I’ve definitely used that title before. Whatever.

As some of you may have noticed already (I mean, you’re here), the new website is live.

Yay?

It’s… ok. Definitely a little more generic, but maybe a little cleaner? And we got to keep at least some of our old flare; Konspirators and Manifesto pages, plus this super important shop blog and the bi-annually updated Revolting Cogs blog. It also means the old shop blog is lost in the ether. Don’t worry… you’re not missing anything. Most importantly though, now you can access our “catalog,” which was the ultimate goal. And is both awesome and a complete nightmare. Because apparently not one of us knows how to use our POS system correctly and our online inventory is a mess. So a word of warning… there are a TON of items that are showing up as available that we haven’t had in stock for many, many years. (For instance, please don’t order any bottom brackets off the site. Yikes.) And there are A TON of items that are available but for myriad reasons don’t sync with the new site and don’t show up at all. (Most of the cool stuff, really.)

Meh. I mean, we’re not looking to be an e-commerce mecca anyway. Just make it easier for you to snag the good things you need. Preferably from us! But still. We gotta figure some things out. We’ll see how it goes.

2023.

It certainly was… a year… that happened. We’ll leave it at that.

2024 promises to be… yet another year… that also happens.

The theme for the past few has inadvertently just been “hold on.” No time, space, or bandwidth to do much of anything except dodge bullets, put out fires, and handle the day to day. And while we’re not really “resolution” people (It’s revolution), in 2024 we’re going to try and break the static and change the theme. Rough working title is “MOVE.”

Sure, it’s a little trite, but it’s just vague enough to be doable. I suppose you could take it as “get off the couch and out on your bike”, but that should be a given. (Also, you own a couch? Gross)

If you want to take it as “get the f*** out of Dodge,” ok. That definitely works. If you know me at all, you know that “Dodge” is not my favorite, and getting out more often is definitely part of the plan.

But mostly we just want you to take it as a call to action to stop stagnating and living out the same numb patterns that the past few years have imbedded us in. Languishing is so diabolically self-indulgent.

For my own part, I’m considering having a complete low-T midlife crisis in 2024. You know… like, lifting kettlebells and taking creatine. IDK. That kind of sh*t. Signing up for Leadville and getting a cold plunge tub. Drinking Athletic Greens and intermittent fasting (JK. God, can you imagine?) But in all seriousness, I am aiming at getting back to being at any and every event I can and traveling around in the van like a feral *sshole. As much as is healthy, anyway. Balance, balance, balance.

But beyond that kind of selfish myopia, as a shop we’re going to try and take “MOVE” to the community. Put on events and bring more people into the fold. Whether with bike rides, repair clinics, or organizing events. Something. Anything.

It’s better than riding a lonely, angry century on a trainer in your flooded basement and listening to murder podcasts. Or so I’m told. We’ll see.

Prost.

-Watts