44 Bikes

[fortyfour]

Marauder X Dissected...

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HUNTSMAN X SUPERFORTRESS

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[progetto]

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

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[Diablo de Acero]

Want!

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It's become apparent when I work on any shop projects or house projects that set up and clean up take too much time. Literally some times it's an hour on both ends depending on what I'm doing. So that's 2 hours I lose with each project... And that's additional time I could be riding. I left the back of the shop which had been the horse stalls vacant as I wanted the metal shop portion to be small enough to heat easily in winter, but large enough to allow for a lathe, bridgeport, alignment table and modest set up. So all that's relatively sorted and I started thinking this past spring it's time to tackle the back of the shop to turn it into a small wood shop for house and shop projects. Also that space will be divided up so one side is a wood shop and the other a small storage space for our 4x4 4-wheeler (plow in winter) and assorted garden man-implements. Kind of make a home for everything under one roof and hopefully gain some time to ride when projects are in full swing.

Knocked down part of the foundation and went through the wall (which had been one of the horses stall doors):



After that, I took some measurements and roughed out a quick sketch of what I was thinking. Dimensions changed on the fly as things came together of course:



Assessing what material I had on hand, it became obvious that the large 2" x 10" x 12' dimensioned lumbar that lined the horse stalls was perfect for the doors. All I needed was a sheet of 1/2" baltic ply and a few trim pieces. I create large mortises that run the length of the door and matching tenons after I ripped the boards to shape:





And a quick dry fit to assess best approach / procedure before glue was included in the job:



All parts pre-glue were run through my bud's planer just to quickly bring them to dimension and smooth out the faces. Since these are in the back of the shop, I wasn't too concerned with getting them super smooth. A little bit of roughness here and there was AOK. Here they are all glued up and prepped before the first coat of stain:



And then hung:





What was amazing was working in the space and getting an idea for workflow of the new space. That of course changed some plans for how the space will be organized ultimately but it was good to get acquainted with the relatively small space. Things will slowly come together over time, but it's pretty cool to have a dedicated space for projects like this now. And set up / clean up? 15 minutes total most times... That's close to 90 minutes gained so that means more time to head out for a ride which I'm stoked on:



Not particularly stoked on Sunday's ride which revealed a section of trail lost to logging but I know the landowner, spoke with them and we are already planning the new line through what will become a field. Good thing they're a mountain biker! Should be a cool line when finished through that field to be. A little disheartening at first considering I was just out this way earlier the previous week. How things can change quickly.

[cp43]

Kris,

I was checking your flickr stream, and saw this:

44 "Flow Team" Collection by Kristofer Henry, on Flickr

Are there plans to make the kit available to the general public?

Thanks,

Chris

[fortyfour]

<snip>

Are there plans to make the kit available to the general public? Thanks,

Chris

Hi Chris,

Current plans are this will be exclusive and limited to a 5 member "Flow Team". If I get enough interest, I will consider expanding the order to a much larger audience.

IF anyone does have interest, please email me directly but only if you are serious about a full kit. (These were made by ENDO Customs in Los Angeles, California).

[fortyfour]

Tubing, True Temper and Why Made in the USA Matters.

Excerpt:

"One of my goals with 44 Bikes is to produce bicycle frames here in New Hampshire from as many U.S. sourced materials as possible. I see it as my responsibility as a business owner to look no further than our own shores for materials to build my bicycles. Now I know you can’t get everything right here in the good ol’USA and I am well aware of the global nature of our economy. That’s actually nothing new. We’ve always been a global economy. I’m not sure why this is a hot topic of late but if anyone knows their history, we’ve had a history of trade that spans oceans for a long time. What has changed, however is our ability to “make”. ... So even before I started 44 Bikes, I knew that I wanted to make it a priority to partner with U.S. based manufacturers when ever and where ever I can. My customers don’t expect this. But I take a mindful approach to seeing the bigger picture when it comes to the importance of a healthy and vibrant U.S. manufacturing base. So although my contribution may be small, or however insignificant it may appear, I rest a bit easier at night knowing that my dollars are helping to support my friends and neighbors right here in the USA. ... Regardless of what “that guy” says, it should matter. IT DOES MATTER. AND it matters to me."

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Available soon on the brand new 44HQ Web Shop

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With a heavy heart, I'm sad to say we lost Jeff Archer of First Flight Bicycles. If you did not know who Jeff was or what his contributions were, plan a trip down to Statesville, NC to visit First Flight Bicycles and his museum of mountain biking history aptly named MOMBAT aka the Museum of Mountain Bike Art & Technology.

My friendship began back in 2008 when Jeff reached out to the cycling community at large: He needed help with a logo. I answered his call and together, we hashed out the logo for MOMBAT and later he asked me to redesign his bicycle shops logo for First Flight Bicycles. What followed were his shops jerseys, promotional brochures and annual cycling event posters. Jeff introduced me to a broader cycling community in North Carolina which have become both life long friends and clients. His contributions and willingness to share mountain bike's history through MOMBAT will be sorely missed. His enthusiasm and passion for bicycles was infectious. I'm truly sorry we lost Jeff. He was one of a kind. Vive La MOMBAT!

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If you're in the market for a new set of baggies, check these out: 7Mesh's "Glidepath". More after the jump.

[Thad Pasquale]

HUNTSMAN X SUPERFORTRESS

I need this...shit

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Ryan Wilson's 27.5+ Marauder Bikepacking set up.



Head on over to the Radavist to check out a full gallery of the set up.

Also be sure to give Ryan a follow on Instagram. There's also a photo essay of his trip in progress currently in Peru.

More to come apparently as the trip unfolds. Also see here for the full build set. Photo Courtesy: Ryan Wilson. Thanks Ryan!!! Hope she's treating you well...