Posted by PeterD
Mon, 19 Jun 2006 13:45:00 GMT
This Wednesday is the summer solstice – the longest day of the year. Turns out that it is not the day with the earliest sunrise (that is a few days before the summer solstice, when dawn strikes a minute or two earlier). Nor is it the day with the latest sunset (which is a few days later, and also a few minutes later than what we will see on Wednesday).
But no matter the exact date – this week gives us long daylight hours for riding without lights. So try to get out and celebrate by doing an evening ride.
We have been keeping beer from Devil’s Canyon Brewing on tap for a while now. Those who have tried it will agree that it is good stuff (Ok, after a long ride, most any beer will taste good – but this beer is good all the time).
They have beer tastings on the last Friday of every month (June 30th for this month) which are open to the public. Starts at 5 (and seems to go late), with live bands and such. Click here to get directions to the brewery.
Maybe this would be a good place to stop after a ride at Waterdog…
Posted in Passion
Posted by PeterD
Fri, 09 Jun 2006 00:01:00 GMT
Just some misc ramblings for this week on MTBR socks, ROMP/NorCAMBA clothing, SF’s Tour de Fat, and the 8 Hour’s of Lake Sonoma Race…
Read more...
Posted in Shop, Passion, People
Posted by PeterD
Mon, 15 May 2006 22:54:00 GMT
There was a ROMP picnic at a local park last weekend, and Passion helped out by providing beer, EANABs, charcoal, etc. to help out. Started off with a ride at Waterdog, and finished with great company, food, and fun.
ROMP did a write up on this, which you can see here.
In the article, they mention about a wooden jump. Click on the picture to download a short video clip (1.3 MB QuickTime format file) of that wooden jump being used.
ps – do you know what an “EANAB” is? I didn’t until I Googled it. Seems to be a Stanford term.
Posted in Passion | Tags picnic, ROMP
Posted by Charles
Fri, 03 Feb 2006 06:27:00 GMT
The reason for the party, because someone said we need to have a reason, was Passion’s official Lougewarming. Not like at a housewarming, where you would expect the place to be ready for display, because it wasn’t, but just to give the place a little physical and emotional warmth. It also served the secondary purpose of providing an inlet for things we needed around here, and specifically in the Lounge. The main reason for having a Lounge is to have a place here for all the Passion passionate to hang out, before or after a ride, while waiting for a repair, or for some after hours play. The Lounge is big, bigger than my kitchen at home. We got a keg plumbed into the fridge, and planted a commercial espresso machine next to that, and bought and scrounged a bunch of the standard comfort items like a microwave, toaster oven, and the rest of the stuff we planned on and put into Passion’s build out budget. We even pointed a wireless router at it so your significant other would have something to do while you shopped. What we lacked were the things I failed to put into the budget. Like dishes. Cups, mugs, and glasses. Utensils for a crowd. Throw pillows and chairs for a crowd.
Read more...
Posted in Passion
Posted by Charles
Wed, 25 Jan 2006 07:56:00 GMT
Passion’s lounge just got another installation. Meet Ethyl the Caffeinator.
She has been warming the shop and cyclists for a few days now, snuggled up between the kitchen sink and the, uh, Kegerator tap. And that’s about a pound of Peet’s Italian Roast, just sittin there. Launching your next Waterdog ride from Passion will now give you the chance for both pre and post ride hydration therapy. See you soon.
Posted in Passion
Posted by Charles
Wed, 04 Jan 2006 05:56:00 GMT
Hosing your bike off washes grease out of places that are hard to get lube back into, like cable housings, suspension pivots, QR skewers and headsets. It can also wash fine dirt particulate into places it might not normally get, like chain and derailer pivots and pedal spindles. Pretty soon your bike starts talking to you, a little squeak here, a creek there, and it starts taking progressively more effort to shift it, close the QR skewers, get into your pedals, and so on. I sell a lot of drive train parts to hosers. This isn’t what you have to do everytime, but it is what I do when I want to do a really nice job, and I have done it so many times it doesn’t take very long, or very much effort. Any cleaning at all, if done properly, will improve your bikes appearance and performance, and help reduce long term maintenance costs.
Read more...
Posted in Passion
Posted by Charles
Sun, 25 Dec 2005 21:26:00 GMT
Passion’s Lounge is nearly completed, and we cited this occasion to throw a party at the shop, the first Passion Loungewarming. The real reasons however, other than obvious subliminal marketing intentions, were to mark my 40th and Berry’s 57th birthdays, as well as celebrate the Winter Solstice. December 21 was the shortest day of the year, in other words, the day when we have the least daylight. On the Solstice the earth’s axial tilt leans Belmont as far away from the rising and setting sun as it will be this year, and we now begin our tilt back toward the sun and warmer weather. The ground is still cool, as is almost everything else, and the coldest days of Winter are still ahead of us, but in a fine Pagan tradition, I will celebrate a little every morning knowing the Summer is coming.
Read more...
Posted in Passion
Posted by Charles
Mon, 05 Dec 2005 07:34:00 GMT
I wouldn’t be one to know if they are the two most important rules, but they’re the first two I learned. I told Dave that Scott and I were on our way to Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont last Tuesday night for a little Urban expedition, and asked his advice. He replied “Start high up and work your way down, and keep moving so you’re less likely to get chased out”. When I relayed this to Scott, he said that wasn’t just a Notre Dame thing, but pretty much how it works best for every Urban ride.
Read more...
Posted in Passion
Posted by Charles
Fri, 07 Oct 2005 06:02:00 GMT
The Passion Loungewarming will be Saturday, December 17, 2005. Come and help Charles celebrate his 40th birthday. It’s a biggie for Charles, in many ways, with his new shop, new gray hairs, and new debt. He’s also used up all his fingers and toes counting the years, twice now.
Berry’s stoking along this tandem ride with a career change that’s keeping a big smile on his face. It’s shaping up to be a great year for them both. Let’s celebrate!
Passion Trail Bikes is hosting this great evening, with the kegerator fully tapped, and pizzeria fresh eatin’s, and a video or two for the silver screen. This lounge-warming event needs your wonderful self to make the place a hoppy great venue for hanging out after a ride!
If you are feeling inclined to bring a lounge-warming item to leave behind, you have an opportunity to give Passion’s lounge your personal touch! Our lounge is for our customer’s
comfort, convenience, and relaxation. It features a kegerator, microwave,
convection oven, and big-screen projector with DVD player, and a
futon/loveseat. We don’t really have much other comfy seating, so we are
looking for bean bags, big throw pillows, yoga pads, camp chairs and other
stuff comfortable for watching DVDs and drinking a pint o’ suds. We’re
planning to store the extra seating upstairs above the lounge between
events, so lightweight, storable, liftable stuff is great.
Also, we still have a bunch of empty cupboards needing things like plates,
bowls, serving dishes, serving utensils, bottle openers, silverware, knives,
mugs, glasses, etc. A blender if you like your margaritas frozen, a BBQ if
you want a bratworst with your doppelbock. The projector has arrived, but we could still use a screen, either roll up or fixed.
Anyway, none of this stuff is truly a NEED, but we thought it would be fun
if you have stuff in the garage you were thinking of taking to goodwill or
selling at a garage sale, to bring it by and leave a bit of yourself here to
give the place some character. Please, DON’T go out and buy gifts for the
party!
Posted in Passion
Posted by Charles
Sat, 07 May 2005 14:00:00 GMT
A small group of ROMP volunteers kicked off the 2005 volunteer trail work season with the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District in El Corte de Madera Open Space Preserve. On May 7, Craig Beckman, the District’s Construction and Maintenance Supervisor met volunteers Paul Nam, Joan Murakami, Josh Moore, Julie Norton, and Charles Jalgunas. Our optimistic goal for the day was to complete the construction of the new Crossover Trail alignment that runs between the Timberview and Gordon Mill fire roads.
Read more...
Posted in Passion
