3/29/08

Before you ship another bike


These are basically a G-limit indicator. They come in 5 different G ratings (this one is 50G). There's a little tube of liquid in the middle that has dye released into it if the package to which it's attached gets dropped hard enough; turning the tube red. They are made by www.shockwatch.com, and can be purchased for about $2.00 each from a variety of web sites. I discovered these while watching Mythbusters. They use them as cheap excellerometers all the time.

3/22/08

Derek's New Fork



Here is the fork that I am getting to replace the destroyed Lyrik. Thanks UPS, wish you were paying for it!!

3/21/08

Ray's new bike.

I've placed the order and it should be in by the end of next week. Mine will be the sand color.

3/20/08

DO NOT USE UPS to ship anything

Aft​​er​ eve​​ry​t​h​in​​g, UPS​​ is den​​yi​n​g​ the​​ insurance cla​​im​ for​​ Der​​ek​'​s​ bik​​e,​ say​​in​g​ it did​​n'​t​ hav​​e ade​​qu​a​t​e pac​​ka​g​i​ng​​ to pro​​te​c​t​ it from dam​​ag​e​ dur​​in​g​ shi​​pp​i​n​g.

If you​ hav​e to shi​p any​thi​ng of val​ue,​ use​ som​e one​ els​e, the​ Pos​t Off​ice​, Fed​-EX​, DHL​...​ any​thi​ng but​ UPS​, bec​aus​e of pol​ici​es you​ can​'t eve​n be inv​olv​ed with fil​ing​ a cla​im if your package is damaged,​ the​ "sh​ipp​er"​ has​ to,​ and​ eve​n if you​ bro​ugh​t the​ box​ in,​ the​ loc​ati​on you​ shi​p it fro​m (th​e sto​re etc​) the​y are​ the​ shi​ppe​r. Bas​ed on tha​t alo​ne,​ rea​lly​ it is a win​/wi​n for​ the​ sto​re and​ UPS. UPS​ sta​tes​ the​y wil​l onl​y dea​l wit​h the​ "Sh​ipp​er"​ and​ the​ sto​re sta​tes​ UPS​ is den​yin​g the​ cla​im and​ you​ hav​e no rig​hts​ to see​ any​ pap​erw​ork​ sho​win​g any​thi​ng fro​m UPS​, the​y wil​l onl​y sen​d thi​ngs​ to the​ sto​re/shipper.​ It is a vic​iou​s cyc​le tha​t kee​ps you​ hel​ple​ss.

This might be a case for small claims court.

3/14/08

Mountain Bike Action - Richard Cunningham

The link is to Richard Cunningham's blog, it is his take on the 24 hours in the Old Pueblo, cool write-up.

Richard Cunningham - 24 HIOP story

On a side note, UPS (Unusually Poor Service) delivered Kerry's bike, three weeks late but delivered and in working condition.

3/9/08

Brad is a Homo...

...cuz he said I crash all the time.

...But, I did crash yesterday. I wish I had been going over something cool like the guy in the video, but I wasn't. I was riding through the meadow at Kty Camp. I drifted about 3 inches off the trail into the grass. I hit a completely hidden rock about the size of a bowling ball. I had been looking down at my front de (the cause of the 3 inch deviation) so my weight was shifted kind of forward. I hit the rock going about 15mph. It was like I hit land mine. I never even saw the rock until I walked back to see what I had hit, it was the surprise of my life. The next thing I knew I was flying threw through the air, my bike was flying above me. All I remember after that was a lot of bouncing, sliding, and scraping (coming from both me and the bike). I managed to dislodge a very big rock that had been buried almost half way. I don't know what part of me did that.

So, the butcher's bill: lots of road rash and bruises, and I smashed the Citizen watch that Diana bought me 12 years ago. (that's what pisses me off)

Brad remains: A HOMO.

3/7/08

Derek's Bike Vs the Postman

So, Derek's bike finally showed up in CT. What the brain trusts at UPS did to it would have made Hannibal Lecter proud. Kerry's bike remains MIA. UPS has no idea where it is.

The link below has pictures of the carnage done to his ride.
WARNING: The following images contain material of a graphic nature. Viewer discretion is advised.

pictures

3/6/08

The nightmare called UPS

So we arrived in Connecticut and started checking the UPS website for tracking our bikes. Derek's was scanned in Tucson and made it to Connecticut. The story takes a dark turn here as you can see from the post below this one. Derek's bike got in, we opened the box, and I heard things coming from the other room that I don't think any one needs me to repeat, and you probably can imagine. His fork is f'd up!!! We have been dealing with UPS now for three days trying to get someone to inspect the bike to see that it is broke so we can get the insurance money on it.

Now my bike, its a whole different story. I am not sure how they managed to loose a box that big but they did. Gone... gone like my paycheck is every week. UPS won't even begin to think about paying out the insurance on it till next week.

I can't even begin to figure out the odds at having things go wrong with shipping one bike, but both having issues, gimme a break. We will never use UPS ever again.

Now all we do is sit, looking at the pieces of Derek's bike crying inside.....since that is all we have left to look at.

Gigidy Gigidy Gigidy