Finally

Finally it is summer. That had to be the craziest winter I have ever seen. Idaho is a strange weather place. One day it is snowing the next thing you know it is ninety degrees outside.
I have been quite sick for some time. Suffering from some type of sinus infection. But after some good quality antibiotics I am feeling a lot better. I have been riding my bike a fair amount. Trying to get in reasonable condition after over a year of very little exercise, due to work and moving my family. I have a stage race planned in July called the Capitol Reef Classic in southern Utah. It is in my family's home town and I am looking forward to it. I am not looking forward to the 100 mile stage up fish lake mountain. It will travel through some of the most challenging terrain I have ever seen offered in a north American bike race. I just hope to survive.
I have been plugging along building some nice titanium bikes. I will also be working on a tig welded steel track bike. Any takers? I do not think I will be able to use it myself since I live on a dirt road. I am currently working on a new titanium/Carbon fiber bike. I hope to ride it myself at the race in July. Usually when I build one of these bikes. A friend of similar proportions will ride it and want to purchase it from me. That is why I always seem to be riding the same steel bike I have been on for the past five years. I don't mind I love that bike. There is nothing like the ride of steel. Often people ask me what the best material is for building a bike. I usually tell them that they are all good, it just depends on the bike and its purpose. But my favorite material for a nice road bike is steel. They are not usually surprised and will tell me about an old steel bike that they wish they had never sold. Well I will post some new pictures of some current build real soon. The fishing has been phenomenal here in Ashton so If anyone gets a chance come on over and we will drowned a few bugs.

Snow in June

When I woke up this morning I looked at weatherbug.com just to get an idea of what today would bring. It said expected snow showers. I thought how stupid could that be. What a lame site there is now way it could snow in June...... so I went out for a mountain bike ride and at the top of the mountain it began to snow. This has been the strangest spring we have had. The weather has been horrible. I have tried to suffer through it on the bike, but I keep finding myself ill with a cold that I just can't shake.

This week I finished a bike for a guy I have been riding with for the past 15 years. He has been riding the same Gurceiotti road bike for that same time. I recall when he got that old bike it was equiped with the best components, I was so jealous. Well, that jealousy eventually faded. It still is a cool bike definetly something I would hold onto. He was due for something a little lighter, and something that fit better. The bike turned out great. Complete dura-ace with a fizik saddle and Ritchey WCS bars and stem.

Utah Bike Fit Trip

(Steve, your bike is coming along pretty sweet)

Heading to Utah today to meet up with a few friends, do a little riding, and fit a couple people for custom bikes. I will let you know how the trip goes. Be home in a couple days.

Club Ride in Ashton Idaho

I had my first club ride of the year in Ashton. After nearly a year of very little bike riding due to building a new home and moving I finally got to start riding my bike as much as I want. The first club ride of the year consisted of me and my imaginary friends. There are zero cyclist in Ashton, and I do not understand why. The biking is phenomenal. Mountain biking is amazing! Tight single track, beautiful scenery, and very little motor vehicles. The road biking is equally amazing. I can ride 15 miles to scenic mesa falls, and up fish creek road an old abandoned road they where starting to build to West Yellowstone. On the club ride we saw river otters, moose, one skunk in the middle of the road (alive), and believe it or not a wolverine. Yes a wolverine. I did not think they existed in Idaho, but after some research I found out they do. They are just very rare and nocturnal by nature. Needless to say the first Ashton club ride was a success. We had a great time, I mean I had a great time. I even won the heavily contested city limit sprint, by a huge margin.

(Home of Kelson Bikes)

The frame building is coming along nicely. The new shop is rad and new equipment and supplies are coming in almost daily. For those of you who do not know I recently sold my bike/snowboard shop of almost 15 years to pursue my passion of building high end titanium, and steel bikes. I have been building them for some time, but due to a busy schedule operating a retail store I was unable to spend as much time as I would like building bikes. I just recently delivered a bike to one fast girl in Salt Lake City. She got hit by a car in Rexburg, Idaho destroying her carbon fiber bike. So we built her a new custom Ti frame painted to match her i-pod. It turned out great, the fit was perfect and her comment to me was that it was really comfortable and she felt safe riding it. I was very pleased with her comments on the bike, as a frame builder comfort is of huge importance. With comfort comes speed and enjoyment of riding a bike. I will post some pictures soon of finished bikes and some terrific looking welds.