Mid August 2012 / Yes I'm here - what's up?

 I got Dave's 29er off to paint, and it should be back pretty damn quick as they spray black just about every day.
 So, I have had a weird deal with the blog lately - I ask how many people read it and get a grand total of seven responses in a couple of weeks, during which I actually still do a few more posts, granted, a bit spaced out from each other as I'm not a fan of this current cultured idea of posting for the world every single thing you do and eat, and have been throwing tons of pics on facebook, and for some reason people are calling me and e-mailing me about "where's the blog - are you retiring? the blog hasn't been updated in........seven days"
 To summarise, if you like the blog, drop a comment and say so. I track the #'s of views and I can see that the blog gets as many hits a day as a single picture does on FB, so if you like this resource don't just not say so as it WILL go away if I am just doing this for no one, as it does take time away from fabrication and life - I like it for a chronicle of my own deal, but if you enjoy it, say so. Thank You.

 Man, as I close in on a decade of this bikes are looking really sweet, and the signature segmented seat stays look just so.
Why do I do these this way, which adds a big chunk of fabrication time? Because they ride SWEET - stiff yet allowing good flex due to the smaller diameter lowers - like an old WTB type two fork or the same fork now made by framebuilding badass Steve Potts.

 This is at "full polish" - before I put on the braze-ons - the most beautiful stage, I think.
Coco-Motos in action here, and the new Coco-Motos are on the way which will be horizontal like these but with a derailleur hanger and a matching eyelet mirroring the top disc brake mount for the caliper adapter on the right side for clean rack mounting with discs and no brazed-on eyelets to ever tear off.

 Pre-polish, door partially closed due to blowing rain.

 Full polish signature seat tube sleeve.

 I mix my own custom fluxes. Yes I do.

 Bob G's bike at the get-go, 'm going to throw down a long day of fab on this one today and get it towards being a BLO - "bicycle like object" - on it's way towards being a complete bike.
I have also been doing mostly complete bikes this year, which takes more time as I am open to truly custom builds, but it comes out better and everything works together perfectly.
This bike will be going to New Mexico, which has always been very good to me as per bike orders and will be assembled with Sram XO, Fox fork, XTR hubs, Stan's rims, Thomson bits and a King headset - stay tuned.

 Troy came by with his old long distance / bike packing 29er with it's "custom" gear box - an army ammo can bolted to a rack I built especially for the maiden voyage of this bike, which was the entire Arizona Trail from Utah to Mexico.

 The yard is going jungle-esque with the recent rains and heat.

 I have been actually getting out riding once every 4-5 days or so, about as much as my body can really endure.

 Incoming rain and lightning.

 Favourite new shop sticker, thank you Steve Cortez!

 We do nothing to encourage them, they grow on their own

 We have been busy putting away the harvest - these are all dried peaches from out trees, that's allot of peaches...........!

 And these little orbs of goodness - dried tomatoes!

Chillin' on the porch with Aki "angry bee" on a visit from Japan.
That's it for now, folks. And as always, thanks for reading!
- Steve.