beergood
05-23-2006, 11:24 AM
Last night I rode my fixie up to the local watering hole (Detroit's east side Ye Olde Tap Room).
A little background: I started working at this bar when I was 14 as a stockboy/clean-up kid. Over the years just about every one of my friends has worked there at some time or another. Right now the manager is a close friend I have known since high school (which is a freakish 15 years ago), and so are a few of the tenders. The place could best be described as a dive, and I love it.
More than a few regulars ride bikes there in the summer, and there is a nice spot on the side wall to prop your bikes while you refresh yourself.
My ride is an 80's Pacific Rim Bianchi frame that I spray painted flat black, it has an old set of wolber/105 rims that I re-dished and have set up with a fixed cog riding on some skinny continentals. An old 600 crank and bullhorns wrapped in white. I recently ordered a beat up Brooks on ebay, but I haven't got it. I love this ride.
The problem with the Tap is they let anyone in. I would much prefer if we made it a private club. Anyway, I was playing some silver ball with a buddy in the back room and I see two Chachis eyeing my ride. Judging a book by the cover I could tell these pretty boys are super image conscious. I can hear them giggling about my bike, and when I started paying attention one of the last things I heard the one guy say was 'I really like the water bottle though' (I just bought a new water bottle, red). My first reaction was to go over and start something. However, I have tried to mature a little over the years. And I promised Mattie (bartender/manager, and he was working last night) that I wouldn't start any fights in the bar anymore. Not that I was ever that kind of guy really, but when you log enough hours in one establishment you and your friends start to get kind of territorial. Mistakes have been made in the past.
Anyway, I decided to shrug it off and focused on the game. The a-holes ended up stumbling out shortly thereafter. Then I started thinking, my goal when building my ride was I wanted a really comfy/fast ride that was kind of ghetto camoflauged. I shouldn't have been offended, I was complimented. What do I care if idiots can't recognize quality. I know my girl is classy.
I had a great ride home.
Thanks for readin' my rant.
<img src="http://www.beergood.com/images/bikes/biketruckdogs.jpg">
A little background: I started working at this bar when I was 14 as a stockboy/clean-up kid. Over the years just about every one of my friends has worked there at some time or another. Right now the manager is a close friend I have known since high school (which is a freakish 15 years ago), and so are a few of the tenders. The place could best be described as a dive, and I love it.
More than a few regulars ride bikes there in the summer, and there is a nice spot on the side wall to prop your bikes while you refresh yourself.
My ride is an 80's Pacific Rim Bianchi frame that I spray painted flat black, it has an old set of wolber/105 rims that I re-dished and have set up with a fixed cog riding on some skinny continentals. An old 600 crank and bullhorns wrapped in white. I recently ordered a beat up Brooks on ebay, but I haven't got it. I love this ride.
The problem with the Tap is they let anyone in. I would much prefer if we made it a private club. Anyway, I was playing some silver ball with a buddy in the back room and I see two Chachis eyeing my ride. Judging a book by the cover I could tell these pretty boys are super image conscious. I can hear them giggling about my bike, and when I started paying attention one of the last things I heard the one guy say was 'I really like the water bottle though' (I just bought a new water bottle, red). My first reaction was to go over and start something. However, I have tried to mature a little over the years. And I promised Mattie (bartender/manager, and he was working last night) that I wouldn't start any fights in the bar anymore. Not that I was ever that kind of guy really, but when you log enough hours in one establishment you and your friends start to get kind of territorial. Mistakes have been made in the past.
Anyway, I decided to shrug it off and focused on the game. The a-holes ended up stumbling out shortly thereafter. Then I started thinking, my goal when building my ride was I wanted a really comfy/fast ride that was kind of ghetto camoflauged. I shouldn't have been offended, I was complimented. What do I care if idiots can't recognize quality. I know my girl is classy.
I had a great ride home.
Thanks for readin' my rant.
<img src="http://www.beergood.com/images/bikes/biketruckdogs.jpg">