Grant's Local Riding Pix, circa '04-'06

We have a big binder of Grant’s photos in the showroom here, all taken from 2004 to 2006, but since we’re closed to the public until vaccines are widespread, I thought it was a good time to digitize the book. It’s a big binder so I’ll do it in three installments.

All captions are Grant's and are also from a long time ago so some of the information is out of date, i.e, Toyo doesn't make our frames anymore, Carter is probably done touring the Middle East, etc, etc.

-will

John & Mark. Shell Ridge. Winter ‘06.

We may have camped out that night, and this was the next morning, coming home. When Mark has to walk (even with a one-speed), you know it’s steeper than the photo suggests. Atlantis and Quickbeam

Andrew. Rocky Point. July ‘05.

Andrew used to work here. He moved to Oregon, but before he left he wanted one last Sub-24-Hour Overnight (S240). It was really hot, and the climb was about 3,200 feet. Lots of rocks, but a good view. He forgot his tent, so he slept outside. No bugs. Rivendell Custom

Tetsu Ishigaki. Legal Singletrack on Mt. D. Feb 25, ‘06.

Tetsu is the main builder at Toyo, the small frame shop in Osaka, where our Atlantis, Rambouillet, Saluki, Romulus, and Glourius & Wilbury are made. He loves to ride and surf. We could set him up with the former, and did. He should’ve been wearing more suitable shoes! Saluki.

Editor note: Our frames aren’t made at Toyo anymore, although Tetsu is still a friend.

Tetsu Ishigaki again. 1 of 3 in a series. Mt. D. Feb 25 ‘06.

This is a neat trail that goes north off of Northgate Road, about ¾-mile below the junction. This and the next two photos show Tetsu approaching & then crossing the rocky little creek there. It’s a well-drained trail, rideable even when the mountain is soaked. No mud! He looks concerned. Same Saluki.

Tetsu Ishigaki again. 2 of 3 in a series. Mt. D. Feb 25 ‘06

One second later, and he looks happy now.

Tetsu Ishigaki again. 3 of 3 in a series. Mt. D. Feb 25 ‘06.

Two seconds later. He looks part scared, part happy, but smart in his MUSA duds.

John & Mark. Near China Wall. Fall ‘04.

It looks like a stalemate in blurry black & white. Bad photograph, but proof that the camera wasn’t digital. Almost every photo here was taken with a manual film camera, no automation, by a highly enthusiastic, unskilled photographer. Quickbeam and Atlantis

John & Grant. Near Burma Trail. Winter ‘04.

Eating soup-for-dinner. Those are the lights of Broadway Shopping Centre in the background. Self-timed photo, slow shutter speed. You can see the headlight dangling around my neck, moving some. No bikes pictured but John had his Atlantis, and I think I was on one too.

Tetsu Ishigaki. Canyon Singletrack. Feb 25, ‘06

I don’t know the name of the trail, but it is a singletrack and it’s in a canyon, so… There were four of us at an overlook, resting, and I wanted a picture of somebody riding there, so I sent Tetsu down. I’d never be this far ahead of him, otherwise. This is yet another legal singletrack on the mountain. It’s a spectacular ride, as good as it looks. Saluki.

John & Mark. China Wall. Fall ‘04.

Same trip as the black & white fuzzy photo. That one was going out, this one is coming back. Atlantis and Quickbeam.

Steve. Canyon Singletrack. March 5, ‘06

Really close to the facing photo. A couple of weeks later, and greener. We rode to the top to see some snow, and this was on the way back down. The sky was overcast, and the 25mm lens made it easy to get a good picture. The blue top helps. Romulus with Ruffy-Tuffy tires. (Steve rides those all over the place)

Carter Wall and Luka Northgate Rd. Summer ‘04.

Carter and his twin, Bradley, are a unique pair in more ways than we have space here to explain. They’ve toured all over. In ‘02 they left Alaska, rode to the tip of South America, riding the entire Continental Divide trail on the way. To make a long story shorter (there’s more of it in RR27), Brad stayed in Chile; they both learned Spanish really well. Brad is still there with his girlfriend, making furniture. Carter got this wire-haired fox terrier puppy down there, named her Luka and rode back home to Seattle with her either in his panniers or on the top tube, as you see here. You wouldn’t think a doggy’s paws could stay on a smooth tube, but they do. Brad stopped by and wanted to ride up the mountain. Look at those legs - as fit as a frog’s. The next week he was on his way to Yosemite, and THEN back home to Seattle. He made it. I think he’s touring in the Middle-East right now, or China. Atlantis. (On his trip he rode a Bstone XO-2. His brother has a custom Rivendell touring bike.)

John & Mark. Shell Ridge. Winter '06

A view from my tent, in the morning. Not a great shot, but it wasn't posed and I wanted to shoot something. That's my... Atlantis with Albatross bars. A basket in front, a Hoss saddlebag in back.

Steve. Wall Point Road (a trail). Fall '05

I got up on a rock to shoot down. It was a bright, hot day, not good for a picture. The trail is hard, light sandstone. This picture makes it look like he's going downhill, but he's actually just crested a hill, and it's flattish there. Rambouillet

Turtle Rock with Steve climbing it. Winter '06.

Most riders, even those who ride by Turtle Rock a hundred times a year, don't know what it's called. They know the name because there used to be a Turtle Rock Ranch sign. Well, here's the Rock itself. It's just below 1500 feet, off the right side of Northgate Road. Here's some super-trivia: There are two turtles, a mama and a baby. If you find both, ask for a free two-pack of Laddie pencils, the local favorite. (editors note: we don't have them anymore)

Atlantis and Saluki, or maybe a Quickbeam. They both work!

Brian & Steve. Northgate Rd. by Camel Rock. Winter '06.

Camel Rock is another familiar landmark that most cyclers don't know the name of. There's a huge photo of it elsewhere in our showroom. Bright sunny morning about 10:45 am. Way back there, that's George. He eventually caught up. Rambouillet and Romulus.

Lewis & Clark. Shell Ridge. Winter '06.

Looking at something. Nobody told them to gaze like that, they just did it. Atlantis and Quickbeam

Grant. Solo Sub-24-Hour Overnight. Fall '04

There's nothing good about this picture, but I like it anyway. Saluki, with Gilles Berthoud mini-panniers.

Mark and John. Shell Ridge. Winter '06

Too bad they're in the shadow... bad time to take the picture, but this is my favorite kind of terrain, right here like this. Atlantis and Quickbeam

Mark and John. Shell Ridge Winter '06

Mark is up at the top, heading down after John. Coming back from a campout. Atlantis and Quickbeam.

Dan at the Rocky Point. Early June '06.

There's always a bunch of clouds there, in the morning. Atlantis.

Ex-employee Jerome moved back east, and came out for a visit in April. Best trail on the mountain, and the best time to ride it. Saluki.

Lower slopes of Kilimanjaro, early June, with the Baobob tree.

Dan Descends. June '06.

Dan, early morning stretch. June '06.

Rocky Point, morning early June '06.

A bereft, inconsolable, and contemplative Daniel contemplates his future departure from RBW at the end of August. Going to Germany. School for a year.