. American Apparel pleasantly surprised us by having a color they call "Poppy" which nicely mirrors our own "is it red or is it orange" color way. BAM!

||| $20.00 Available in Small thru XXL |||

















The Fascist Killer Tee. From the Hoss Creative, featuring Sam's super calves both front and back. Great deal in the sock with a War Eagle standing out in the crowd. Also printed on American Apparel and mosh pit ready.

||| $20.00 Available in Small thru XXL |||
















"The turntables might wobble but they don't fall down." This is the old school design in our t-shirt stable. Tultex apparel with the obvious shout out to RUN DMC's timeless design. What more needs to be said?

||| $20.00 Available in Small thru XL |||

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Death by Cross

If I am honest with myself about the first five days of cross season, the admission I would need to make is that 'gears' keep coming to mind. It is what it is. Whether being too spun out on a road section or enjoy a cadence of thirty due to a bad cog choice, the idea of trying a race with the ability to shift is pecking away at my head.

Case in point, Omaha CX Day One, 3's race. I was a bit nervous and very uptight as we lined up for the start. So much so in fact that I just planted myself in last position. 'Why slow other people down,' was the thought process. We start, I ease into the race, ease my way off the back and end up doing the course solo from nearly start to finish. Got lapped by the leader right before going thru on my last lap. Came away feeling like I'd worked hard but still gone through the motions more than truly laying it all out there. Disappointed with myself.

The highlight of my race was the hand up provided me by Liz and Rhino, smooth initial hand up, refreshing swing, then Rhino yelled "Throw It!" instead of simply taking it back. I obliged and waited from the spray but he pulled it down like Willie Mays. Great play, fun moment.


Kevin and Jay whizzed by while John was breaking off "Guns Are Drawn." Seriously...

Fast forward to yesterday, Day One of the Flatwater CX Series at VDR. Ride to the race, break your lungs in two, ride home. Love it. Decided to roll the "B" race, which, while only 30 minutes, was probably where I needed to be. Plopped myself upfront, when out hard, got spun out on the road, but while I had people ahead of me, I was generally bringing it back in the grass and dirt, then I would lose those any gains on the road and the yo-yo business began. Rob Taylor and I enjoyed one of those "races within a race," which was a hell of a lot more fun that riding alone for 45 minutes and I am looking forward to racing with him again next Wednesday.

I turned spectator quickly afterward and watched Kevin and Jay sprint it out for the win. Jay had passed Kevin at about the midpoint of the course. I saw the pass and remember thinking, "Ohhh, smart move," but Kevin came around him on the road. It was sweet.

No question, a great way to spend Wednesday night. Of course, if they reverse the course next week that long road section is all downhill... Hmmm.


Monday, October 03, 2011

I Think That Left a Mark

I think the War Axe launch party ended up being exactly what it was intended to be. I say I think because I was so wrapped up in it that I have no sense for the overall, the thirty foot view. I saw a lot of friends. A lot of people seemed to be enjoying themselves. Most importantly, a lot of people seem to like the little line of products we've put together.


After arriving in Lincoln later than intended from Omaha CX weekend, we found ourselves still getting set up around 6:00pm. I had hoped to be chilling with an Espresso Martini at that point, but such things happen and shortly thereafter Crescent Moon was pleasantly packed with people with conversations in every corner until around 7:30 or so where things eased back.


For me, it is an mosaic of conversations. Bikes, CX, beverages, the Huskers, 'your Mom,' etc, were all topics that come to mind and while rumors of a 'presentation' were apparently floating around, the only things we were looking to present were drinks and friendly hellos. Mission accomplished. Thanks again to those of you that stopped by. We hope you had a good time.


Think back to the last awards show you watched and those moments when a winner walks through a laundry list of thank you's that are well deserved but unknown to you. That's the moment I am in right now, not that we've won anything, but there are a lot of people who've helped us out along the way and we very much feel a debt of gratitude.


Now to build upon what we've started. It's been a fun ride so far and we're looking forward to pushing on. Thanks again everyone.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Let's Do Drinks

The folks at Crescent Moon have been incredibly flexible in allowing us to put a War Axe signature on the launch party. Part of that flexibility has included serving War Axe inspired drinks from a separate custom menu for the evening. In addition, they are allowing us provide free beer despite the fact that they serve beer themselves. We really couldn't ask for much more.

Here's a look at the War Axe Inspired Drinks:

Espresso Martini - Matching up nicely with our Espresso Martini Embrocation, this drink is a personal favorite. If you came to Skip's Fight Club inspired 40th birthday party, you saw him pulling shots and shaking things up on ice. Chocolate rimmed glass, espresso, vodka and Kahlua.

Tire Sealant - Save this one for dessert. Created over a Friday late lunch at the Moon, the richness of this drink makes a small serving go a very long way. Espresso and ice cream blended latte with peppermint schnapps. Clearly, not on your nutrition plan, so burn it off in the race on Sunday.

The Snob - A mocha with all the fun taken out of it. Three shots of espresso, steamed soy milk and half of the chocolate of a normal mocha. Espresso love with a hint of sweet.

Our friends at Modern Monks have also embraced the evening by providing a keg of Modern Monks Kolsch. A style native to Koln, Germany, our interpretation has a soft, clean palate that tastest slightly fruity with a touch of acidity. A freshly cooked white bread nose is noticeable.

Please come and enjoy yourselves Saturday night. Thank the people from Crescent Moon and Modern Monks. They've really embraced the event and we couldn't be more appreciative of their efforts.

Sam and Skip

Friday, September 23, 2011

War Axe Espresso Martini Embrocation

The first reaction to our embro is likely as good as it will get:

"Get down here and rub some on me!"

Did this happen? I don't embrocate and tell. Sorry...

Those of us in the business like to call this "Cool as Hell."

You know that pleasantly warm feeling you get with a good cocktail? Let your legs imbibe as well. Medium warmth, sophisticated aroma, Cross and class.

You'll find this at the War Axe Launch Party and I suspect I'll have some in the War Wagon during Omaha CX weekend.

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Teaser Tuesday

...a prerequisite to Thirsty Thursday, you just gotta ride the hump to get there.

Specs:  420 Axle to Crown, 47mm offset


Friday, September 02, 2011

Here's to Two Months of Pain

I love cross.  I've never made a real effort to be good at it, but I have always loved it.  I won't be good this year either, but I plan to do what amounts to a full Nebraska schedule, with a bit of Jingle Cross Rock tossed in at the end.  (Single Speedo Race? Not bloody likely.)

Here is a quick rundown of how that looks on paper:

October:

     Saturday, the 1st.  Omaha CX, Bellevue.
     Sunday, the 2nd. Omaha CX, Bellevue.
     Wednesday, the 5th.  Flatwater Cycling Series. Lincoln.  VanDorn Park.
     Wednesday, the 12th.  Flatwater Cycling Series.  Lincoln.
     Wednesday, the 19th.  Flatwater Cycling Series.  Lincoln (Note the Wednesday Night trend)
     Saturday, the 22nd.  Norfolk CX
     Sunday, the 23rd.  Norfolk CX

November:

     Friday, the 18th.  Lincoln CX
     Saturday, the 19th.  Lincoln CX
     Sunday, the 20th, Nebraska State Championship.  Lincoln.
     Friday, the 25th.  Jingle Cross Rock.  Iowa City.
     Saturday, the 26th.  Jingle Cross Rock.  Iowa City.
     Sunday, the 27th.  Jingle Cross Rock.  Iowa City.  Single Speedo Day


Lastly, I'll leave you with this clip that Sam showed me once.  The clip has stuck with me ever since.  Not only does Sven kill it with the ditch hop, but watch the riders kick it in after the 180 turn.  Mad skills.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Snapping Turtles


Corey and I ran into this monster near the end of last week. While I didn't start taking video until after he'd threatened us multiple times, as you can tell, this wasn't someone to be messed with.



Shortly afterward, Corey turned into a bit of a snapping turtle himself. We made the mistake of discussing the cheating which transpired at Gravel Worlds and found ourselves keeping a 20mph for far longer than my legs care to remember.

Friday, August 26, 2011

War Axe Launch Party

Launch Party or ReLaunch Party... heck, simply Party works too. Here's the details. Come hangout a while.

Date: Saturday, October 1, 2011
Time: 6:00pm - 10:00pm
Address: 140 North 8th St #10
Lower Level
Lincoln, NE

Friends of yours will be there. Each of our bikes will be there to check out. Our softgoods will be on-hand. Beverages of all shapes and sizes.

Consider this your invitation.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Fascist Killer T-Shirt

Simply said, working with Chad Hawthorne makes doing things like this a pleasure. He kills it.

Full Frontal


Front Lettering Detail


Rear Lettering Detail


Sock Detail



And for the shameless plug... This bad boy is now available in the War Axe Online Store.

Oh Yeah... As Hoss pointed out, if you fold it just right, Sam's guns appear. That's worth it's weight in gold.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Frederick Krull House: A Perfect Checkpoint

I was sitting by a pool in Miami when Corey first mentioned the Krull House to me. We were texting back and forth about remained incomplete for Gravel Worlds and how we might be able to help with some of that. I was still debating racing, as opposed to 'working,' when Corey sent me the following link: The Fredrick Krull House.

Matt Steinhausen providing an oral history of the Krull House.

Last Tuesday, I decided to ride out to the house to see what I was dealing with. The link left me intrigued and Corey obviously thought it was cool, so I looking forward to seeing the place in person.

After dealing with some questionable directions from Corey, I finally found the turn and checked the place out. I had been trying to think of ways to make the checkpoint memorable, but it was obvious standing in front of the house that it would be carrying the day.

On race day, we were fortunate enough to have Matt stop by and tell us about the house. It is certainly the man's passion and he clearly enjoyed sharing it with all of us.

If you didn't get a chance to really check the place out, make it a point to ride out to SW 2nd and take the place out. During a race we can all be too concerned with getting in and out of a checkpoint quickly or too worked to really take everything in. It's worth a (re)visit when you've got a bit of time to relax.

And if Matt happens to be there, tell him 'thanks.' He's already offered to let use the place again next year. Seems the least we can do.

Monday, August 22, 2011

PCL's Gravel Worlds: The Krull House Secret Checkpoint

At some point during this year's TransIowa, I started thinking through the idea of doing War Axe secret checkpoints at gravel races. The idea was simple. Once you get deep into a long race, a surprise oasis looks like a utopia, even if you're stopping for thirty seconds for a Coke and a smile before pressing on.

In bouncing the idea off of people, I tossed the idea by Corey, who said that Gravel Worlds could really use a checkpoint late in the game. It really could only be semi-secret, but could we modify the two thoughts and make it work. Of course we could. Throw in the Krull House as a location (separate post to follow) and it was Game On! for Gravel Worlds.

Is this the way to the Renaissance Fair?

Having ridden through my fair share of checkpoints, I, as usual, had opinions about how things needed to go. Easy to find and Memorable, that was the goal. With the Krull House taking care of the memories, Mrs Snob helped me with a few banners that worked well with the posts I had seen in my Krull House recon and we had visibility covered. Despite the fact that this was a CP and not an Oasis, I grabbed a variety of beverages before driving out to the house and a checkpoint was born.

First Across the Line

My intent was to pass out Scratch Offs, throw updates into the world of social media and hang out, throwing in a few War Axe touches as a bit of tasteful PR. Jeff Bonsall came early to help me out and there were almost always five or six people chilling throughout the day. Even though a dying phone kept the updates to a minimum, everything else went down smooth and easy.

Riding is easy, dealing with this cap is not.

Currently, Jeff and I are working on an algorithm that I have tentatively named the "Mullet Theory." In short, the racers in an endurance event can be categorized as, "business in the front, party in the back." The first people in grab what they need and are gone. As you move toward the back of the race, things get loose, people linger and the mindset is a bit different. Neither are wrong, of course. It is just a different approach.

Dale, doing his best to cause problems with the Mullet Theory of Endurance Racing

Of course, every theory has its statistical anomaly. Dale hit the checkpoint in sixth. Was very mellow and friendly with everyone, casually got what he needed, then strolled back to his bike and continued to crush people. I guess it's a working theory...

Ahhh, thanks Scott, that's more like it!

Friday, August 19, 2011

Scratch Offs!

Gravel Worlds 2011: I'll Let You In On A Secret...

... War Axe Bicycles will be hosting the secret checkpoint at the race this year. If you'll be out on course, keep your eyes peeled, but we won't be that hard to find. If you're playing the home version of the event, check in with this blog periodically. We will be posting throughout the event, sometimes out of boredom, sometimes excitement so hopefully we continue to get service at the CP. Here's to the rain staying away and everyone having a good time.

See you on course.

Monday, August 08, 2011

Branding with Iron - The WMD

When we started walking through the concept and design of our first three bikes, we ended up in a strange place with the second bike. We knew exactly what we wanted it to be, how we wanted it to ride and what we wanted it to be when it grew up.

The only catch... we couldn't think of a name for it.

On the surface, it seemed like it should be a piece of cake. We've seen so many of our friends turn their cross bikes into commuters that the need seemed obvious. The design elements of taking a race worthy rig and simply adding just enough 'bits' to make a transformation to a commuter smart and efficient quickly feel into place. We wanted this bike ourselves, so our confidence was high enough.

The branding spark simply lagged behind, if it was there at at.... We quickly went through the bad and the obvious. I searched the web for a bit of inspiration, made lists, really did write on napkins and still had nothing worth using.

Once the Fascist Killer arrived. I mentally set the CX/Townie 'challenge' aside, but the night Sam, Hoss and I gathered to build and take pictures of the frame, things started to take shape for the story of bike number two.

As we were chatting, it became clear we'd already confused Chad. We already had a name for bike #3 and for a while Chad thought it was for the CX/Townie. As we clarified, I remember saying that we didn't have anything for #2, so if Chad had any ideas, please let them fly.

The next day, Chad emailed us with a few quotes to consider for the chain stay. They were all good, inspiring and, in a flurry of Google searches and emails, we arrived at a winner.

"I am become death, shatterer of worlds."

The philosophy major in me was instantly happy. The words come from the Bhagavad-Gita, which I originally read in a late night reading bender with the Upanishads after finishing Somerset Maugham's The Razor's Edge. We also selected the less commonly used translation of "shatterer," as opposed to "destroyer." Why? Because in my read, to be destroyed is finite, to be shattered, while close, keeps a glimmer of hope.

Of course, most people know the quote from J. Robert Oppenheimer and his reaction to the "success" of the Manhattan Project. Watching his reaction to the result of the project made me consider throwing the line and subsequent name aside completely. I decided to lighten up a bit instead.

With that decided, we still needed an actual name to reference. We were using "Death" for about 24 hours, then the ah-ha response took over and it was clear, the WMD. And there it was, full circle.

Our first WMD is set to arrive back from paint tomorrow. I know the owner is looking forward to building it up and we're looking forward to having bike number two out in the world.

As for the name WMD, I'm looking forward to hearing the word play people come up with around those letters. I already have one for CVO or Eric Brunt, Wheels Making Deliveries.

Has a nice ring to it.






Monday, August 01, 2011

What's Old Is New Again

I can't remember exactly how John Lefler Jr. phrased his comment when he saw me signing in at the Flatwater Twilight MTB race last Wednesday, but it was something along the lines of, "who are you and are you lost?" It was a perfect hello, because it really has felt like a very long time since I toed the line and really raced.

Frankly, I was a little nervous. I've really only been riding consistently again for four months. That is, the four months since I resigned from my job and dove into trying to move War Axe Bicycles forward. Four months after not truly racing for two years. Four months of saddle time that didn't seem like much time at all.

Plus, I had the newly arrived Fascist Killer on my hands. I didn't want to be the guy who played chopsticks on a finely tuned grand piano.

Wednesday went well enough. The surprised faces always held a friendly hello. New faces introduced themselves and several took a few minutes to look at the bike. The race went fine as well. Not last, certainly not first, but solid enough riding that occasionally had some flow, power but was certainly hitting on fun the entire time. I think I was the only person riding single speed, so I wasn't sure what to think about my gear choice, but I left Branched Oak with a smile and looked forward to Saturday.

Saturday offered both a time trial and XC race and I was cautiously optimistic that I'd avoid the side of myself that takes last place as equaling failure. When the time trial start times arrived Friday night, I was happy to see I didn't go off until 8:55. Happy until I then read that Aaron Gammell was the guy going off 30 seconds after me. I then began to play a game of guessing how long it would take Aaron to pass me, tried to remember my lap time from Wednesday, then decided I didn't want to do that much math.

The following morning, Aaron was one of the first people I saw. We chatted, discussed the TT and warmed up together before heading toward the start gate. Part of our discussion was the classic single speed "what gear?" discussion. Aaron, was running about five gear inches less that me, which means that while I lost most of my fitness over two years, I didn't lose my penchant for overdoing it when it comes to gear choice.

Out of gates, I just tried to go after it. One Lap, Balls Deep. However, the course wasn't in condition for a frontal assault, at least not the opening turns. Greasy and and wet, the trail required some prudence, which I failed to take with me. I blew through the first few turns and continued to slide off the trail even after I was trying to take them slowly. The fact that Aaron came by less than a quarter of the way through the course wasn't a huge surprise. The guy can ride a bike. I got better (and so did the course) as the lap went on, could see Aaron at times through the trees and finished up strongly, telling myself not to make the same mistake when the XC race arrived.

I found Aaron after the finish and we went over/under on how far back I finished from him. I went with 55 seconds and was close, 58 seconds back. A quality Price Is Right estimate.

Waiting for the XC start was a good time. I continued to chat with Aaron, saw EB, MG and Dale Pinkleman, wishing them luck in the marathon class and watching them power through the beginnings a of long day in the saddle.

For the XC race, it turned out the single speed group would be going off on our own, three minutes back of the Cat 2 folks. With my handling in the TT speaking for itself, I thought it best if Aaron lead into the single track, he'd be riding away from me anyway and there was no reason to pin him behind me if I fumbled my way through the turns.

Luckily, the course had really firmed up by our 12:30 start though and Aaron and I went into the first climb together. He gapped me a bit on the climb, and I decided on the next, longer climb I'd do everything I could to stay with him and, if not make a decent race of it, at least not ride solo for two and a half laps.

Unfortunately, we never got that far. In twisting section of trail, Aaron went down and dislocated his shoulder. I stopped. He yelled for me to go on and I called to some people watching to get him some help and carried on. Aaron's a tough guy, so seeing him in pain and grasping his shoulder like that changed the dynamics of the day. The race turned into a hard ride and I just cranked it out to the end. Job done.

Aside from Aaron's injury, I had a great time and it was nice to step back into the scene and have it feel like you haven't left.

Of course, it would be nice if at some point I put the right gear on my bike. I actually used the Beta version of our gear calculator to see how different what Aaron ran was from my 36x18 selection. Considering I now have lap times I can use, I plan to head back out to Branched Oak with about five gear inches less in my set up. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Aside from poor gear selection, it seems I've kept another habit from days gone by... writing long race reports.

See you next race.


Thursday, July 28, 2011

The Weight of Can't Win

One of the interesting aspects of having the Fascist Killer living in the world is fielding questions about a product that is actually 'ours,' as opposed to what you say as an cyclist using someone else's product. Simple questions like, "How does it ride?" have proven to be a bit of a head game.

While the Fascist Killer is really new to the planet, I'm really happy with the way it rides. Sam's fork design has proven to be the best rigid fork I've ridden. It left me smiling after the Flatwater Twilight Race and I'm looking forward to racing the FK again on Saturday.

But to say that (or type it) leads the cynic in me to start putting thoughts in people's heads. Little smart ass remarks that I myself might think or even make depending on the circumstances.

So, for now, I'm going to enjoy the Fascist Killer and look forward to a time when more people are riding our goods. Let people experience War Axe for themselves and see what we are bringing to the table. Once they do, I think they'll be stoked.

Of course, that's what I'm suppose to say, right?

Monday, July 25, 2011

As Vincent Vega Said...

... it's the little differences.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The Fascist Killer Build: Why the Saint Stuff?

"With the Way You Ride..."


When we completed the Fascist Killer, we did so with a bit different approach than some people might take. We built it up with a specific rider in mind, me. And if you ever followed the endurosnob blog (it's dead, don't look), you know that I am rider with a wide variety of shortcomings and a large love of aesthetics.

The Shimano Saint selections certainly aren't generally top of mind for a rigid singlespeed, but there were a few reasons for our selective madness.

When it comes to the cranks, then are certainly heavy by comparison. 200 grams heavier than XT, for example. That equates to just under one half pound. Considering I'm more Fat Jan than Michael Rasmussen, both in body type and a certainly 'pedaling squares' riding style, using one of the stiffest cranks available made a lot of sense against a half pound that could be lost many times over from my own weight. Plus, as a guy who has snapped the occasional crank, the bulletproof nature of the crank offers a bit of security and peace of mind.

Not to mention, they just look sweet.

It's a similar story with the brakes. They are 100 grams heavier than XT, so let's add another quarter pound. As a rider who has dropped out of 24 hour races due to numb hands, the hope is that the performance of the Saint brakes with help offset some of that fatigue and turn a 19 hour racer into a finisher. The same thought process applies to shorter races as well. It's simple. Racing rigid is not easy on the hands, so giving up that small bit of weight for greater performance might simply be a smart sacrifice. Time will tell.

And again, they look pretty damn cool on the bike.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Saturday, July 02, 2011

Monday, June 13, 2011

New Convert

Since the Fascist Killer went to paint, I've been periodically having a small lament over the BKB IF getting demoted to second fiddling in my personal mtb collection. Last week, however, the obvious hit me. Convert it to a fixed gear. Mr. John Kohtz gifted me a fixed wheel two birthday's past and, while detractors abound, I enjoyed riding my previous fixed mtb while I had it. Seems like a good way to keep the IF in action, even if that action will be a bit diminished.


Of course, I couldn't let something as simple as swapping wheels be an easy task. I'm pretty sure I have the least amount of hand strength of any grown man in Nebraska, as I took about 15 minutes to remove tire and tube from one wheel so I could move it to another. It was a sad state of affairs and only reinforced why Johnny has commented that the only tool I should be handling in a shop is a rag.

Email Down

We've discovered that our recent site changes have somehow broken the info@waraxebicycles.com email address. Until we can get that sorted out, please feel free to email endurosnob@hotmail.com.

Thanks to all.

Friday, June 10, 2011

iOS Developer? We Need You

The good people at Silicon Prairie News helped us out by posting the following. Seems a bit silly not to post it here as well.

War Axe is currently looking for an iOS developer to assist with three utilities. Each application is geared toward simplifying a common challenge encountered by cyclists. If you are an entry level iOS developer that wants to build your experience and portfolio or an experience developer with a love of the sport and time for a side project, this may be right up your alley.

Please visit us at waraxebicycles.com to see more about our company. Have an interest? Please send resumes and questions to info@waraxebicycles.com.

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Deer Play Dead?

If you ride enough, you tend to end up with a variety of deer stories. They are just that prevalent. However, today's event caught me a bit off guard.

I was riding at a pretty firm tempo through Wilderness East of 14th Street, when I rounded a turn and found myself next to a mother deer and her two fawns. They bolted, I coasted but I had ended up mere feet from one of the fawns and was nearly overtaking it despite backing off the pedals. It took two more scrambled, gangly strides, then dropped directly on to the single track and froze.

I stopped a couple of feet behind it somewhat amazed by what had happened, then said, "It's alright little guy," in a soft voice. (You know, the 'I won't hurt you' voice from after school television.) He just sat there with his long legs akimbo under him, looking a lot like a giant brown spider with white polka dots.

After another beat or two, he hopped up and bounced into the woods. It occurred to me then that perhaps I should have gotten his picture, but it seemed like that was more than enough for the little guy. No photos, please.

Deer play dead. I had no idea.




Monday, June 06, 2011

New Website Launched

Did you come directly to the blog? Restart with a visit here:


Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Time Lines and Napkins

Lately my life is ruled by timelines and, to a lesser extent, napkins.

For those of you that may have missed the memo, I walked away from my corporate job at the end of March with designs on moving War Axe forward into a company which provides a livelihood for a small number of people yet holds on to the spirit of what we started years ago.

Since then (and prior) I've drawn on a lot of napkins. All the BookFace check-ins at coffee shops aren't simply an addiction gone bad, but have truly served as a time to get things done. Like a hoarder, I kept those napkins as I worked and, with a bit of "editing for television," you'll end up seeing some yourself when our new website launches within the next two weeks.

"Two weeks." That remains the other portion of this doom-struck craziness; putting a time to everything and trying to hit it. Those coffee shop trips usually include my iPhone and leather folder. That folder contains checklists and sub-checklists, which usually relate to Google docs saved online so Sam can see what I am up to and pause, cheer or flip out as needed.

Near the end of last week I was out for a ride and it hit me, "This shit is really going to happen." It would be overstatement to say I freaked out, but I know I did stop pedaling. A lot of those checklists have checks sitting by each line and well, I keep getting busier without really even trying. With that in mind, here's a quick peek at where things stand. (At least the items I am comfortable enough to share.)

The Fascist Killer 29inch mountain bike is due back from Spectrum in roughly a month. Parts for it our sitting with our friends Nate and Eric at Monkey Wrench, waiting patiently, at least more patiently than I am. It's going to come back with what I like to thing of as the "Team" War Axe paint scheme which we created in collaboration with Chad Hawthorne and the Hoss Creative.

Our second frame and fork is currently in the hands of our friend Erik Rolf at Alliance Bicycles for prototyping while the third and final frame in our preliminary line is already designed and ready to be put into process.

When those three are dialed and we've picked our jaws up off the floor, we're going to throw a party. Don't worry... You're invited. Lincoln has been great to us. The War Eagle is well-represented any time I'm around a gathering of cyclists and we want to say thanks. Plus, it only seems proper to show Lincoln the line first.

Keep in touch, but don't be surprised if it takes us a while to reply.




Monday, May 16, 2011

Infectious

In a perfect world, this post would have been a return to my overly long race reports, filled with details of Syllamo's Revenge and how I was pleasantly surprised with my form and the result that followed. Obviously, this isn't that report. Considering I spent a good majority of last week coughing up wet concrete when I inhaled deeply, the prudent but frustrating call was to DNS. My breathing has begun to sound much less like the Predator everyday and the base miles have continued to stack, so my hope is to look back and see a short-term disappointment but a long-term gain.


In the meantime, this thing called War Axe is moving forward and morphing daily, sometimes hourly (like this morning). So while the false starts of the past have us playing the details somewhat close to the vest, the optimism and excitement is more than palatable. For those of you who'd like to receive word on events in the world of War Axe, send an email to info@waraxebicycles.com. We've begun the War Axe Insider newsletter for spreading the word. Feel free to sign on for updates.



Of course, you'll likely see some more frequent posting here as well. Blogs are dead? Maybe, unless you want to use more than 140 characters, in which case, maybe they're just keeping it on the down low until they've got something real to say.

Mohican 100 is next up on the calendar. I need to head out for some added base miles.

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

and this

is the bike that will be back-handing Skip at your local 100 miler this summer