Mentor series - Introduction

I began working in bikes shops when I was 16 years old. Through the years I've had the pleasure of working with people who made a lasting impression on my career. This series is about me recognizing those people for their contributions to my development. Since I attempt to keep my writings here specific to cycling, in this particular series I'm only including those who influenced my career in the industry.

The posts in this series will not be in any particular order of importance. It normally takes quite a lot of thought and time for me to finish these posts, and I tend to work on more than one at a time. I'll post each when I feel I've done my best to explain their importance to my professional life.

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What is Kashima Coating?

Kashima coating is a feature currently only found on Fox forks and shocks*. It's easy to spot from it's distinctive dark brown color. What is it and why do they use it? First, a quick definition: Anodizing is a process by which a metal part (normally aluminum) is electrically charged and submerged in a chemical bath. This creates an oxide layer that penetrates the metal and changes the microscopic texture and the crystal structure of the metal near the surface. After a part is treated, it can be dyed to give it color before it is sealed to increase durability. Hard anodizing is a similar procedure that penetrates further into the metal. This increases the surface hardness of the material making the surface even more durable and corrosion resistant. It does not make the metal part stronger, it affects the durability of the surface of the metal. Kashima coating is a type of hard anodizing that involves a lubricating treatment as well. This ...

1986 Fuji Restoration

I just picked up this 1986 Fuji Sagres to restore. This has been one of my all time favorite bikes and one I've been searching for a long time. It's gonna be a long term project since it doesn't have the original gunmetal grey Ukai rims and gunmetal grey handlebar tape. I'd like to pick up some original 27" SCCR Fuji tires too, but that may be asking a bit much. I'm not sure why I've always like this so much. Maybe the color, maybe it was a good seller for us at the shop back then. It would have been the year before I started working at the shop so it could have been old inventory or that we just worked on a few of them the following years. I remember always wanting one, probably has a lot to do with the color. It's one of the last to have been made in Japan and features quad-butted Valite tubing. These were decent riding bikes and reasonably priced at about $325 if I remember correctly. So why the big deal about a mid 80's Fuji? ...

BMX Action Trick Team in Peru, IN 1984

In 1984 I was 13 years old and was crazy about BMX. At the time, I didn't even have a nice bike . I rode my black AMF bmx bike with yellow mag wheels everywhere and loved it. It wasn't a Mongoose or Redline- the bikes everyone wanted back then - but I loved it all the same. I read all the BMX magazines that I could get my hands on. My favorite was BMX Action and by favorite rider was RL Osborn. I would read the magazine cover to cover and learn the simple tricks that were in the how-to section of the magazine. I had seen articles about the BMX Action trick team doing shows around the country. I used to dream of how awesome it would be to go see them some time. That dream became reality in the summer of 1984. The owner of the Hive Bike Shop hired them to give two shows per day for a week in my hometown of Peru, Indiana. I was blown away when I heard about it. At first, I didn't believe it - it was just a rumor that spread...

The Bike Hive

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