Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Update - Tim Jackson/Masiguy

Thanks to our friend KK, we have an official Tim Jackson sighting....I'm going to tell you...before you click...it ain't pretty. But, he's talking on the phone and, according to KK's report, he's eating (always a good sign)...

Here's a bit of KK's report....

He hit the boards at about 30 mph trying to avoid another rider. He was on a brand new bike, 24 laps into a 25 lap race... He sustained a concussion, a broken rib and nearly severed his right thumb clean off. At the moment he has a blood clot behind his left eye and three cracked vertebrae in his neck - hence the neck brace - which they say he'll have to live with for the next six weeks. We are waiting for the results of a cat scan to determine the condition of his right knee...

Tim, my good friend, you are in our thoughts and prayers....get well soon.

UPDATE: Blue Squirrel/Masibestfriend has pretty constant updates on his site. Here's a segment of his post from last night after leaving the hospital:
i saw a picture of his catlike helmet, and it was like a open calm shell, with the hinge at the front and back gone. the news about his right knee is not looking so good as of this evening, we are still waiting on the direct news from the doctor, but he had a CT scan and it showed that it was fractured, but that is all we know right now, other than it is completely swollen. they keep finding new road rash. one rib is fractured and one lung bruised, but not deflated and he is breathing fine. the right thumb is the real question mark along with the right kneecap. the surgery on the thumb to reattach it was a success, but it will take a few days to really find out. the thumb was not completely severed because of the accident, but it was not fully attached. the surgeon said that every looks towards a full recovery. in fact he is in good spirits and really appears to be on the road to recovery and should be out of the hospital by friday. as far as i can tell is that he should be fine. tim sends his regards to everyone and to thank everyone for their kind remarks and wishes.

KK tells me that Tim says he's still got a lot of bike riding in him so that tells me his spirits are good....or maybe it's the Morphine talking...hmmm...time will tell, but one thing is for sure...as soon as he is able, Tim will take us all along with him on his recovery...and, I'm sure, he'll document the first time he gets back on a bike.

Masiguy - Tim Jackson

I just got a comment from Blue Squirrel, who happens to be a cool guy and the Masiguy's best friend. Y'all know Masiguy from his blog or from the times I've mentioned him here. Tim Jackson is a good friend to me personally and we've collaborated professionally a couple of times, too. A great, great guy.

Well, Blue Squirrel floored me with his comment to go read his blog about Tim....OH MY GOODNESS! He's been hurt...badly....while on his bike. He's having surgery today!

I'm hoping Blue doesn't mind me posting his update here (below picture). Please continue to watch his blog and this space for updates on Tim. Please keep this fellow cyclists and all around great guy in your thoughts and prayers.

NOT COOL
unfortunately i have some bad news to report concerning one of our star riders, tim, aka masiguy, action jackson, maggie.apparently a total nob slowed down in front of him at the SD velodrome last night and tim tried to go high and ended up hitting the boards at 30mph +. he sustained a concussion [he was out for 5 minutes], broken ribs, a few fractured neck bones and a mangled thumb that will have surgery done on it today. please keep tim in your prays and i will update his legions of fans here as soon as i know more.


UPDATE: KK, who is a frequent contributor here and a wonderfully funny and warm woman, has sent me a note saying that she just talked with Tim's nurse and that Tim's out of surgery and doing well. He's resting now, but she's headed to the hospital to see for herself. Blue Squirrel is headed there tonight, too. Wish I could go with them...but there's 3,000 miles between here and there. Keep sending those good vibes, folks!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Tattooed Crew Contest

by Roberta Fahey, Customer Service
and
Bashful, Customer Service




Craig's tattoo inspired us to run this fun contest. Match the correct Team Kryptonite member to the correct tattoo. The first 3 people with all the correct answers win a Justice League padlock -your choice of character.

Of course, you also get braggin' rights, which is priceless.


A.....and....B


C.


D.


E............and.................F.



G.





Team Kryptonite members:
Bashful, Dave Perewitz, Donna Tocci, Jody Perewitz, Melissa McPherson, Roberta Fahey, Roby Holland

The Great Bike Roll Out

Once you love cycling and are in the industry it never leaves you. How do I know? A couple of weeks ago our founder, Michael Zane, donated 96 bicycles to his college, Franklin & Marshall. The donation was part of Sustainability Week and encourages more students to go out and experience their campus and surroundings on the bicycle.

Each of the bikes has Franklin & Marshall painted on it and, I'll bet if you look closely you'll see a lock on the bikes....don't know what kind Michael would have chosen....do you?

Congrats, Michael - that's being a true partner alumnus while helping the environment!

Friday, April 25, 2008

The life of the traveling salesman

by Craig Glab, Central Regional Manager


The four weeks. The whole month. It’s just about over and I’ve been gone all month.

Week 1 – Minneapolis/St. Paul. After the fine experience of my first tattoo, Don Shipman and myself traveled with the Tucker Rocky reps in Minneapolis/St. Paul. We went to both motorcycle and bicycle shops, sharing our experiences and fine tuning each other.

Week 2 – I drove down to Chicago, IL and Roby Holland, might I say, our National Sales Manager, came out and traveled with me that Monday and Tuesday. He was showing me the city of Chicago through his eyes. We also did a Lexco open house (one of our distributors) that Tuesday night while we were there.

Week 3 – I was in Portland, Oregon to meet with a potential new customer. We’ll be excited to bring them on board! Flew to Charlotte, NC to attend Ingersoll Rand’s internal school – IRU. I was sharpening up my skills to be a better salesman.

Now I’m home; it’s 80 degrees out but I’ve got emails to read and mail to go through. I can’t wait for next week. I’m on vacation! I’m turning my cell phone and everything else off. I’ll be working on my custom motorcycle.

See you in May – I’ll be back in Charlotte, NC for the May 17th race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway where we are the official motorcycle parking area of the speedway.

Dentist and Rock Racing

It's a gorgeous day here in New England. Sun is shining, spring temps and, well...it's FRIDAY!

I was going to write about how many motorcycles are cruising by my house every night (dramatic rise so it is very noticable) and some of the motorcycles I've seen. That's so appropriate and there are some cool bikes to talk about.

But, then I started my day at the dentist at 8am today. By the time I was done there and made it to the office, I've decided that I'm going to write about something I really want to - at the risk of writing about them too much - Rock Racing. Hey, you have the dentist say to you, "You need to come back and don't worry too much...it won't be bad." Then you tell me you wouldn't have stopped at Dunkin' Donuts and got a "comfort food" muffin, too, and then write about your new favorite team. Go ahead...I dare you.

So, I get to the office and see a new article about Michael Ball on Bicycling.com by Bill Gifford. Ok, tea, muffin and a good interview with the Rock Star himself. Day's getting better.

I don't know if you like Rock Racing or not. Or if you agree with the team Ball's put together. But you have to admire Michael Ball. He grew up very poor, he had some run-ins with the law and then he started a clothing company that is estimated at $100 million annually. Is that not a true rags to riches story? That's cool.

He believes in second chances (yeah!), he believes in branding (are you listening cycling world...) and he thinks he can bring his line of cycling inspired clothes to Bloomies and Neiman Marcus. What? That's interesting. But, I'll bet he will.

Michael Ball believes in doing cycling a little differently. If you haven't been paying attention, cycling does not need to be going down the same ole path it's been going down, it needs different. But, if you purists listen closely he understands cycling and truly loves it, "It's one of the last romantic sports." Yes, that surprised me, too.

Y'all might not be used to the flash, but the Rock Stars are here to stay and I'm psyched they are. If I get the chance to meet Michael, I'll shake his hand and congratulate him. And, if it's after May 20, I'll probably be wearing some Rock Racing gear when I do it.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Rock Racing Gear is Here...Almost!

Maybe it's been my pestering...or maybe a lot of you have been pestering them....but Rock Racing has finally announced when their gear is going to be for sale. May 20th. Only 26 days away (no, I'm not that fanatical; they have a counter on the front of their site).

Mark your calendars for May 20th! Until then, you can view it here and I must say, that green and black is kick butt! It's called Body Armour/Venom. HA!

Good stuff, guys!

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Moto Unicycle

by Eric Anastasia, Eastern Regional Manager



While I was online poking around some of my frequently traveled sites I came across this image. I don’t know much about it or if it even works, but it’s pretty cool looking so I thought I would share.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Lance Breezes Through Boston Marathon

Lance Armstrong just finished the Boston Marathon in a time of 2:50:58! Dang, that's pretty good. Since he was such a billy goat on the bike in the mountains, he must have thrived on Heartbreak Hill.

He finished 488th overall and ran at an average pace of 6:32 miles per hour. That qualifies him for next year's Boston - wonder if he'll be back...

Congrats, Mr. LiveStrong!

Photo: Reuters

Happy Marathon Day!

It's Marathon Monday here in the Baystate (Massachusetts) - the 112th running of the Boston Marathon. Wheelchair racers start at 9:25am, women at 9:35am and 10am for the men. The US Women's Olympic trials were held here yesterday. Congrats to Deena Kaster, Lewy Boulet, and Blake Russell on making the Olympic team! I know Blake's coach, Bob Sevene ("Sev"), quite well so congrats to them! Sev's coached many Olympians over the years, but having Blake qualify in the marathon reminds me that he coached someone else in the marathon back in 1984 and she came away with the Gold medal...yes, Ms. Joan Benoit. Go Blake!

I have a special place in my heart for the Boston Marathon - it's where I started my career, made a lot of friends (like Sev) and had a lot of fun. You can read about my favorite part of Race Weekend and Race Day on my blog. It was a magical time.

I wish Dave McGillivray (race director), Sue Smith (start line announcer) and all of the marathon volunteers and officials a wonderful day.

To the wheelchair racers and runners - I wish you all personal best times! Including one Lance Armstrong, who will be in the pack.

Update: Lance Armstrong passed through the half marathon at 1:26. He's running at a 6:38 per mile pace, which gives him a projected time of 2:53, which is under the 3 hours he wants to run. Remember, he's still got the infamous Heartbreak Hill to go.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Perewitz Custom Seats

by Jody Perewitz



We recently formed a business relationship with Continental Seating out of Texas. Last week while Dave was in Dallas, he went to the factory where our new custom chairs are made. We will be selling these theatre chairs with the Perewitz logo on them or your bike embroidered on it!

The chairs arrived here Thursday. Dave ripped open the boxes and immediately took a seat! We have one set up in the "living room" at the shop and the other one will be going on the road with us. There are 2 different models. One is a basic but still nice model, then there is a model with chrome legs, massage, heat, and wicked nice leather!

We took one with us this past weekend to a show on Long Island. It was a big hit! Everyone loved it. It also added a nice custom touch to our booth. We had Michele Smith from American Thunder lounging in it for a little while.


It was tough to conduct business while sitting in the chair… Jeff was able to do it though! We couldn’t get Jeff out of the chair.

The show was really busy so Dave was constantly talking, taking pictures, and signing autographs with customers otherwise I would bet he would be in the chair.

You can purchase these chairs for your home theatre, office, living room, etc. We will have pricing for these ASAP, so check our website for more info!

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Rock Stars in Georgia

With all the talk of tattoos, I've been a little behind in the news this week. Just saw this morning that the Rock Stars will be at the Tour of Georgia! Yes, Rock Racing will be there, in full on Monday. Yes, Yes, YES! Finally, some sensibility to this cycling season.

I don't usually do this, but I feel so strongly about this topic that I'm pasting their press release:

Fulton County, Ga. — Professional cycling fans will get their wish after all: Rock Racing will be a part of the 2008 Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T after reaching a settlement with race organizer, Medalist Sports, LLC.

The overwhelming favorite pro team in a recent online poll by Bicycling Magazine, Rock Racing will be a part of the six-day, 660-mile stage race that begins Monday, April 21. The team’s roster for the race will be announced in the coming days.

“The fans told us they wanted us to be there,” says Team Owner Michael Ball. “We are pleased that we were able to work with Medalist to come to a mutually beneficial decision. Now the race will truly field the best of the best of international and domestic pro cycling teams which will only build on the momentum created for domestic cycling at the Tour of California.”

Today’s decision was made after ProTour team Saunier Duval-Scott announced they would not be racing due to numerous injuries of key riders. Rock Racing had filed an injunction earlier this month to be allowed entry into the race.A hearing in the case was scheduled for earlier today but the two parties settled out of court.

Ball said a flood of e-mails, letters and phone calls from fans in support of the team could not be ignored.“The team is ready to race. Santiago Botero’s win and the team’s performance at Redlands is a clear indication of what to expect next week in Georgia,” said Ball.

Rock Racing’s Botero convincingly won the Redlands Bicycle Classic by 54 seconds in his first ever race in the United States. In capturing the overall, Botero also won the King of the Mountains classification and one stage of the four-day race.At the Amgen Tour of California in February, Rock Racing was equally impressive by scoring seven top 10 finishes during the seven-stage, 650-mile race. To date in 2008, the team has won six races and registered 15 podium finishes.


Way to go Michael Ball!

Rock Racing brings with it all the flash and marketing of a well-oiled NASCAR team. Now, I know that's probably a bad analogy for the cycling world (lots of gas, pollution etc), but marketing-wise, it's a good one. Cycling needs that NASCAR feel - it needs that flash, it needs personalities, it needs a boost and, if you'd like to think of them this way (I don't), it needs some "bad boys" (in a good way, of course).

Now, I will whole-heartedly say - GO, support the Tour of Georgia! GO out on the roads, watch the race, chalk the road, cheer your hearts out. This is going to be one heck of a race. I can't wait to watch it unfold every single day.

To Tyler and all the Rock Stars - Allez! Allez!

Oh, just one thing....again, Rock Racing...where's your gear!? C'mon - we can't wait to get our hands on it.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

My First Tattoo – Perewitz Style

by Craig Glab, Central Regional Manager



Dave Perewitz and I went to Acme Tattoo the Saturday of Donnie Smith’s show in St. Paul, MN last month. Nolan, the owner of Acme Tattoo, measured my arm with wax paper. When that was complete he handed it over to Dave, the King of Flames.

Dave began to draw out the flames on the paper that would eventually make it to my arm.



But it didn’t happen that Saturday because Nolan was pre-booked with all the Hamsters that were in town. Nolan is known all over the United States for being the best. A lot of the Hamsters will only have Nolan tattoo them. Dave got a new tattoo as well as Susan, Kory and Jody.



I had to come back Tuesday, April Fool’s Day. There was non-stop joking in the building. It took three nights to complete. On Tuesday night I sat for 2 hours, Wednesday night I sat for 1 ½ hours and Thursday night Nolan finished it in 1 ½ hours.


Don Shipman sat with me for a couple of nights. Talk about team support.

Tim Remus was there Tuesday and Wednesday night, too. He was shooting for a new tattoo book that he’s doing. I think mine will make the book!



When I left Nolan’s his wife gave me a bunch of temporary tattoos for my boys. We had a great time with them this past weekend. They had tattoos all up their arms, too.


I love my first tattoo. Right now it is scabby so it doesn’t look as bright and vivid as it did those nights, but it will be ready to add to it when I go back up that way in June.



Photos by Craig Glab, Don Shipman and Tim Remus

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Newest Icon Team Member

Look who is stylin' in some new Icon gear....Ms. Jody Perewitz! Seems like the folks at Icon are realizing what we already know - Jody is a great addition to any team! Congrats, Jody!

So, do you think that Jody will start doing stunts like fellow Icon rider, Jason Britton?


Always wear your helmet folks!

Monday, April 14, 2008

Craig's First Tattoo

Thanks to our friend Tim Remus of Wolfgang Publications, we have a couple of photos to share with you of Craig getting his first tattoo. Can you believe it is only his first?

I'll let him tell you the story, but here are a few photos for a sneak peek....




Sunday, April 13, 2008

Safe Bikes in Europe

If you are headed from the United States to Europe with your bike, what don't you forget? Your locks, of course.

John from the Demon Cats sent me these photos from his recent trip to Amsterdam etc.

He writes, "Our bikes spent four nights on the street in Amsterdam, one night in Antwerp, one night in Brugges, one night in Middelburg and one night in Rotterdam- bikes never even got bothered!"

But, check out why....yup, that's two Evolution Minis securing those bikes. Cool.

Thanks for the shots, John! We love seeing things like this.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Spring at Kryptonite

Bashful, Customer Service


Look who we found behind the building today! It truly must be spring in Massachusetts now.





Photography by Don Warren

Kudos for Today!

As I am looking through the news of the day two items came to my attention that I want to make sure you all see - they are both good things.

First off, for helping the environment...kudos to Thule. Bicycle Retailer is reporting today that Thule is going to power part of its headquarters with solar energy starting this summer! How cool is that? They are also encourging employees to ride bikes to work. After seeing Fritz's photo of gas prices in California, I wonder if New England isn't too far behind (Thule is in CT). Smart all the way around at Thule. Bravo!

My second kudos? To the Tour of Utah. Why? Because they've picked the teams to compete in August and guess who made the list? Yup, Rock Racing! Why? Well, because event director Terry McGinnis is a smart man. Check out his quote in The Salt Lake Tribune:

"They're a team that creates a lot of buzz wherever they go, and as a race director I think buzz is good," he said. "We definitely appreciate their media savvy and new image they have."

Terry, if we lived closer I'd go shake your hand. If not for this being the same weekend as the Falmouth Road Race, I'd come out to the race, too. But, I'll be there in spirit. BRAVO!

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Happy Birthday Little Blog

So...a year ago today we set up this blog. Nearly 280 posts later, here we are. Like the very first post, I struggled this morning to be prolific (and giggled at myself trying). Instead, I decided to look back at that first post and see what I had planned for the blog and see how far we've come, or not.

We haven't done nearly all of the things I thought we would with this blog. Time got in the way, in some cases - there just never seems to be enough time to do all of the things you want to do. So, while we had some great Unbreakable Bond stories, we didn't have as many as I'd want. The ones we did were great stories. If you missed some of them, please go back and read them. I want to do more of them in year 2. Look for more soon.

I also wanted you to get to know more about the people here at Kryptonite - not just me, but the passionate folks who work here. Did we succeed there? I don't know - you tell me. Somewhat, I think, but a struggle I've had, until recently, was getting some other folks here to blog. It took longer than I thought (surprisingly, they are shy, which I never would have imagined...ever!), but now they are participating more and more and, if truth be told, I think they are actually having some fun doing it. Shhhh...don't tell them that, though. While that took longer than I'd like, I think we are up and running there now and you'll hear from more than just me more often than ever before. C'mon, y'all have to be bored with me sometimes, right?!

Passion. We promised passion and we delivered. Whether it was Bobke talking about the Tour Day France, Dave Perewitz talking about protecting his motorcycles after breaking down, Craig building his motorcycle or me ranting about cycling (me, rant? nah...)...you got passion. There is no shortage of passion here.

The responses I've gotten, for the most part, have been very positive about this blog. Not everyone agrees with everything we post, but that's the point! But, what I want to know now is...what do you want to know? What do you want to see in year 2?

Do you love hearing about Rob's snowmobiling? Eric's hiking? Want to know where the Bobber project is at? Do you want me to rant away about the state of cycling ('cause, don't kid yourself, I can...for days, just ask my Spokesmen cohorts!). What do you want to know more about? Let me know - either here in the comments or via email
donna(underscore)tocci(at)irco(dot)com

Until then...thank you for giving us a chance. Thanks for the encouragement and the new friends I've made along the way. Thanks for having a different opinion and expressing it. Mostly, thanks for coming back and continuing to read.

We will all work hard to make sure that we give you multiple reasons to keep coming back to our little blog. Until then...maybe I should go look for a cake.....yummmm.....happy birthday little blog....

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

BIG KRYPTONITE NEWS!

Yes, it's Opening Day at Fenway, but that's not the only big news in town today. Kryptonite has some pretty BIG...HUGE news of our own....we have a "new" general manager.


No, no, no...don't panic. SHE isn't so new at all....as a matter of fact, you all know HER....yes, there is a woman at the helm of Kryptonite now.....Ms. Karen Rizzo!



Karen welcomes Bryan and Scott to our booth at the Indy show

Karen's been with Kryptonite for 14 years and knows our business inside and out. She may be learning to sit in a new chair, but the industries we play in she knows very well.

We expect great things with Karen leading the charge. She's already made up her mind about a few things....but I'll let her say them in her own words....

“For the last 14 years, I’ve had the privilege to be a part of this dynamic brand. It is my intention to reclaim the spirit, the essence if you will, of the Kryptonite brand that everyone internally and externally loves so passionately. We will do that by hard work and reconnecting with our customers better than we have in a long while."

Perfectly said, don't cha think?

Congrats, Karen!

Reporting Live from Fenway Park....

Melissa McPherson, Red Sox Fan and Customer Service Rep



It's Opening Day at Fenway Park. You can feel the excitement in the air here at Fenway. There is a crazy atmosphere and tons of people just hanging out waiting for the start of the game.

The weather is nice for a New England April day. Not too cold and it is sunny. We are having a blast so far!

The Ring Ceremony is at 1pm. The first pitch at 2:05pm by DICE K!



Let's GO SOX!

Rock Stars in California

Tyler Hamilton and the other Rock Stars lead the peloton

Did y'all see the results for the 24th Annual Redlands Bicycle Classic? Just who was at the top of the heap when it was all finished? A Rock Star, Santiago Botero!

If you followed along with The Daily Peloton you saw that Rock Racing team members were refered to as "Rock Stars". Not sure if that was The Daily Peloton dubbing them that, or if that came from the PR folks at Rock Racing. Either way, it's brilliant marketing.

The Rock Stars proved they are serious and here to stay...are you paying attention Tour of Georgia?

Just one thing for Rock Racing, though...where's the gear? Your growing fan base wants to get all decked out! Someone told me April....it's April....I want to start sporting some green and black gear gang! Get it out there.

Bravo, Rock Stars, Bravo!

Monday, April 07, 2008

Ouch!

by Sandy Salvatore, Sales Analyst


Oh this poor guy!

Biker Recovering After Collision with Turkey (bostonchannel.com)

Gear of the Day!

Our friends at Bicycling.com have chosen wisely for their "Gear of the Day" today. Ok, I might be biased.....but check it out.

Filmed By Bike in Portland

Headed out to Filmed by Bike this week in Portland? Make sure to ride your bike there (it's kind of the point, right?). Don't worry, there will be a bike valet area there! Yes, courtesy of Kryptonite.

What's Filmed by Bike? Here's what they have to say about themselves:

Filmed by Bike is the West Coast's premier bike-themed film festival. The festival embraces the art and innovation of bikes through the eyes of imaginative storytellers who use moving images to celebrate the world's most efficient and creative form of transportation. Since 2003, Filmed by Bike has showcased a love of two wheels in eight minutes or less. This festival-plus-party happens once a year in Bike City, USA: Portland Oregon. The event grabs hold of an entire weekend of screenings and features movies from around the globe.

It's Friday thru Sunday this week. Check out the website for more details. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? I'm just bummed it's so far away....

In related news, check out the new bike racks at Portland's City Hall. Way to go, Portland!

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Bicycle Anatomy for Beginners

Carlton Reid has created a wonderful tutorial for bike beginners. You know who you are, you love bikes - love the idea of them - ride a little - but still aren't quite sure what language your serious riding buddies are speaking when talking about upkeep. This video will help. Really. Check it out.

Oh, and another cool thing - the music was created by using bike parts. Clever.

The Perfect Storm

by Rob Zuraski, Director New Product Development



The planets seemed to align this past weekend to create the perfect storm this past Friday and ideal conditions to snowmobile up in northern NH. I was also surprised to come home after riding 90 miles Sunday morning to find perfect weather for an evening ride on the motorcycle.

Driving conditions were a bit rough on our trip up north and I had a first experience as a passenger in a powerslide in a truck towing a 4 place trailer after going through the Notch in northern NH. Luckily my friend Brad was able to recover after seeing the trailer on both sides of the truck. Whew!

If you are into snowmobiling or snow sports and need to get your last run in for the season there still appears to be plenty of snow up in NH but check the forecast before heading up. Here are some pictures from our trip!

Trail on way up to Stub Hill Pond


Stub Hill Pond


Perfectly groomed trails!



Unmanned gas pumps in the middle of no where just for us!



Perfect day for dog sledding too!


Devin, Brad and Tony


Wednesday, April 02, 2008

A Buzz Around Lowe's Motor Speedway

In March I was able to do something pretty darn cool. I was taken around Lowe’s Motor Speedway, in the pace car. Yea, me (!) buzzing around the track in the pace car. How? Well, that’s way cool, too.


We have recently become the official motorcycle parking area of Lowe’s Motor Speedway! How cool is that?! Seriously – when you go to the track for either of the May races or the fall race, we’ll be there. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me!

Ever since I’ve been at Kryptonite (8+ years), I’ve tried to get us involved in NASCAR in some way, shape or form. Why? Because I go to the tracks and I know that there are a lot of Kryptonite locks there already and plenty of opportunities for more to be there. In New Hampshire, people lock their wagons all along the fence, many with Kryptonite cables. At all the tracks there are plenty of reasons in the parking and camping areas for cables and padlocks.

Then there are the golf carts and, of course, the motorcycles. Tons of motorcycles.

When Roby and I went to the speedway last fall with some of our customers we had a great meeting with John down there and continued to have conversations as we came into the new year. One thing led to another and we were good to go by early this year. The motorcycle parking area will be branded Kryptonite and we’ll have a tent there for the race on May 18th. Guess what? Nicole Hoffman (now Roesch, by the way), will be with us, too.

The outside of the motorcycle parking area in the infield (for the teams & crews). Picture a Kryptonite banner right there!

So, all of that brought me down to the Speedway recently. Met with John, scouted out some areas for banners and a tent and such and then he took me for a buzz around the track. Seriously, for a NASCAR fan, it doesn’t get too much better than that, right? Not only that, he then took me over to The Dirt Track and I got to see some of the construction going on for the drag strip, too. I saw some drawings of what that baby is going to look like come fall. Let me just tell you – if you are an NHRA fan, get your tickets to the September opening of the new facility. It is first class all the way. You don’t want to miss it.

More to come on some of the cool things going on at the Speedway when we are down there. I can’t wait!!!


A view from the track!

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

A Picture....

...is worth a thousand words, right?

Check out the photo with this Boston Globe article, "An April Fools Protest"



Fine print: We do not recommend using our locks this way...but we know people do and this photo just said so much I couldn't help posting it.

Charity rides, walks or runs...it your choice

by Roby Holland, National Sales Manager


With all the talk about spring and the warm weather also comes the endless solicitations (good cause solicitations) for charity rides, runs and walks. There are so many out there you can't do them all.

What are you to do?

Here is my suggestion - look over what you like to do, either bike, run or walk. Look for a cause that draws you in that you might have some kind emotional connection to (like the Cycle for Life)

Once you find the event that is to your liking jump in! A lot of these event have helpful web-sites to get you started with donations and getting your self physically ready for the event.

Giving of ones self is the most gratifying feeling ever, especially when it is for a good cause.

Enjoy, you won't regret it!