Were you pedoling to the NAMBLA epic ride?

Left by wch759 on June 04, 2009

ok, fetish fest is called off...

Left by wesley124 on June 04, 2009

I saw that Track on Crankfire and that's what got me excited. I set up a NEMBA epic ride there a few years back but due to technical difficulties was only able to do 13 miles of it. I needs to get back to that place. Yeah, I am getting better - it certainly helps to have better equipment. Let's do this! Can we swim at the lake? I bet you guys can't wait to see me in a swim suit ;-)

Left by Dirt_Dad on June 04, 2009

Dirtdad I like your attitude... and (I may regret this...) I think you'll actually fair pretty well since you ride all the time now. We cut a 3 mile route from Clem's house on the lake in East Hampton directly to the blue trail which is a highway to the Mesh. Adam post a damn GPS map of this please with arrows and details and stuff.

Left by Eric on June 04, 2009

Wes ... that was exactly the effect I was shooting for. As far as Fetish Fest goes, seeing that the Roth Brothers tend to be namby-pamby on where to host this thing, I would recommend an all day tour at Meshomasic State Forest. Get out early, return late afternoon. Have a few bombers and then return to the different points in which we came from. A good 20 mile pedal. Of course the offer still stands to pick anyone up from NYC at the New Haven Trail Station. C'mon boys, throw out some dates!

Left by Dirt_Dad on June 04, 2009

Haha, thought you were going to finish this sentence "not only did I have a bike with the best tits but I found a home in which I could share" my tits. You said it more eloquently though. you got me with the joke too, i was like where the fuck is he going with this and had no idea the punchline was coming - making it funnier.

Left by wesley124 on June 03, 2009

It all started for me almost three years ago. I just started drinking the Kewl Aid and I was feeling bullet proof after assembling a bike for the first time. In my kewl aid induced euphoria and massive amounts of bike porn I new that I wanted a 69er. Rosy Palma was getting droll and I needed just the right geometry, that after a couple of months of research, a buddy of mine suggested that I checked out the Mountain Rumble, Fetish Fixation, and a few other frames. The thought processes that went into making this important decision reminds me of a story: A man wanted to get married. He was having trouble choosing among three likely candidates. He gives each woman a present of $5,000 and watches to see what they do with the money. The first does a total makeover. She goes to a fancy beauty salon, gets her hair done, new makeup; buys several new outfits and dresses up very nicely for the man. She tells him that she has done this to be more attractive for him because she loves him so much. The man was impressed. The second goes shopping to buy the man gifts. She gets him a new set of golf clubs, some new gizmos for his computer, and some expensive clothes. As she presents these gifts, she tells him that she has spent all the money on him because she loves him so much. Again, the man is impressed. The third invests the money in the stock market. She earns several times the $5,000. She gives him back his $5,000 and reinvests the remainder in a joint account. She tells him that she wants to save for their future because she loves him so much. Obviously, the man was impressed. The man thought for a long time about what each woman had done with the money he'd given her. Then he married the one with the biggest tits. Price was certainly a major consideration and all the bikes that I looked at had the geometry I needed but the deciding factor was the name of bike and association with mountain biking in which someone would possess such a frame. So, I surfed on over to Ebay and there she was. Then, the internet whore that I am, I found Ride Fetish.com and knew not only did I have a bike with the best tits but I found a home in which I could share my feelings and express myself openly amongst other riders that would understand me.

Left by Dirt_Dad on June 03, 2009

It all started on one night. With one girl. In 2004.

I rode my 1998 Raleigh M80 over to her place. By this time, I had completely rebuilt the bike with XT parts, Manitou SX R fork, and the classic green Continentals. Being that this was just a dinner party, I left my bike unlocked on the porch. It was right next to the dining room. I wasn't too worried.

Unfortunately for the bike, I didn't leave that night. Instead, it was the beginning of a year-long relationship. So, about 3am, laying in bed next to a blond, athletic equestrian (strong legs!), naturally not asleep, I hear some loud noises and screeching tires. I think nothing of it at the time (I was a bit busy), but later realize it was likely the bike thieves themselves, in the act of changing my life forever!

Luckily, my father's homeowner's insurance covered me for renter's insurance, which covered my bikes. So, two months and $900 later (thank you insurance co!), I end up with a 2004 M80 (Weatherbug). It was never the same, though. The deterioration of the M80 model over the years combined with the upgrades I had done on my old M80 meant I could never be satisfied with the new one...

So, in the summer of 2004, I was canvassing for NYPIRG. Wandering around the suburbs of Syracuse, asking rich, white people for money. Fun. At least it was only a filler job before I went to California to be a mountain bike guide in the Tahoe National Forest for the summer. But, with the M80? I just couldn't.

So, there was a knock, and a smile. A pastor answered the door. He saw my clipboard and shook his head with a sad smile. "No money from me, son." Well, ok. Not gonna argue with a pastor. But, instead of turning away, he proceeded to get my entire life story, while attempting to convert me (good luck, buddy!). The canvasser has been canvassed.

In any case, during the course of the conversation, he learns of my pending trip to Cali. "My son used to race mountain bikes." It turns out that he had had a bad accident and couldn't ride anymore. So, his race bike was sitting in his father's garage gathering dust. $400. "Sure, let's take a look." I wasn't optimistic. I should have been. Because waiting for me was a pristine 1997 S-Works M2 in bright orange. So it's too big for you. It's an S-Works. Suck it up.

I went to California with my orange beast. It was a great summer. We couldn't be separated. I crashed, I had an affair, I made money, I spent money. But, she was there all along. She brought me out of my mountain biking shell. She de-virginized me. I actually got skills. I returned to the East Coast a different biker.

But, I had determined she was in fact, too big for me. So, I went on the prowl. The company I worked for in Cali had an account with KHS. I was tempted by the Alite 4000 Team. It was light. It was pretty. It was only $300.

Then there was eBay. I found the D&S. It was light. It was pretty. It was only $250. And, it was rare and badass. She started as Sally. She has become Spare Tire. She's still in my life, but she's more like the substitute teacher. Only there when you need her.

Left by mindless on June 03, 2009

Anyway... my answer to the question: I was looking for a cheap hardtail and I'll be damned.. I found the cheapest hardtail of all time.

Left by Eric on June 03, 2009

Jesus, Mary and Joseph andy I didn't need your whole life story! I just bought a new LCD screen that it almost wasn't big enough to fit your entire memoir.

Left by Eric on June 03, 2009

"I am curious as to what came first: the chicken (Ebay), or the egg (Fetish Cycles website)" Well put. We were discussing this over some bitch beers (Michelob, Mike's Hard Lite) in the parking lot after our road ride. Your position was a really nice bike. That was also discussed.

Left by Adam on June 02, 2009

Hello all. Good to be back after a very long hiatus. A quick update after my early spring one: I am still enjoying my stint working for the government with the US Environmental Protection Agency based in Chicago. Now that I've become acclimated to my position, the rumors that the government runs itself like a poorly oiled machine does have some truth. However, I like to think that my section does a fairly decent job of getting rules out the door in a timely manner. Congrats to Wesley on the move to CT! I know nothing about the temperature requirements for koi ponds, but I hope that you are able to build(?) one at your new digs. And Douglas, congrats to you and yours for the beautiful addition to your family. I surmise that you'll have many years of riding to do with her. Eric, you'll be sad to know that I'm no longer "collecting" bikes - my quiver has been trimmed down to the cyclocross bike and the Rocky Mountain road bike. I purchased a 2006 Buell Blast last month as my quarter life crisis. It first started with a new lease signing for an apartment that has about 1/2 the space we have now. Since I had to trim a road bike and pay for a parking spot so Jennifer could put her Dodge Avenger in it, I thought, "why not learn how to ride a motorcycle and park it in the same spot?" Signed up for the course, passed it, did fine on my exam, and a day later got a motorcycle. On the grand scheme of things, it's sort of like the Gary Fisher Wingra of motorcycles: entry level, bulletproof, not the fastest, not the lightest, and very few frills. Price out the door including all taxes, fees, and registration/title was right around 3K on the dot. Without going into too much detail, it's safe to say that many of us have spent that or more on a bicycle. :o) The question of finding Fetish Cycles is a good one. While reading Douglas' response, I am curious as to what came first: the chicken (Ebay), or the egg (Fetish Cycles website). I think I had the exact opposite experience from Douglas. I was looking for a track/fixie frame and went on Ebay, and after Googling Fetish Cycles got hooked up with their website. At the time, the black "Position" was the track bike. I think I ended up paying around 25% of the list price for a slightly blemished frame from Ryan. It was on their site that I saw a link to the Ridefetish.com domain, and the rest, as they say - is history. I was still relatively new to the cycling world when I got the Position, and knew that I didn't want to spend a whole lot at the get-go, but still wanted the ability to upgrade as time went along. The Position, as most of us know, was a very good frame to do that with, as was the Inizio. Speaking of the Inizio turned single speed that I sold on Ebay last winter to the kid who didn't know what a presta valve was, what the "blue things were" on the pedals (crank brothers springs), etc. etc. etc....he got the bike stolen from him at a train station because, get this, he only locked up the front wheel and then threw a cable around the rest of the bike. What a doofus. I'm not saying I'm happy he got it stolen, I'm saying that the particular instance in which he got it stolen is not unwarranted. Anyway, like Douglas said, this is the first and only site where I've met people online and then in person. Part of that was due to the fact that Adam was still in Chicago and we met up a few times, and then I met Eric through Adam. I second a Fetish Fest sometime this summer or fall. I'd probably take the motorcycle out to CT and just borrow a beater/hang out/hold the fort. Talk to you all later.

Left by wch759 on June 02, 2009

I'd much rather be hanging out, drinking, and talking than replying here. We'll have to plan for some time after the 'fest for beer and whatnot... I really don't remember how I found fetish... but I was looking for a track bike at the time to try out Kissena and Trexlertown. I searched for a while, and somehow found the position. Pretty sure I found the fetish site first, then went to ebay for a better price... Then found this site while I was building it up. You guys were having a blog contest, and I joined the site and posted my "nightmare" story (just a little too late for the contest though...). This was the first place I've met people online, then actually went on to really meet them (by them I mean you guys...whatever...). I'm getting a beer now... what are you guys drinking?

Left by Douglas on June 02, 2009