[Yak] Life at Bike Friday Part 2

[Matthew Jarvis]

Seems that my introduction/post recently was a big hit, both with Yak
folks and other people here at BF... If time allows I'll try and post
every week or so if anything seems to be going on....

Ruthie (our Ambassador to Japan) read it and was excited to share with me
her story about how her first BF literally changed her life... apparently
she was, in her words, something of an overweight couch potato, and now
after some long touring and such she can hang with the big dogs out on the
fast lunchtime rides...

I mentioned at our company meeting the great feedback I got and encouraged
everyone else to do the same....

As you'd expect I've been out on my BF (NWT) since last time, enjoying the
opportunity for the lunchtime ride... made it out with Dave (Sales) for a
bit but he's a much stronger rider and went for a longer/faster loop than
I was doing...

Last Sunday I headed out into my old stomping grounds north of town on my
Trek 520 touring bike (my first bike)... In the summer months this route
(actually a longer version) is my standard 'bang it out after work'
training route, but at this stage of the game it was a challenge... not
really the distance, but the way I felt on my bike... granted, I was
wearing different clothes than I normally do (I left all that stuff here
at the office), different gloves, etc.... hurt like heck for about half of
the ride....

It prompted me to grab a new saddle out of inventory and I'll be giving it
a shot this weekend if weather cooperates... I have a computer geek buddy
that I want to introduce to cycling and we're planning on doing the
Rails-To-Trails route going south out of Cottage Grove. I've done it about
4 times now and thought it would be a good place to start with my
friend... luckily he's about my size so between my NWT, the Trek and my
Specialized mountain bike I'll be able to hook him up...

Hmmm what else is going on around here....

Lynette is still on her Walkabout ? lord only knows where she is.... last
I heard from her she was in Texas...

Not sure who's doing the trail riding, but there's a mnt bike in the
garage that is soooooooooo muddy it's hardly recognizable as a bicycle ?
looks like someone had a lot of fun though...  ;)

Greg (Customer Service Manager) is nursing a broken arm (another one!)
that he got when some goombah on a bike ran him off the bike path a few
weeks ago.... he's ridden with me a couple of times since, but went out
with the big dogs the other day and thrashed the arm.... what a moron....

Hannah is slaving away trying to get the new catalog out ? keep your eyes
open for that....

Ruthie is really jazzed about the Tour of Nippon group that's coming
together.... who would have thought so many BF folks would want to
go bebop around Japan? Apparently a lot!

Hanna just taught me how to sandblast... I worked on Order # 82408... so
Barry Dugan, if you are reading this - it was my pleasure to help build
your bike!

Hanz and his family (wife and two young girls) just got back from bike 
touring New Zealand.... lucky guy!

Walter didn't like me talkin' trash about him last time, so he's since
challenged me to go uphill, on his fixed gear, while pulling his daughter
in a trailer.... (just between us, he'd probably kick my tail)... but I
beat him at ping pong so I at least have *some* bragging rights...  ;)

I'm putting together plans for at least three tours this summer, starting
off small and working up... first is an overnighter, then 2 nights out,
then up and over the coast range and down to the beach... if you are
looking at a map of our area, I'm heading down to Coos Bay...

I can't remember what it's called, but there's an annual tour/ride thing
from Seattle to Portland with one night on the road... Maybe I'll try that
but just keep heading south back to Eugene which would be an extra 175
miles or so....

Well, I guess that's about it for now... Hope ya'll have a good weekend!

Get out and ride!

Matt

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Matthew S. Jarvis
IT Manager
Bike Friday - "Performance that Packs."
www.bikefriday.com
541/687-0487 x140
mattj at bikefriday.com