RRBBO13 Fisher CR-7 ...OddJob Award Creation vid pg 9 !

[OddJob]

Man just when you thought the Park tool posts couldn't get any better...the co-founder? Wow that's cool. Those 2 look like they fit right in at the ole Back 40...and a car show...you're having some fun up there..good stuff..

Art has the same house number that we do. He's just a block south of us on the next street. One day a few years back, I got a 'Bicycle Retailer' magazine in my mail box. I knew what they were, because we got a copy at the bike shop monthly.

As I looked at the name on the address label, it rang a bell with me. Back in the late '80s I lived in a neighborhood where there was a Park Schwinn bike shop, his next venture after starting Park Tool. So I had heard the name before.

I walked over to deliver the mag, and Art answered the door. We got a chuckle out of the mix up, and then chatted for about 20 mins about all our commonalities. He has stopped over a couple of times since on his walks or bike rides. But he hadn't seen the BACK40 yet. His son was over for the day, and they just showed up at my door!

 

[OddJob]

Hope you had a bunch of Park Tools in your shop.

Fortunately, the Fisher mtb was in my Park Tool stand right inside the door....couldn't miss it! And I have the bottle cap remover and catcher on the wall as well. All my other Park tools are in my tool box.

 

[OddJob]

The Shelby Woody
Always, dug, that one.

I remember your fondness for the Shelby beach wagon!

 

[OddJob]

June is off to a good start!

My wife and I took a great ride on the Gateway Trail this morning. My knobby tires aren't really made for pavement, and the gearing is more off-road friendly. But we knocked off the 16 miles in good time.

She has the computer on her bike, and told me that we averaged 15 mph on the last 5 miles back to the car. Not bad for an old guy on an old bike.
Oh, and I even made her work a bit on her lightweight hybrid too.

 

[sdframe]

Well done, Odd Job. You've shown us another side of your multi-faceted life, and impressed us once again. Keep on ridin'!

 

[OddJob]

Well done, Odd Job. You've shown us another side of your multi-faceted life, and impressed us once again. Keep on ridin'!

Thanks SD! Mountain biking has been my passion for the past 30+ years. On the bike, in the dirt, I find fulfillment in so many ways; physically and psychologically. Building this bike has been an orientation back to where it all began. So many good years, so many good memories!

 

[G-Matt]

Very clean vintage MNT bike . Must take you back in time a bit . It came really nice [emoji1303]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OddJob]

'Camptown ladies sing this song, doodads, doodads...'

@deorman made a suggestion a few posts ago about adding some of my custom 'Brake Snake' brake lever covers. So that was my short project for the morning!

Basically all you need are a couple drops of Dawn soap, or other liquid soap, paper towel, and a fair amount of hand strength.

 

[OddJob]

My favorite Park Tool....

The PNT-1

 

[kingfish254]

Hobnobbing (or would that be OddJobbing) with bike royalty.
Next thing you know Gary Fisher himself is gonna make an appearance.

 

[OddJob]

Hobnobbing (or would that be OddJobbing) with bike royalty.
Next thing you know Gary Fisher himself is gonna make an appearance.

You have no idea what you just implied ^ ! A lead in to an upcoming post....just have to uncover the 'goods'!

 

[The Renaissance Man]

You have no idea what you just implied ^ ! A lead in to an upcoming post....just have to uncover the 'goods'!

Please don't.

 

[OddJob]

Please don't.

Not those 'goods'!

 

[OddJob]

Ok, so @kingfish254 somehow had some ESP going when he made this comment last night...."Hobnobbing (or would that be OddJobbing) with bike royalty."

One of the things I have always enjoyed is writing. And when given the opportunity to write about something I enjoy, well, that's even better! In 1990, after promoting mountain bike racing for 3 years, and sitting on the Midwest MTB Association committee for a couple of years, I was looking for a way to promote our sport in a new way.

Mountain bike magazines were hot during the early '90s, but most of those were based on the coasts. I was looking at something that would have Midwest roots. And, be specifically about mountain biking.

So, in April of 1990, I launched the first ever mtb newsletter 'zine called the "Hob Knobber": the Midwest's Mountain Biking Newsletter. Yes, Kingfish, that's why I was so struck when I read your comment....I am a Hob (K)nobber !

The newsletter ran for 3 seasons, and was a ton of fun. During that time, we had plugs in Bicycling magazine and Silent Sports (a Wisconsin based outdoor mag). Imagine, established magazines plugging another publication! In 1993, I was asked to be the editor for a new cycling magazine to coincide with the established "Michigan Cyclist" mag out of Grand Rapids, MI. Our new mag would be called "Superior Cyclist", and focus on cycling in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Here are some shots from the first edition, May 1990, of the
Hob Knobber. A cover photo, inside first page, and a pull-out mtb race calendar for the fridge.

 

[Funkme]

Hold ya horses,I think I have to hand out some speeding tickets here... Whats with all you guys almost finish in a mth... What you going to do for the next 2mths besides ride?
Excellent work.love the purple accents. Had the same thought for a bike last year... And the storytelling is also cool.

 

[OddJob]

Hold ya horses,I think I have to hand out some speeding tickets here... Whats with all you guys almost finish in a mth... What you going to do for the next 2mths besides ride?
Excellent work.love the purple accents. Had the same thought for a bike last year... And the storytelling is also cool.

Thanks Funk!

 

[Indyjps]

Great story, Great build. I was riding motorcycle woods trails from 84-92, first on bmx, moved to the nashbar in my avatar in about 89-90. 92 I got hit by a car on the bike, taco'd the rim and it got parked. The stories and time are fun to hear what others were doing.

I have a 94 trek 930 thats stacked with vintage purple anno parts. Its 2 hours away at my shop, Ill get you pics when Im down there next if anything works for you to complete the look youre after. Bought this one used in 98 and rode some trails 98-00.

 

[OddJob]

Great story, Great build. I was riding motorcycle woods trails from 84-92, first on bmx, moved to the nashbar in my avatar in about 89-90. 92 I got hit by a car on the bike, taco'd the rim and it got parked. The stories and time are fun to hear what others were doing.

I have a 94 trek 930 thats stacked with vintage purple anno parts. Its 2 hours away at my shop, Ill get you pics when Im down there next if anything works for you to complete the look youre after. Bought this one used in 98 and rode some trails 98-00.

I love the stories from the day as well. Thanks for sharing part of yours!

Would really like to see what you have for purple anodized parts on the Trek. My wheels are from a 950 that I parted out. I had a rear brake booster on my original one in purple ano. I'll be watching for your pics when you get to it. Thanks!

 

[OddJob]

Found this pic when I was digging through the files for the Hob Knobber issues. We were laying out a trail on the hills of a snowboard / winter tubing park. Mostly following the cattle path and the contour of the hillsides. We ran a Wed night off-road crit here for three years. About a mile long course, all visible from the chalet / warming house at the top of the hill!

That's me on the Fisher CR-7. Circa, May 1992.

 

[Donniebikes55]

I like that you're building kind of a tribute bike to another time. I have a 1956 Phillips 3 speed, I always wanted what we called English Racers. Only took me 50 years to get it, but now I can time travel