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

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.

The Parabellum in Photos

Nate Woodman: 8 Seconds of Butter

It's just that easy...

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 |||

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.

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.

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

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.

Teaser Tuesday

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

Specs:  420 Axle to Crown, 47mm offset

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.

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.

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

Location: Crescent Moon Coffee

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.

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

Inking Skills

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.

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.

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!

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.

Gravel Between Your Toes

Gravel Worlds 2011 from nocoastfilms on Vimeo.

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.