We finally got the ball rolling on Wednesday night hijinx this week, as a plan Ive long been formulating finally came to fruition.
As you might recall, last year we engaged in several variations of the one handed climb, and the one handed descent. I wanted to take it a step further, and move the event to a particularly rooty stretch of trail tucked back in the woods, that is a feat to climb with both hands on the bars, let alone one. I also thought it would be a good idea to include hotdogs, because there are few words that are more of a pleasure to exclaim in the same breath as "hotdog hill climb".

Fortunately just before we were to depart, the Swobo shipping computer took a crap so I scampered away to find a stove on which to cook up the dogs.

Of course I included vegetarian dogs for those in our ilk who were not of the meat eating persuasion, but they seemed to me to be made out of a substance not alot unlike Silly Putty.

I wrapped them all up in individual bundles, packed them into my Bob trailer in an insulated bag and headed out to the meeting spot. Young Hightower,who was last years season winner kicked things off to a rocky start with an immediate dab, but held his head up high with the knowledge that there are many more opportunities to not suck.

We had a special guest of honor who rolled through proving just why it was that at one point in his life, he made his living riding a bike.

Anyway, after the final dog had hit the ground, and the dust was settled, the Wisconsin Wunderkind known only as Oz came out victorious, just edging out second place for this weeks longest-technical-climb-while-eating-a-hotdog-contest.

Alright then. Moving on....

Landon from Tonic Fabrication emailed us a picture of Looch avoiding a bummer life, getting rad, and giving himself a breast exam all at the same time.

You know what they say about an ounce of prevention, right Looch?

Hoss got in touch with us with this bit of weirdness about world population reaching 6,666,666,666 on May 10th...

Hmmmm... Maybe its a good idea if I start cranking out some babies too.

While Im thinking about it, theres a couple of alley cats coming up in conjunction with this weekends festivities that I need to bring up.

Of course theres this one that Ive already clued you in on;

and then theres this one thats gonna be a good time as well;

Do one or do the other, or if you really want to establish unfaltering street cred, do 'em both and show the world just what a bad ass you really are.

Its been a while since a worthy Friday Hero has come along, and just when I thought there no more left, I get this email;

"I'd like to nominate this guy. For him, second place is not the first loser, he's just fine with it. Matter of fact, looks like he's really stoked to have done so well. Good for him, taking it in stride.

Awesome.

-Fdub.
Sonoma Co."

So be it. Welcome premature celebrator to the hallowed halls of Friday herodom.

Mail bag time, mail bag time... Well kick it off with one from Honeswags;

"to whom it may concern

we're having a rad party (check the flyer)

heres a few youtubes of the last few only now we own a bar attatched to the bike shop so this ones gonna be behind the bar (not in the backyard)

Video sample uno,

Video sample dos.

oh and 6.66 jpg is what it is

avoiding the bummer like
-honeswags (the one who's vomit was edited out in a george post)

ps do all people that put on alley cats have computer design degrees... cause there flyers are a little better than mine."

Judging on the overwelming number of fixed gear bikes I saw recently locked up outside at an art school, Id say there is actually a very good chance the folks putting on alley cats do in fact have a design degree... Or at least a bachelors in ceramics.

Ben writes;

"Stumbled into this picture while wasting some billable time. Best use of an Xtra Cycle I have seen so far."

As I told Ben, I got this image sent to me by a couple of folks today. Its good to know that were all on the same page, as it were.

CFO..Whatcha got?;

"I have never seen this one…That must be where the shit started hitting ze fan"

No doubt.

Hey- DPow! Give us the skinny;

"the Folsom is fucking rad. what else can be said? Product testing will resume at lunch hour. bar spin tests were conducted successfully last night, as was cruising with Colt 45 can in hand.

wish I could come by for some mint julips at sea otter. funny story first time I met you, was there at the bike mag tent. you were autographing Rocky Mountain posters for unsuspecting Freds. Best signature of the day was

"Lotta guys want my sweater, only you get in it. Dick"

Hil-larious."

I guess for the folks who dont know what DPows talking about, Ill give you the skinny. It was at Sea Otter a few years ago, and I for whatever reason ended up behind the table at the BIKE Magazine booth. There was a pile of posters there on the table depicting some superstar free rider getting rad. I started autographing them and before we knew it, there was a crowd forming and I was writing all kinds of horrible things to these folks that sadly maybe thought I was actually a 'somebody'.
Some people parlay their 15 seconds of fame into a career. Mine most likely ended up crumpled up in a trash can.

But at least Ive still got the sweater.

A couple of folks have sent on this article about this crazy new trend in mountain biking called... Get this.. 'single speeding.' Thats right, its like a regular mountain bike, except there arent any derailers. Can you imagine?!

Now, all sarcasm aside, Im not gonna sit up here on a high horse and act like I was the first person to ever throw a leg over a one speed, but I will say that I was present when one contemporary single speed luminary who will remain unnamed and whos bikes many have given a left nut for, said that riding a bike with one gear was stupid and didnt make any sense.

He absolutely was right, though I suspect he still would rather that conversation be a forgotten and buried thing.

And while were on the topic of bicycle industry luminaries, Shimanos A.K. is a bad, bad man.
He also takes pictures of himself sleeping through sales meetings.
Ill bet he was a terror in middle school.

So you might have noticed that the tone and overall look of The Bummer Life has changed a bit throughout this posting.
The reasons are two fold. One because I decided to use much larger pictures, and two because when I started this post on Thursday morning, I was still drunk.

Thats how the magic happens around here folks.

Another week has come and gone, and were not much richer, and definitely no wiser, but weve got you all and thats worth more than all the tea in China.

And Im pretty sure thats alot of tea.