Brazen Cycleworks

I woke up grateful. 1 week ago, I set a goal to eclipse my previous fundraising efforts for the Marine League Charities. I believe in their mission deeply, so I wanted to do something big this year. My sponsors raised $1885 as of this morning. Just $115 away from doubling my goal. I am feeling humbled and inspired by the generosity that poured out of Friends and Family. The 65 miles of dirt and mud will seem easy at this point. If you wanted to donate and haven't yet, the link still available all weekend. Peace, Love and Dirt, -Eric

This is day one of my seven day push to saturate news feeds and social networks to get the word out about the efforts to spread hope in Northern Arizona. I wanted to let you know that it is  that time of year again for my annual Northern Arizona Toys for Tots  Charity Mountain Bike Ride.  I will be riding on historic stagecoach trails across the forest and high desert off for 65 miles  from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon on Saturday, August 5th, on my  cross bike to raise charitable contributions that  bring hope to children and wounded soldiers in Arizona. Last year, the majority of the yearly funding in a single weekend event for Marine League Charities  (benefiting children of Northern Arizona and members of the U.S. Armed  Forces). This 20th year of the event we want to break our funding records.  All  donations are tax deductible and go straight to the charities, as  event operating expenses are covered by corporate sponsors...

Yesterday was the final day for the 2015 Tour de France, the remaining riders crossed the finish line  in Paris and enjoyed well deserved champagne and respect from cyclists and cycling fans throughout the world.  I too finished my tour de france yesterday, no not the professional race but a satisfying day on my bike that left me with a wide smile. I have been enjoying those satisfying days on the bike for more than 40 years, and riding in July always allows my mind to wander to the greatest race as I glide across the road with only my spinning gears and wind in my face.  It has been that way since I had my 5th birthday party and removing my training wheels was the present that I remember vividly.  Freedom and flow wrapped in a fantastic machine, just waiting to be unleashed. Many birthdays passed and bikes came and went, but it wasn't until I was about 13, that a real change happened. My classmate, Carrie Andrew and her mom Sharon who had cousins/ suffering thro...

LinkedTogether#334296874H43FG This is my attempt to reach out further to cyclists that I sell to.  This is a random code I created that you can Google and get my email address quickly and easily.  I am happy to talk on the phone with potential buyers, just send me your number.  Normally, I respond so quickly I catch people off guard. Cheers, Brazen_Cycle_Works Eric Brandt

Recently I purchased a new mountain bike for 2 reasons.  One, the frame design was old school and evoked a feeling of nostalgia, that I don't often feel. Two, the frame had split stays which would allow the bike to be easily converted to Belt Drive. The bike is a 2011 Trek- Gary Fisher Sawyer and had some of the worst paint I have seen on a MTB.  The paint was a non-descript sad grey and although the bike had seen no dirt, just shop wear, and hanging the bike on bike racks had taken a toll. Step one was to add a real durable finish and 1 Off Powdercoating came to the rescue.  Dale did his typical excellent job, even though with all the curved tubes and strange shapes.  I selected Grabber Orange, which is closer to Yellow than Orange.  The color reminded me of my first bike which also had curved top tubes and it also reminded me of a original 1970s Honda ATV that used the same color. Unfortunately, selection of the belt drive components wasn't as smooth....

My 2013 Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon Fat Tire Bike ride will be dedicated to the memory of Hal Jensen . Hal was the retired Marine that always was selflessly looking out for others. Hal passed last year on October 6th but his passion, enthusiasm and never give up attitude will be carried by those of us who met him. Undoubtedly, his impact has been and will continue to be felt by those he has helped. Hal you were a great example of a life well lived. Oorah! A special thanks goes out to all my supporters, $452 we raised on first day, with current total at $552. Keeping the wheels turning! My ride from 2010.

I just watched this video today, but his photos and his bikes left me in awe. True Beauty.

Specialized Stumpjumper Year 2 1983 1984 Vintage 30 years of MTB History 17" 100% of sale is going to the Marine League Charities, current asking price is $800 This is a farm Fresh Pick that I did a rolling restoration on. The bike is also available for ebay sale and I expect to exceed my $500 goal but prefer to sell it off ebay. Non original components include Tires, Freewheel, Chain, Bottom Bracket, Rear Derailleur, Thumb shifters, Grips. New components include Grips, Seat, Freewheel and Chain. The bike is in riding condition as it sits today. Here are the historical specs from MOMBAT on this bike. http://mombat.org/Specialized_Specs.htm Original Components are in ALL CAPS. Year, Model, Frame, Fork, Headset, Rear Derailleur, Front Derailleur, Hubs, Rims, Tires, Brakes, Brake Levers, Crank, Pedals, Shifter, Bars, Freewheel, Stem, Color 1983, Stumpjumper, TANGE CRO-MO, DB CRO-MO, Channel Seal, Suntour Mountech, SUNTOUR MOUNTECH, SPECIALIZED SEALED, ARAYA 7X, Stumpjump...

Hey Eric are you the same Brazen_Cycle_Works on eBay? I do get this question a lot, and yes I buy and sell on eBay under that user name.  I used to sell much more on ebay, but the fees between Paypal and eBay have gone out of control.  It is difficult to pass on really great deals when ebay takes such a generous cut for themselves.  I have turned to Craigslist > Phoenix> East Valley to sell which has been nice, but I rarely list items for sale on my blog. If you see an item I am selling I can make you a very competitive offer, so feel free to email me directly , with your phone number and how I can help.  Spammers and scammers don't do this so I will know you are serious. I would be happy to give you a prompt call. Item number: 280882623955

I was minding my own business today at lunch when I stumbled into a FREE STUFF Craigslist ad that read.  Old bikes kids & adults .  I looked at the pictures and recognized a early Specialized Stumpjumper and Schwinn Sierra.  These are normally snapped up instantly but I emailed first to let the seller know the bike was valuable.  Then, I thought maybe she just wanted the bikes gone, so I emailed again that I would pickup the bikes in 15 minutes and bring her $20.  My phone rang 10 minutes later.  I explained that the bike she had was valuable and I fix and restore bikes and would be willing to fix and sell the bike and we could split the proceeds.  She declined but was interested in the 20 bucks.  15 minutes later I was the new owner of a 83/84 Specialized Stumpjumper.  The bike wasn't perfect or completely original, but pretty close. Non original components include Tires, Freewheel, Chain, Rear Derailleur, Thumb shifters, Grips....

On the eve of the Olympics, Nike is pouring its support behind ordinary athletes in its Greatness Everywhere campaign. I just saw it this morning as the first featured video on Youtube home page and it is pretty cool, with a nice message. Even cooler I am featured at 0:39, I swam all morning under the London Bridge as an extra for the triathlon shot for 1 sec of imagery that was used. It was a neat experience as I am a Huge Olympics fan. Check out the video here.

Today will be an epic fight for tour pride on the cobbles around the monuments in Paris. Today I took a ride of my own around Amboise, it was fun to see villages on a quiet Sunday and have most of the roads to myself. However I haven't ridden a woman's grocery getter since college, but it worked well if I exclude the rear brake.

Today we travelled past Macon to jump in front of the tour as it headed south. It was just 45 minutes into the day and the break was just getting established. Sagan was drilling it through the village we were watching from. Sagan dragged Oss with him and the chase was on with another 20 or so. It seemed like less than a minute for each of the three groups to pass, but without timing it you would never know. The excitement was fun, and you could feel the energy of the peleton breeze by. Below is the series of photos of the three groups in reverse order. See who you can recognize. I saw Wiggo, Cav, Griepel and more...

It get nuts about and hour before the riders arrive. The vehicles defy description so I included a slideshow to show off the energy of madness in the tour. Youtube link to follow.

I admire and respect the advice that Lennard Zinn delivers. Reach and Stack are the key industry words that you need to know. For those of you wanting to setup multiple bikes the same way, here is the guide you need .

Will this season be Jens Voigt's last?  I have to say I enjoyed his famous quote about what his internal dialogue is like when racing for the win in a ridiculous break. I just found out he has 6 kids, damn this guy can do it all! Mad props brother! Is it just me or did Levi's early season crash leave him with a rather large growth on his back? Do TJ's friends call him Tijuana as a nickname?  If I was I would.

I am in love and totally obessed with STRAVA.  I find that goal oriented riding is driving up my intensity even on short rides and really improving my leg speed and power.  It isn't often I get to ride with friends, so having a social component ia fun way to stay connected and encourage others. The next step for me is probably a Garmin 500, my current Iphone is a 3GS and it can only handle rides that are 2.5 hours.  I am a bit surprised by my STRAVA obsession as I have never even had a computer or power meter installed on my 2008 BH Connect.  If you are interested in picking up a screaming deal on a 2010 BH CONNECT, do not wait.  Use the image below and email me pronto.  They are new and I have a very limited supply(54cm, 58cm, 59.5cm) I can't say enough about mine, but don't take my word for it.   It is comfortable, predictable, efficient, handles like a performance car and light enough to be built into a UCI illegal configuration.  ...

I migrated slowly in 2011 from 23c tires, to the Continental Gran Prix 24c tires and loved them.  The comfort and confidence on rough pavement made them a great choice for El Tour de Tucson.  When it was time to replace them I wondered if even wider would be better.  Michelin Pro Race 3 in 25c went on and I haven't been happier.  I used them in Tour de Mesa and had a great result.  I was descending on Shea at a very high rate of speed when the guy in front of me lead me into a big pot hole.  The impact was violent, and I even sat up momentarily thinking double flats might be possible.  But NOTHING!  Now it looks like the Pros are getting the word too. 

This ride circumnavigates the San Tan Mountains.  The effort required is not reflected in the mileage.  It was the best I ride I could find to make a Gilbert version of the Tour of Flanders.  It has 4 miles of dirt "road" riding [bring your 25 tires or bigger] which includes 2 gate crossings, 3 deep sand washes, one pissed off Pitbull, a nice sector of 50s era asphalt pave, and no place to refill your water bottles.   Starts and finishes at Focus Cyclery and would probably exactly 50 miles if you take safer roads.  Hands: Numb, Feet: Asleep, Butt: Unhappy, Smile: Unrestrained.

I always meant this blog to capture the personal history I have had with cycling.  Part of that history are the bikes I have ridden. In order from Present to Past here is my list. BH Connect, Club Fuji, Fetish Penna, Serotta Nova, Parkpre Ultralight Prestige Fixed Gear, Specialized Allez Sport in Aluminum, Trek 2000, Specialized Allez in Steel, Nishiki Prestige Now I have to come up with a decent timeline and try my MTB list.