Transition TransAM 26" in all its proper glory...

ONE bike??? I have to narrow it down to ONE FRIGGIN BIKE!!! But how? I ride a lot of different stuff, and it's just a must that I have 17 different bikes in my garage/ house to maintain...

Enter the BAMF of one-bike collections for a wannabe freeriding damaged dirt jumper with a multiple concussion downhill career. Blah Blah Blah, 29er this, full squish that, all mountain vs trail vs XC vs dj. Hold my beer and watch THIS!

so fresh and clean...

I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed with all the mags and Interwebs telling me I needed a different bike for every single ride. I was bouncing back from some ridiculous injuries that had kept me down for far too long, and I just couldn't wait to put rubber to ground. Problem is, what bike do you get for everything from the pump track you built to gravel roads to the trails you'll sneak out to when you get the chance? What gearing and components? What suspension? And what about the fact that all your money has gone to the insurance company, hospital, anesthesia, etc?

From house to beer in 9 minutes

Simple answer: find the most versatile geometry hardtail you can wheelie, and sacrifice the build from the dirt jumper you can't ride worth a crap. You don't look cool in girl jeans, you're almost 200 lbs, and your hair is too short/ receding anyways. Having been a fanboy of Transition since the first trail-or-park pics, you should reach out to them and see about that TransAM. It looks cool and the numbers say it'll feel right. Just so happens the white frame looks GREAT with my red and black build. Gearing you say? Nah, let's singlespeed it for a while.

Since then, I've logged I don't know how many miles on her... and she's lived a very diverse life throughout that time. Road rides, pump track laps, gravel grinders, urban, trail, and even commuter miles have accumulated. And they all lead to one conclusion: I love this bike. She's been geared, singlespeeded, and had every kind of tire you can imagine. She even wore a geeky seatbag and headlight for a while!

Why do I like the Tranny so much?

-Look at her! Ano red, white, black, and good geometry... she looks SOOO good! You know you're gonna have a good ride when you catch yourself smiling before you even take her off the rack. Style, my friend... you gotta look good to feel good.

-Riding is very nice. Such predictable and natural feeling geometry. She's laid back just enough to roll over/ through a lot of stuff that would twist up an XC bike, and she never feels twitchy. You can run the seat high and pedal all day, or drop it low and do all kinds of strange stuff normally reserved for a DJ/ park bike. Add to that option the fact that she'll clear a full on DH tire, and you've got yourself a whole bag of options. And who doesn't like options?

-I like to wheelie. Full on sit back, pedal/ brake white trash wheelies for blocks at a time. So much so that there's significantly more wear on my back tire than front. That said, the TransAM might be the easiest to wheelie bike in EVERY build that I've ever had. I love it. She also jumps well for being a larger frame!

-Efficiency and gram-shaving aren't my thing. I've always used heavier builds, and I've never been in good enough shape for it to matter much. However, I've traveled with this bike and ridden many pedally trails without any fuss. It never feels like a pig, she just does whatever I ask. During her commuter days, a set of hookworms and some higher gearing got me all over town, never hesitating to throw a wheely or bounce up/ off or over anything that needed to be bounced.

pure white trash.

I feel especially confident on board the TransAM, and every time I change the tires or drivetrain, it's just like getting a new bike that I can automatically ride with ease. Luckily, my stable is full at the present moment, and I'm very glad of it. However, I look forward to the occasional hardtail trail ride or urban session. If I'm ever forced down to one bike again (God forbid) I know exactly which one will stay off the chopping block! Best all around ride I've ever had, and she looks good too! Now let's go ride!

Full commuter garb. Looks nerdy until I get RAD on it!

My buddy liked it so much... he got one too!

The new Studio!!!

    

      I knew 2013 would be a big year, whether I wanted it to or not! After being sidelined most of 2012 with a few surgeries and recoveries, I felt behind and ready to catch up! As a very goal-oriented person, I decided to re-paint the big picture of my life, and the biggest way I wanted to do so was a new environment for myself and my pack. It was time to set up shop and let some roots grow, right here in North Texas! 

     I'm not very picky about my living space, but there are some strict requirements when it comes to my work space and the mutts. We are a force to be reckoned with! Worrying about losing my beloved studio and armed with a strange list of desires, I set out to find a home that would suffice in the area that I wanted to be in. Location is key, as one of my big goals is to ride my bicycle so much that the battery on my truck dies. This means I have to be VERY picky in what no one would call a "bicycle-friendly" town. I needed to be close (pedaling distance) to some food, entertainment, and friends. Also, I need some serious space. I grew accustomed to the compound, a 20,000 square foot facility attached to 52 acres of nearly lawless land, very quickly and was not too keen on leaving. With the way I am, the way my wife is, and our ridiculous pack of animals, I didn't have much faith in finding anything that would work. 

     With my Real Estate Broker license and keys in hand, I set out all over the areas I was interested in to learn some more. What I found has worked so well that I have trouble looking back on anything from the past! Without going into too much detail (I'm still old school about posting too much online), here's the breakdown: Steazy '70's split level with an enclosed garage turned game room, with an additional 2 car garage in a pocket neighborhood that has one of the best parks in town as the backyard. Add a 7' tall fence, some signature styling via my wife and I, and about three months worth of daily Lowe's trips later, she's coming to life! My favorite rooms- the garage and studio (ex-game room) or what I've referred to as my "Dojo" have seen the bulk of my skill-less, profanity intensive craftsmanship as I faced the learning curve of home remodeling. But I've kept pushing, and it looks great! Enough blabbering for now, check out some pics and the time lapse video from taking the studio from mild to wild!

When in doubt, throttle out!

"When in doubt, throttle out." - The internal dialogue/ mantra of any off road racer aboard a two stroke. For the most part, this works well as a blanket reaction to anything mid-race. However, it must be coupled with the reality that "it's all good till it ain't." That said, new beginnings offer the opportunity to choose between this wide-open, all-she's-got type attitude and the far more safe path of scripted reality (i.e. grow up, consume, die).

Welcome to 2013... I chose my path...

With 2013, I realize that I've spent a significant part of my life planning on dying young. I'm having so much fun, I think I changed my mind. Also, I've officially survived at least 4 world-ending events. Thankfully, the Mayans were wrong and it looks like I'm gonna be around a while longer!
The new year is a time of resolution, to reflect and change, to stop bad habits or make new positive ones. The common theme is self improvement, and regardless of our success or failure we realize we want to be better. That in itself is a pretty large victory.

VB saw some growth in 2012. I dug a little deeper into the brand and found some momentum despite being injured and worthless for the majority of the year. However, real life came knocking at the door and I had to back off a bit and pursue some other things. It breaks my heart to choke down the very things that drive me. I like art, getting rowdy, cool pictures, and all around getting pumped up about life. Time to do more of it if I want to leave the lasting impression I dream of.

This year, you're going to get some more out of me. More art, more pictures, more awesome. There's a move in the works, a new studio, and a relentless amount of ideas. My resolution to you is to stay on the throttle in '13 and create a brand all you old schoolers will be proud to stand behind. To all my artists out there: stay inspired. Get outside more, draw more, see more, do more, create every day. Lets get some laughs, stay up all night with great ideas, and leave our mark on a world that seems to be in constant despair. WFO friends, give it all!