Have a safe, wonderful Halloween everyone!
Thanks for the bees, Jody!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Bob Roll's Interbike Experience, 2007
by Bob Roll
As expected, the 2007 Interbike extravaganza lived up to its pre-event hype and was a great event, thoroughly enjoyable to all. For me, step #1 is extracting myself from the airport and arriving at the hotel without incident. Coming from a small town in the mountains to the megalopolous that is Las Vegas is always a shock to the system. The melee at the airport never ceases to amaze me. Las Vegas, for some reason, remains a powerful attraction to zombies from all over the world.
Consequently, getting from the airport to the room is one of the most substantial challenges of Interbike. Thanks to Donna Tocci my journeys have been smooth and without incident. The place of habitation is the Venetian Hotel and Casino. The casino part is what makes it more difficult than it needs to be. Although at the Venetian, at least, you can check in without wading through an ocean of slot machines. Not the case, however, when you navigate to your room. Everybody has to pass through the casino in an effort, I presume, to pry peoples’ hard earned cash out of their wallet. For religious reasons I do not gamble and consequently my trips to Vegas have been much more enjoyable. The room, as always, was fantastic.
The first order of business at the trade show was to serve coffee to the thirsty masses at the Kryptonite booth. Then, it was time to be the judge at a video contest sponsored by Shimano and presided over by such luminaries as Phil Liggett, Kozo Shimano and, of course, Donna Tocci.
From there I had a signing at the Hi-Torque booth and after that was a reunion with my teammates from my racing days on 7-Eleven at the Tourneau Watch store sponsored by Bicycling Magazine. All of which was a fundraiser for the Davis Phinney Foundation. What a fantastic honor and great pleasure to be reunited with some real legends of American cycling. On the panel was Tom Schuler, Chris Carmichael, Alex Stieda, Ron Kiefel and, of course, Davis Phinney. The assembled throng were regaled with the tales of our efforts in Europe. A lovely time was had by all. Thereafter was, just like the old days, a team dinner where much wine was drank at Spago.
Day 1 was supposed to include the annual Sinclair extravaganza, where I have imbibed dramatically in years past. But this year I was too exhausted to attend - so much for Day 1!
Day 2 began early again at the Kryptonite booth with coffee for an even larger assemblage of attendees. Repositioning myself at the front of the booth rather than the storage unit in the middle inexplicably seemed to draw more people. The rest of the day included, but was not limited to, a speaking engagement at the Wounded Warrior Project press conference and a book signing at Velonews.
Directly after the book signing was six hours of live TV courtesy of the World Criterium Championships held at the Mandalay Bay parking lot. The professional men’s race was an exciting and very competitive high stakes, great race. It was a real pleasure to commentate on.
The women’s race was won by Laura Van Gilder but it was the Industry Cup race that provided the most crashes and thrills. Such luminaries participated as Steve Bauer and Mario Cipollini. The rest of the field was made up of supposed employees of the cycling industry, which is a pretty broad requirement. There were so many crashes it was difficult to know the beginning and the end of field. Also, the variety in fitness levels made the pack impossible to differentiate from the stragglers. Add oil on the streets and two days, at least, of heavy drinking and you have a recipe for hilarity.
I am sure the next day at the show there were many employees nursing their wounds. Six hours of live television is not easy but having a crash to commentate on about every half a minute makes the time fly. Generally, my job is as a commentator on cycling events and it was nice to be able to apply my trade at the bike show. However, being able to meet the people at the Kryptonite booth is the main attraction for me going and remains an event that I look forward to throughout the racing season.
I’m looking forward to next year’s races and have enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Kryptonite and look forward to all of our promotions in the future. So, everybody go out and buy some locks!
The trip home was uneventful, which is my favorite kind of trip. My liver has shrunk back down to normal size and I’m looking forward to ’08.
As expected, the 2007 Interbike extravaganza lived up to its pre-event hype and was a great event, thoroughly enjoyable to all. For me, step #1 is extracting myself from the airport and arriving at the hotel without incident. Coming from a small town in the mountains to the megalopolous that is Las Vegas is always a shock to the system. The melee at the airport never ceases to amaze me. Las Vegas, for some reason, remains a powerful attraction to zombies from all over the world.
Consequently, getting from the airport to the room is one of the most substantial challenges of Interbike. Thanks to Donna Tocci my journeys have been smooth and without incident. The place of habitation is the Venetian Hotel and Casino. The casino part is what makes it more difficult than it needs to be. Although at the Venetian, at least, you can check in without wading through an ocean of slot machines. Not the case, however, when you navigate to your room. Everybody has to pass through the casino in an effort, I presume, to pry peoples’ hard earned cash out of their wallet. For religious reasons I do not gamble and consequently my trips to Vegas have been much more enjoyable. The room, as always, was fantastic.
The first order of business at the trade show was to serve coffee to the thirsty masses at the Kryptonite booth. Then, it was time to be the judge at a video contest sponsored by Shimano and presided over by such luminaries as Phil Liggett, Kozo Shimano and, of course, Donna Tocci.
From there I had a signing at the Hi-Torque booth and after that was a reunion with my teammates from my racing days on 7-Eleven at the Tourneau Watch store sponsored by Bicycling Magazine. All of which was a fundraiser for the Davis Phinney Foundation. What a fantastic honor and great pleasure to be reunited with some real legends of American cycling. On the panel was Tom Schuler, Chris Carmichael, Alex Stieda, Ron Kiefel and, of course, Davis Phinney. The assembled throng were regaled with the tales of our efforts in Europe. A lovely time was had by all. Thereafter was, just like the old days, a team dinner where much wine was drank at Spago.
Day 1 was supposed to include the annual Sinclair extravaganza, where I have imbibed dramatically in years past. But this year I was too exhausted to attend - so much for Day 1!
Day 2 began early again at the Kryptonite booth with coffee for an even larger assemblage of attendees. Repositioning myself at the front of the booth rather than the storage unit in the middle inexplicably seemed to draw more people. The rest of the day included, but was not limited to, a speaking engagement at the Wounded Warrior Project press conference and a book signing at Velonews.
Directly after the book signing was six hours of live TV courtesy of the World Criterium Championships held at the Mandalay Bay parking lot. The professional men’s race was an exciting and very competitive high stakes, great race. It was a real pleasure to commentate on.
The women’s race was won by Laura Van Gilder but it was the Industry Cup race that provided the most crashes and thrills. Such luminaries participated as Steve Bauer and Mario Cipollini. The rest of the field was made up of supposed employees of the cycling industry, which is a pretty broad requirement. There were so many crashes it was difficult to know the beginning and the end of field. Also, the variety in fitness levels made the pack impossible to differentiate from the stragglers. Add oil on the streets and two days, at least, of heavy drinking and you have a recipe for hilarity.
I am sure the next day at the show there were many employees nursing their wounds. Six hours of live television is not easy but having a crash to commentate on about every half a minute makes the time fly. Generally, my job is as a commentator on cycling events and it was nice to be able to apply my trade at the bike show. However, being able to meet the people at the Kryptonite booth is the main attraction for me going and remains an event that I look forward to throughout the racing season.
I’m looking forward to next year’s races and have enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Kryptonite and look forward to all of our promotions in the future. So, everybody go out and buy some locks!
The trip home was uneventful, which is my favorite kind of trip. My liver has shrunk back down to normal size and I’m looking forward to ’08.
A Happy Red Sox Nation
I couldn't make this up....
The way I wake up every morning is to my trusty alarm clock that I've had for seemingly forever - at least 20 years. They don't make things like they used to anymore...goodness, now I sound like one of my older relatives. But, I digress.
My alarm clock is set to wake me to WZLX every morning. This morning...I kid you not...it clicked on and I heard, "No time for losers, we are the champions...of the world." Yes, Freddie Mercury and Queen were how I learned that the Red Sox had swept the Colorado Rockies and won the world series. I went to be around 10pm last night and figured they would either win or not...but they would eventually win the series. That much I had faith in - seriously, 3-0 before last night? And, yes I stayed up until 1am on Saturday night to watch that win. How about that Jacoby kid? He's someone to watch as the years go by. And wacky, wonderful Papelbon? Gotta love him. But, last night was a "school night", as they say.
(Photo: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Congrats to all bleary eyed fans in Red Sox Nation - here's a fun montage that Boston.com put to music that a friend, and huge Red Sox fan, sent to me first thing this morning. Good stuff.
The only question now is....when will we see Papelbon's World Series dance? He said he'll dance when he's in Boston. We're waiting....
Update: The World Champion Boston Red Sox will arrive back in Boston around 3:30pm today. Their rolling parade and celebration are scheduled for tomorrow in downtown Boston. The Dropkick Murphys will be there on a flatbed....and Papelbon will dance according to Mayor Menino. Rock on, Jonathan!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Super Dirt Week
by Rob Zuraski, Engineering Manager
Super Dirt Week XXXVI, snowmobile/ATV show, road trip with 3 friends to Syracuse to visit a close friend– sound like a fun weekend? You bet! I haven't been to a dirt track race in about 10 years, not since I crewed for a team in Vermont. So, this was a fun weekend for me to get back into it.
Super Dirt Week XXXVI, snowmobile/ATV show, road trip with 3 friends to Syracuse to visit a close friend– sound like a fun weekend? You bet! I haven't been to a dirt track race in about 10 years, not since I crewed for a team in Vermont. So, this was a fun weekend for me to get back into it.
For those of you not familiar with dirt track racing there is always a lot of action (crashes) as the drivers and crews try to set up their cars for the changing track conditions throughout the weekend, especially in the qualifying races when everyone is pushing it hard trying to make the cut. Need to keep in mind they are racing on a “dirt” track so you get nice powerslides in the corners when the cars get going.
Here's my friend Tony using one of Ingersoll Rand's products at the track.....Kudos to the Club Car engineers for the durability of these vehicles as we gave them a good workout throughout the weekend. I wonder if they thought about the roof of the vehicle being used as bleacher seats in turn 1 when they designed them....
There were lots of cool sights in the infield. I couldn't believe all the different vehicles used now in the pits for hauling tires and people around- the quads, the golf carts and even this custom chopper with a 7hp engine.
Here are some photos of the BNC Motorsports Pro-Stock Championship. Most of the cars are late model Chevy’s (Monte Carlo’s etc..) with an occasional Ford and Dodge.
These are some shots from turn 4. Can you imagine how I got these photos? Had a few guys nearby standing on the back of golf carts who said I should have hung in longer for the “good” shots of the last few trailing the pack really sliding in the corners trying to catch up. But the cloud of dirt from the pack was a little too much more than I thought the camera could handle.
Special thanks to Tony Lema and the Aramark crew for a great weekend and their sponsorship for a couple of the drivers and the big race!
Wonder Woman Contest Winner
Congratulations to Chris from Granada Hills, California. He's the winner of a brand new Wonder Woman padlock. It's on its way to you, Chris. With it are our wishes that you and your family are safe from the awful fires.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. There will be another one coming soon. Stay tuned....
Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. There will be another one coming soon. Stay tuned....
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
I wear the patch, I support the Fund!
by Nicole Hoffman
As a part of my daily routine, I was reading my usual motorcycle racing industry web sites this morning and I noticed an update on Morgan Broadhead (AMA Pro Road Race Manager and fellow WERA racer). Morgan was severely injured on September 28th during WERA/AMA National Challenge Series 750cc Superstock Qualifying at Jennings GP. He has a long road to recovery and needs to be transported back home to Utah. The motorcycle community has in one day contributed over $5,000 but his mom needs at least $14,000 to get him home.
Kryptonite and Dave Perewitz donated this cool trash can to the Red Flag Fund auction in July….a huge thank you to them!
Updates by Morgan's mom are made here regularly.
As a part of my daily routine, I was reading my usual motorcycle racing industry web sites this morning and I noticed an update on Morgan Broadhead (AMA Pro Road Race Manager and fellow WERA racer). Morgan was severely injured on September 28th during WERA/AMA National Challenge Series 750cc Superstock Qualifying at Jennings GP. He has a long road to recovery and needs to be transported back home to Utah. The motorcycle community has in one day contributed over $5,000 but his mom needs at least $14,000 to get him home.
Kryptonite and Dave Perewitz donated this cool trash can to the Red Flag Fund auction in July….a huge thank you to them!
Updates by Morgan's mom are made here regularly.
8 Incredibly Fun Hours at Daytona
by Nicole Hoffman
We as riders are so dependant upon our crew to get everything together and do flawless pit stops. It truly is teamwork in every sense of the word. We made a stop about every 23 laps or so to re-fuel (and make rider changes). We think we could have gone the whole way on one set of tires, but didn’t want to take that chance.
I wasn’t sure how much I would be racing in the 8-hour event going into it. My team mates Bob Fisher and Chuck Ivey are able to put down more laps than me but with Chuck getting hurt in the second hour, it was left to me, Bob and team owner CJ Czaia. Well, I ended up racing more in one weekend than I have all year! I think I did about 75+ laps all weekend between practice, the 42-lap ASRA Team Challenge (we finished 2nd and I rode all but 10 laps!!) and the 8 Hours at Daytona. I didn’t get back to my fastest times I have done there, but I was happy about how much I raced.
I am ready to do it again next year….as a matter of fact, I am signing off to get my work done for sponsorship for 2008.
We as riders are so dependant upon our crew to get everything together and do flawless pit stops. It truly is teamwork in every sense of the word. We made a stop about every 23 laps or so to re-fuel (and make rider changes). We think we could have gone the whole way on one set of tires, but didn’t want to take that chance.
I wasn’t sure how much I would be racing in the 8-hour event going into it. My team mates Bob Fisher and Chuck Ivey are able to put down more laps than me but with Chuck getting hurt in the second hour, it was left to me, Bob and team owner CJ Czaia. Well, I ended up racing more in one weekend than I have all year! I think I did about 75+ laps all weekend between practice, the 42-lap ASRA Team Challenge (we finished 2nd and I rode all but 10 laps!!) and the 8 Hours at Daytona. I didn’t get back to my fastest times I have done there, but I was happy about how much I raced.
I am ready to do it again next year….as a matter of fact, I am signing off to get my work done for sponsorship for 2008.
For Our Friends in Southern Cal...
...our thoughts are with all of you - our distributors and reps, our dealers, our customers, our partners and all of their communities. We wish you all well. Be safe....
(photo: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Portland's Jonathan Maus on Boston TV
Not sure if I missed this the first time around since all the filming was in the summer, or if they are just getting around to airing it, but tonight's Chronicle (Boston's local channel 5 station) is featuring Portland, Oregon.
In the middle of the feature they talk to our friend Jonathan Maus who they label as a "bike activist and blogger". While they are talking with him he's sitting on his bike and what's attached to the back of the bike? Oh...a bright orange Evolution U-lock! Nice choice, Jonathan ;)
Better still, when they are cutting to break the anchor, Mary Richardson, calls Jonathan a "one man institution" taking on city hall and having the bike blog in the city. They don't mention the name of it, but we all know it's Bikeportland.org and it's fabulous! In all fairness, they do give the information here on their website.
Great to see you on this side of the country, Jonathan, even if it isn't in person. Congrats!
In the middle of the feature they talk to our friend Jonathan Maus who they label as a "bike activist and blogger". While they are talking with him he's sitting on his bike and what's attached to the back of the bike? Oh...a bright orange Evolution U-lock! Nice choice, Jonathan ;)
Better still, when they are cutting to break the anchor, Mary Richardson, calls Jonathan a "one man institution" taking on city hall and having the bike blog in the city. They don't mention the name of it, but we all know it's Bikeportland.org and it's fabulous! In all fairness, they do give the information here on their website.
Great to see you on this side of the country, Jonathan, even if it isn't in person. Congrats!
Hello Emerson College!
Emerson College buildings in the middle of Boston (photo from Emerson website)
I haven't checked our stats in awhile, but was looking through them yesterday and noticed that someone from Emerson College had been buzzing around the site. Wooo-hooo!Ok, so a lot of people at colleges and universities from all over the world come here and visit - University of Alberta, San Diego State, University of California (many locations), University of Colorado, University of Delaware, University of Southern Florida, Emery, University of Illinois, Perdue, Ball State, Georgetown, Northeastern University, Harvard, Michigan State, University of Nebraska, Rider, Cornell, Syracuse, NYU, Ohio State, Temple, Texas A&M, Brigham Young, George Mason, University of South Wales, McGill University, University of Toronto, University of Zagreb (Croatia), The Jerusalem College of Engineering,University of Kent and University College of London.
And that's just the short list....really....it's quite impressive. Welcome one and all!
So, why so excited about Emerson College that is probably smaller than most, if not all, of the schools listed above? Because I'm an alumi! And darn proud of it. I'm not as famous as some of the other alums (Henry Winkler, Denis Leary), but I'm happy to have spent 4 years of my life living in Boston going to Emerson. It seems like a million years ago, but I remember it all with fondness. Seeing Emerson in our stats was fun for me. Come back often!
Monday, October 22, 2007
Nicole's Daytona Race
Hey race fans, just saw that Nicole Hoffman and her Rightsforbikers.com team finished 6th in the ST class at Daytona this past weekend. I'm sure she'd be more disappointed with that except for the fact that her team mate Chuck crashed early breaking his collarbone and injuring his knee. The bike was fixed and Nicole went out on the track. 6th is pretty darn tootin' good after losing that time.
Nicole will update y'all on the weekend soon. Until then, we're all wishing Chuck a speedy recovery.
Nicole will update y'all on the weekend soon. Until then, we're all wishing Chuck a speedy recovery.
Congrats Red Sox!
Oh boy, there are some tired faces and bleary eyes in the office this morning. Happy faces, though. If you live in another part of the world or don't follow baseball at all, the Boston Red Sox won game 7 last night of the divisional championships and are off to the World Series later this week. Ok, well they aren't exactly 'off' anywhere as game 1 is right here in Fenway Park. Or, if you are from Bah-stun, it's "Fenway Paak".
I've lived in Massachusetts my whole life and for my whole life (except one fluke year), the Red Sox have disappointed thousands each fall. I have a theory this year....Mother Nature hasn't seen fit to give us fall yet. It was in the upper 70s all weekend and for game time it was in the mid-to-high 60s. See? The Red Sox don't think it's fall...they still think it's summer. And that's a good thing for Red Sox fans. Wednesday night for game 1? It will be in the upper 60s...I predict a Red Sox win for that game.
That's my theory and I'm sticking to it. Provided the weather stays summer-like, the Sox should do ok and prove that '04 wasn't a fluke at all....
So, congratulations to the Red Sox and their legion of loyal fans including those right here at Kryptonite!
I've lived in Massachusetts my whole life and for my whole life (except one fluke year), the Red Sox have disappointed thousands each fall. I have a theory this year....Mother Nature hasn't seen fit to give us fall yet. It was in the upper 70s all weekend and for game time it was in the mid-to-high 60s. See? The Red Sox don't think it's fall...they still think it's summer. And that's a good thing for Red Sox fans. Wednesday night for game 1? It will be in the upper 60s...I predict a Red Sox win for that game.
That's my theory and I'm sticking to it. Provided the weather stays summer-like, the Sox should do ok and prove that '04 wasn't a fluke at all....
So, congratulations to the Red Sox and their legion of loyal fans including those right here at Kryptonite!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Check out the new faces on Kryptonitelock.com
So, we made a pretty significant change to the Kryptonite website this week. We changed the home page to show 4 different people and hear, in their words, why they are bonded to their lifestyle. We’d like to thank Tim Masiguy Jackson for being the official greeter to the site for so long as well as Jody Perewitz, Kate Cross and Rob Zuraski for being the illustrious first group on the site. But, when we debuted the site it was with the understanding that the group on the front would be ever changing every 6-8 weeks or so. Ok, so it’s more than 6 weeks since April, but hey, we finally got there.
We’re pumped to have this next group of folks on our site. They represent Kryptonite through either their employment here or their great partnership with us. Not to mention they are darn cool people. Here’s a little more on each of them.
The Bike Tab
Roland Burns is the co-founder/owner of R.E.Load Bags in Philly. Have you seen the exquisite custom bags that come out of there? No? Go look. Right now. I’ll wait…..Did you check out the custom stock? No? Seriously, these are some kick *ss bags. Go back…I’ll wait….
Not only does Roland create art, he’s also a blogger. Check it out – he puts up some photos of the total custom bags there. Sweet!
Ro organizes messenger races in Philly, too, and he couldn’t be nicer to work with- The Rocky races, North American Championships and a bunch others I’m sure I don’t know about. He’s a man on the move – all the time. But, he did slow down long enough to come visit the booth at Interbike where he and his friends got a sneak peek at his new page. I think it’s great that he’ll be the welcoming face to Kryptonite for the next couple of months.
The Motorcycle Tab
Jeff Clark’s from North Carolina and is the co-founder/owner of The Cycle Xchange (TCX), a custom motorcycle shop. They both build and service all kinds of custom bikes – one of which you see on the front of our website. Jeff is also the driver of the TCX/Budweiser Burnout Bike. It’s a TCX built bike that has a NASCAR back tire that they do burnouts with…and then the crew changes the tire and Jeff goes at it again. It’s kinda fun to watch. Check it out.
Not only does he put in more than a full week at The Cycle Xchange, but he’s a pretty busy guy on the weekends, too. He’s a proud dad of very active kids who are off at one sporting event or another and then on Sundays it’s all about racing. Not in front of the TV or in the stands like you and me….he’s a member of Dale Earnhardt Junior’s pit crew! He’s the guy that keeps Dale Junior fueled up during the race. You can see Jeff, Dale Junior and Brandon Bernstein together in this new video from Sturgis this year.
The Ski/Snowboard Tab
Chances are that if you have visited Perewitz Cycle Fab you’ve met Kory Souza. If you’ve brought your motorcycle in for service, he’s worked on it and ‘made it all better’, I’m sure. He’s the behind the scenes guy that gets it done. He works hard on all the motorcycles that come in, he loads and unloads the haulers going to the shows and he’s part of the road crew that makes sure all those gorgeous bikes get where they are going safely.
When he’s not in the shop, you can find Kory racing around on one of his “50s”, mini bike. I’ve seen the impromptu races in the parking lot on a slow day, which are too fun. Last year he organized an inside 50s bike race inside at a local go-kart track. All the proceeds went to the National MS Society. Kory has a heart of gold for sure.
With all this powersports action, why the ski/snowboard tab? Easy….it's hard to keep any action sports person quiet for too long. When there’s too much snow on the ground to ride motorcycles, Kory heads for New Hampshire to snowboard, of course. He's equally as passionate about that.
Specialty Tab
Eric Anastasia is truly a member of Team Kryptonite. He’s our Eastern Regional Manager and resident hiking and climbing nut. All of that gear that you see in the photo isn’t staged or borrowed; it’s all his. The guy has toys – something tells me that this isn’t all the gear either. It’s just a feeling I have. And, I’m not talking about the motorcycle either (yup, he’s got one of those, too).
If you are on the East Coast and own a bicycle or powersports shop or frequent one, chances are you'll meet Eric.
Thanks to all of these guys for participating in the fun. Now, if you haven't been over to the site, go check it out and read, in their own words, why they have an unbreakable bond to these sports.
We’re pumped to have this next group of folks on our site. They represent Kryptonite through either their employment here or their great partnership with us. Not to mention they are darn cool people. Here’s a little more on each of them.
The Bike Tab
Roland Burns is the co-founder/owner of R.E.Load Bags in Philly. Have you seen the exquisite custom bags that come out of there? No? Go look. Right now. I’ll wait…..Did you check out the custom stock? No? Seriously, these are some kick *ss bags. Go back…I’ll wait….
Roland with his custom Bilenky and one of his custom bags
Out and about in Philly
Ro organizes messenger races in Philly, too, and he couldn’t be nicer to work with- The Rocky races, North American Championships and a bunch others I’m sure I don’t know about. He’s a man on the move – all the time. But, he did slow down long enough to come visit the booth at Interbike where he and his friends got a sneak peek at his new page. I think it’s great that he’ll be the welcoming face to Kryptonite for the next couple of months.
The Motorcycle Tab
Jeff Clark’s from North Carolina and is the co-founder/owner of The Cycle Xchange (TCX), a custom motorcycle shop. They both build and service all kinds of custom bikes – one of which you see on the front of our website. Jeff is also the driver of the TCX/Budweiser Burnout Bike. It’s a TCX built bike that has a NASCAR back tire that they do burnouts with…and then the crew changes the tire and Jeff goes at it again. It’s kinda fun to watch. Check it out.
Jeff at TCX in January when I had a chance to hang out with him for a bit.
Not only does he put in more than a full week at The Cycle Xchange, but he’s a pretty busy guy on the weekends, too. He’s a proud dad of very active kids who are off at one sporting event or another and then on Sundays it’s all about racing. Not in front of the TV or in the stands like you and me….he’s a member of Dale Earnhardt Junior’s pit crew! He’s the guy that keeps Dale Junior fueled up during the race. You can see Jeff, Dale Junior and Brandon Bernstein together in this new video from Sturgis this year.
The TCX showroom. To see more, hit their MySpace page
The Ski/Snowboard Tab
Chances are that if you have visited Perewitz Cycle Fab you’ve met Kory Souza. If you’ve brought your motorcycle in for service, he’s worked on it and ‘made it all better’, I’m sure. He’s the behind the scenes guy that gets it done. He works hard on all the motorcycles that come in, he loads and unloads the haulers going to the shows and he’s part of the road crew that makes sure all those gorgeous bikes get where they are going safely.
Kory racin' to the max
When he’s not in the shop, you can find Kory racing around on one of his “50s”, mini bike. I’ve seen the impromptu races in the parking lot on a slow day, which are too fun. Last year he organized an inside 50s bike race inside at a local go-kart track. All the proceeds went to the National MS Society. Kory has a heart of gold for sure.
Getting ready to ride
With all this powersports action, why the ski/snowboard tab? Easy….it's hard to keep any action sports person quiet for too long. When there’s too much snow on the ground to ride motorcycles, Kory heads for New Hampshire to snowboard, of course. He's equally as passionate about that.
Specialty Tab
Eric Anastasia is truly a member of Team Kryptonite. He’s our Eastern Regional Manager and resident hiking and climbing nut. All of that gear that you see in the photo isn’t staged or borrowed; it’s all his. The guy has toys – something tells me that this isn’t all the gear either. It’s just a feeling I have. And, I’m not talking about the motorcycle either (yup, he’s got one of those, too).
Eric hanging out in the mountains of New Hampshire
Eric started in the marketing department here, but recently "defected" to sales. We tease him about that all the time, but it’s been a great move for him and he’s good at what he does. I think he likes traveling around the East Coast to find more places to hike and camp…just a theory.
If you are on the East Coast and own a bicycle or powersports shop or frequent one, chances are you'll meet Eric.
Thanks to all of these guys for participating in the fun. Now, if you haven't been over to the site, go check it out and read, in their own words, why they have an unbreakable bond to these sports.
Cheer On Nicole In Daytona
Team Kryptonite member, Nicole Hoffman, will be competing this weekend in the 8 Hours of Daytona. This Biketoberfest event is going to be an exciting one so if you are in Florida or headed down for the festivities drop by and cheer Nicole and her Rights for Bikers.com team on!
This is the last event in the SunTrust MOTO-ST Series for 2007. Racing starts tomorrow at 1pm. Get on over there.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Perewitz Movie Night
by Jody Perewitz
We will be having a Ride-In Movie Night tomorrow night! The idea of it is that people ride their bikes here and sit on them or in the parking lot and watch a movie. Well, I am sure that a lot of people will come with kids in cars but that’s ok too!
We have a big screen that is going on the front of the building and surround sound to make sure everyone can hear the movie. We will be playing Wild Hogs staring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy. The movie is a comedy about 4 guys' motorcycle journey 2000 miles across country.
I have seen this idea at some other dealerships and thought it was a great idea. We have 4 bike nights throughout the summer and I like to try a different event in the fall. Previous years we have done a kids day, HOG members day, and now a Ride-In Movie.
Hopefully this event will attract neighbors, motorcyclists, kids, customers and anyone else interested. This should be a fun family event that can tie together motorcycles and families.
The concession stand will be open. We will have fresh popcorn, snacks, candy, and warm hot cocoa in case it gets a little chilly! We are bringing our picnic tables over to the screen so if people come on bikes or anyone that wants to sit at the tables can.
So bring your chairs, blankets, and the kids for Perewitz Movie Night tomorrow October 19th!
Hope to see you there!
We will be having a Ride-In Movie Night tomorrow night! The idea of it is that people ride their bikes here and sit on them or in the parking lot and watch a movie. Well, I am sure that a lot of people will come with kids in cars but that’s ok too!
We have a big screen that is going on the front of the building and surround sound to make sure everyone can hear the movie. We will be playing Wild Hogs staring Tim Allen, John Travolta, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy. The movie is a comedy about 4 guys' motorcycle journey 2000 miles across country.
I have seen this idea at some other dealerships and thought it was a great idea. We have 4 bike nights throughout the summer and I like to try a different event in the fall. Previous years we have done a kids day, HOG members day, and now a Ride-In Movie.
Hopefully this event will attract neighbors, motorcyclists, kids, customers and anyone else interested. This should be a fun family event that can tie together motorcycles and families.
The concession stand will be open. We will have fresh popcorn, snacks, candy, and warm hot cocoa in case it gets a little chilly! We are bringing our picnic tables over to the screen so if people come on bikes or anyone that wants to sit at the tables can.
So bring your chairs, blankets, and the kids for Perewitz Movie Night tomorrow October 19th!
Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Kryptonite at the Tour of Britain
With all the shows and schedules what they are, we're just getting these photos up. Check 'em out. Kryptonite at Crystal Palace during the Tour of Britain. By all accounts, it was jam packed all day with bikes.
Do you think everyone knew we were there? Gotta love that screaming yellow, eh?
Thanks to our great partners at Madison for making this happen and sending along the photos!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Bomb Blast Protection
I got this email from Karen the other day that said I really needed to see what the Ingersoll Rand European safety team was working on and she gave me a link. Now, I'm sorry, I'm not into doors....doesn't get me excited. I walk threw two here at the office every morning and don't even think about it. I'm sure the door folks think the same about us sometimes (geez, it's just a lock..). But, being a good corporate citizen, I clicked on the link.
Holy Moly...click on the Bomb Blast Doors Link here and watch the video. Bombs. They set of bombs in front of the doors. Crazy people. I want those doors here on this building. Ok, we are in a safe suburb with not much going on here but still....after you see the video you'll know why I want those doors here. Too, too cool. These are sliding doors that can withstand a vehicle bomb. I'm not kidding. It blew me away (oh, bad pun, I know).
Holy Moly...click on the Bomb Blast Doors Link here and watch the video. Bombs. They set of bombs in front of the doors. Crazy people. I want those doors here on this building. Ok, we are in a safe suburb with not much going on here but still....after you see the video you'll know why I want those doors here. Too, too cool. These are sliding doors that can withstand a vehicle bomb. I'm not kidding. It blew me away (oh, bad pun, I know).
Monday, October 15, 2007
At the Races!
As I mentioned, I was in Charlotte over the weekend for the NASCAR races. As you know by now, I'm a complete NASCAR nut - that's no secret. My friends send me tires, for goodness sake, because they know I'll think it's darn cool.
But, this weekend I was able to see NASCAR through the eyes of some 'rookies' and it was even more fun. Roby and I were able to take some of our customers to the race this weekend - one was a NASCAR fan just like me and we hit it off great. But, I wasn't so sure how Roby and the other three guys were going to fare. Roby has been to one NASCAR race, but that was a few years ago and hasn't really seemed interested to go again. The other guys hadn't been to a race but were game to give it a go and see what it was all about. Turns out they were all fabulous race companions and I think everyone came out of there with an interest in the sport, which is cool to me.
Roby saw things he's never seen before like converted buses and the most loyal fans in sports showing pride in their favorite drivers. When I say to him, "there's nothing like it," he's now a believer.
The race on Friday night was good, but I'm not sure good enough to make fans out of the 'rookies'. Saturday, however, was a whole different ballgame.
The view from the suite. It was right between turns 1 and 2.
Craig did an excellent job making sure everything was just right in the 24 car before the race! So good, in fact, that this ended up being the winning car! Thanks, Craig!
Check out the special 'guest' down on pit road!!!
Roby the Race Fan!
But, this weekend I was able to see NASCAR through the eyes of some 'rookies' and it was even more fun. Roby and I were able to take some of our customers to the race this weekend - one was a NASCAR fan just like me and we hit it off great. But, I wasn't so sure how Roby and the other three guys were going to fare. Roby has been to one NASCAR race, but that was a few years ago and hasn't really seemed interested to go again. The other guys hadn't been to a race but were game to give it a go and see what it was all about. Turns out they were all fabulous race companions and I think everyone came out of there with an interest in the sport, which is cool to me.
The view from 7 stories above the track
Roby and I went out to Lowe's Motor Speedway on Friday morning to get the lay of the land and have a meeting with one of their sales folks, John Cox. We chatted about some programs and then John was nice enough to take some time out of his extremely busy race weeken
d to give us a tour of the facility via his Club Car. John....you ROCK!
d to give us a tour of the facility via his Club Car. John....you ROCK!Roby saw things he's never seen before like converted buses and the most loyal fans in sports showing pride in their favorite drivers. When I say to him, "there's nothing like it," he's now a believer.
Our customers arrived Friday afternoon. We were fortunate that Craig and Tom from Western Powersports were able to join us as were Alan and Ed from Tucker Rocky. I met them all for the first time and we boarded the bus out to the track for the Busch series race. A big kudos to Craig who had just arrived back the day before from half way around the world - but after spending a weekend at the track with him, I now know that not much would have kept him from these races! He's a pretty big Greg Biffle fan.
The race on Friday night was good, but I'm not sure good enough to make fans out of the 'rookies'. Saturday, however, was a whole different ballgame.
We were able to take a stroll through the pits, see some cars, converse with some guys on the crews and just generally soak it all in. I think I started to see some NASCAR fans emerge in our group....it was great to see the guys getting excited about where we were and what we were seeing. Made me excited to be there and be one of the people to show it all to them. I wish we'd had a little longer in the pits, but soon it was time to exit and hit the suite to get situated, get some food and watch the race. Apple carmel pie...that's all I'm saying about the food. Yummmm....
Personally, I thought the race was awesome, but then again, I'm a Jeff Gordon fan. I've been to a bunch of races, but never saw him win live before. That was just awesome! I felt badly that Craig's driver didn't have a good night, but not that badly as I watched Jeff do his celebratory burnout.....
Here are photos of the weekend. Enjoy.
Here are photos of the weekend. Enjoy.
The things you see in front of the speedway....
Just about every team hauler had bicycles with them.
Tom and Alan wondered if they should attend the Rookie Meeting.
The view from the suite. It was right between turns 1 and 2.
Tom found Tony Stewart's car heading for inspection. Later Tom was sporting a #20 hat. Shhh...I even saw him wearing it on Sunday morning! Do I sense a new Stewart fan???
Alan seemed to like Denny Hamlin's car.
Ed found the Hendrick gang with the #5 car.
Craig not only inspected Greg Biffle's car before it went out on the track....
..he and Ed also seemed to be getting some race strategy secrets from the crew.
Roby found the stash of spare parts for his favorite car. This isn't unusual since each team has full kits ready to go for every on track possibility.
Craig did an excellent job making sure everything was just right in the 24 car before the race! So good, in fact, that this ended up being the winning car! Thanks, Craig!
These tires went on to win the race!
Notice that the best teams partner with the best companies (see the Club Car logo on the pit box)
Check out the special 'guest' down on pit road!!!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
A NASCAR Surprise
Thanks to my friend Jeremy Pepper, who knows I'm a NASCAR nut, a got a fantabulous surprise yesterday! Even our UPS guy was impressed. Turns out he's a NASCAR fan, too.
Check it out!
Yes, folks that's an actual tire that was used on Jeff Gordon's car during the 2003 'Dega race. It even as a certificate of authenticity. The action figure is just an added bonus. The real treat is the tire. My office smells like rubber now. That's just too cool.
Thank you, Jeremy!!!! I absolutely love it!
And, this all came at a perfect time...I arrived today in Charlotte. Why? Well, there's a NASCAR race here this weekend, of course. Mr. Gordon just qualified 4th for Saturday night. So...think he'll give up his practice tires? I only need 3 to complete the set....
Check it out!
Yes, folks that's an actual tire that was used on Jeff Gordon's car during the 2003 'Dega race. It even as a certificate of authenticity. The action figure is just an added bonus. The real treat is the tire. My office smells like rubber now. That's just too cool.
Thank you, Jeremy!!!! I absolutely love it!
And, this all came at a perfect time...I arrived today in Charlotte. Why? Well, there's a NASCAR race here this weekend, of course. Mr. Gordon just qualified 4th for Saturday night. So...think he'll give up his practice tires? I only need 3 to complete the set....
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Breaking News - New Plog on the Block!
A "Plog"? What's a "Plog" you ask? It's the term Jody Perewitz has coined for the new Perewitz Blog! Yup, the Perewitz crew now has their very own blog...excuse me...Plog.
Life at Perewitz will be an inside look at everything Perewitz - where they go, what's cookin' at their shop, who visits and who they are and what their interests may be outside of motorcycles. Did you know that The King of Flames himself is a master landscaper? Now you do. Did you know that Susan Perewitz is a great cook? Now you do...actually, I already knew that because I've been lucky enough to be there at lunch time, but now you know it, too.
Jody will be the main voice on the Plog but others will chime in, too. Yours truly included. I'm very excited because Jody has said that I don't need to write about motorcycles there if I don't want to...I can write about anything Perewitz that I experience when I visit or attend an event with them. Oh, I can come up with a few fun stories for their Plog....stay tuned.
So, go on over and welcome Jody to the blogosphere...or maybe it will be so popular before you know it we'll all be calling it the Plogosphere!
Life at Perewitz will be an inside look at everything Perewitz - where they go, what's cookin' at their shop, who visits and who they are and what their interests may be outside of motorcycles. Did you know that The King of Flames himself is a master landscaper? Now you do. Did you know that Susan Perewitz is a great cook? Now you do...actually, I already knew that because I've been lucky enough to be there at lunch time, but now you know it, too.
Jody will be the main voice on the Plog but others will chime in, too. Yours truly included. I'm very excited because Jody has said that I don't need to write about motorcycles there if I don't want to...I can write about anything Perewitz that I experience when I visit or attend an event with them. Oh, I can come up with a few fun stories for their Plog....stay tuned.
So, go on over and welcome Jody to the blogosphere...or maybe it will be so popular before you know it we'll all be calling it the Plogosphere!
Wonder Woman Lock Contest
The next installment of our 'win the lock' contest. Answer the question correctly and be entered in a drawing to win the Wonder Woman padlock.
by Ryan Sawyer, graphic designer
Wonder Woman can fly, so why does she need a jet...and for the matter, why does it need to be invisible? She doesn't turn invisible when she's in it, so it just looks like a lady sitting
down, zooming through the air. Do you remember when Spider-Man briefly used a dune buggy that could drive up walls? Same concept. It's like giving Aquaman some scuba gear.Also, I wonder if her "Lasso of Truth" would hold up in court as a legal evidence. I certainly don't think she reads the criminals their rights before she hog ties them with her lasso, and anything they say while being detained by her is almost certainly coerced, since her lasso "forces" them to tell the truth. That'd be a sad day, wouldn't it? Wonder Woman finally catches Lex Luthor red handed doing something incredibly illegal, but the case gets thrown out of court because his "confession" is inadmissable and the invisible security cameras on her invisible jet use invisible tape, so no one can see the footage.
Trivia question: Wonder Woman's creator, William Moulton Marston, had a hand in creating what popular law enforcement tool?
As usual, please email your answers to Donna, donna(underscore)tocci(at)irco(dot)com. Good luck!
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Congrats to Andy Zalan - 2007 Markus Cook Award Winner
Congrats to our friend Andy Z down in DC - he's the recipient of the prestigious Markus Cook Award this year. The official press release from the IFBMA is below because they can say it much better than I.....
Congrats Andy from all of your friends here at Kryptonite!
The International Federation of Bicycle Messenger Associations (IFBMA) is pleased to announce that Washington DC messenger Andy Zalan has been awarded the 2007 Markus Cook Award. The Cook Award is given annually to bike messengers who best represent the camaraderie and community spirit of the international messenger community. In the past year, Andy set up the Destination Dublin race series in Washington that enabled several DC messengers to travel to the Cycle Messenger World Championships in Dublin , Ireland . His annual bike messenger calendar is a tribute to those who work day in and day out.
However, beyond Andy¢s accomplishments of the last year, lies a decade long history of community advocacy and bridge building among American and European messengers. Andy is one of the founders of the District of Columbia Bike Couriers Association, one of the first organizers of alleycat racing in Washington and he brought the world to his city as host of the
1998 Cycle Messenger World Championships. Andy has been instrumental to the continued success of the CMWC and is a critical component of the international messenger community. In his nomination for the award, veteran Swiss messenger, Luk Keller accurately summed up the international messenger community¢s appreciation of Andy Zalan: "He never loses the spirit. He unites every aspect of what I like about messengers (he¢s uncomplicated, he can race, he can party, he's good-looking, he's smart, friendly, badass...helpful) and by being the way he is he unites the messenger mob with the messenger snob."
With all this in mind, the IFBMA and previous Markus Cook Award winners are pleased to welcome Andy to the list of winners.
Congrats Andy from all of your friends here at Kryptonite!
The International Federation of Bicycle Messenger Associations (IFBMA) is pleased to announce that Washington DC messenger Andy Zalan has been awarded the 2007 Markus Cook Award. The Cook Award is given annually to bike messengers who best represent the camaraderie and community spirit of the international messenger community. In the past year, Andy set up the Destination Dublin race series in Washington that enabled several DC messengers to travel to the Cycle Messenger World Championships in Dublin , Ireland . His annual bike messenger calendar is a tribute to those who work day in and day out.
However, beyond Andy¢s accomplishments of the last year, lies a decade long history of community advocacy and bridge building among American and European messengers. Andy is one of the founders of the District of Columbia Bike Couriers Association, one of the first organizers of alleycat racing in Washington and he brought the world to his city as host of the
1998 Cycle Messenger World Championships. Andy has been instrumental to the continued success of the CMWC and is a critical component of the international messenger community. In his nomination for the award, veteran Swiss messenger, Luk Keller accurately summed up the international messenger community¢s appreciation of Andy Zalan: "He never loses the spirit. He unites every aspect of what I like about messengers (he¢s uncomplicated, he can race, he can party, he's good-looking, he's smart, friendly, badass...helpful) and by being the way he is he unites the messenger mob with the messenger snob."
With all this in mind, the IFBMA and previous Markus Cook Award winners are pleased to welcome Andy to the list of winners.
Hiking, Climbing and Camping My Way to Interbike
by Eric Anastasia, Eastern Regional Manager
This was the fourth year that I boarded a plane in route to Las Vegas for Interbike (international bike tradeshow). The conventional way of traveling to Interbike for me is to board the plane at Boston’s Logan Airport and disembark in “Sin City” Las Vegas, Nevada.
This year was different. I did leave from Boston but I landed in Denver, Colorado, then traveled out to Vail to link up with a good friend of mine. He had planned a little journey for us; well over a thousand driving miles, 2 State Parks, 5 National Parks and countless miles of hiking all in 4 days. One of the days we hiked over 11 miles in under 6 hours, a little less then half of those miles where done in a river. The remainder was a 1400’ vertical hike with steep zig-zags though the mountain. (Zion N.P.)
The River
The Summit
Capitol Reef National Park
Goblin Valley State Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Zion National Park
This was by far the best Interbike I ever experienced. We already started talking about next year's trip and the route we are going to take.
This was the fourth year that I boarded a plane in route to Las Vegas for Interbike (international bike tradeshow). The conventional way of traveling to Interbike for me is to board the plane at Boston’s Logan Airport and disembark in “Sin City” Las Vegas, Nevada.
This year was different. I did leave from Boston but I landed in Denver, Colorado, then traveled out to Vail to link up with a good friend of mine. He had planned a little journey for us; well over a thousand driving miles, 2 State Parks, 5 National Parks and countless miles of hiking all in 4 days. One of the days we hiked over 11 miles in under 6 hours, a little less then half of those miles where done in a river. The remainder was a 1400’ vertical hike with steep zig-zags though the mountain. (Zion N.P.)
The River
The SummitI could go on and on about the incredible sights we saw but I will give it to you simple.
Arched National Park
Capitol Reef National Park
Goblin Valley State Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
Zion National Park
And finally, Red Rocks
This was by far the best Interbike I ever experienced. We already started talking about next year's trip and the route we are going to take.
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