Our new display at Bicycle Sport Shop (on Lamar) is made up of #thriftstoreMonty paintings. Taj’s dog Monty has become our unofficial mascot. One of Taj’s hobbies is to paint Monty into thrift store paintings, and so what started out as a joke turned into an actual display!
I have a stress relief hobby where I buy cheap thrift store paintings and add Monty to them. The idea is for the process to make me laugh while I’m painting him and I try not to worry about the quality of the work (because they are just to make giggle). Jim Bauer had the idea that we could make a POP display at Fairdale’s big dealer Bicycle Sport Shop out of a collage of Thrift Store Monty paintings. And, so, a goofy joke became a real thing. Next to highly professional Specialized and Trek displays are a whole bunch of goofy Montys! He’s is in everyone one of these somewhere!
You’d think I’d have some awesome bike since I get to do the design work at Fairdale, but actually my bike is a hodge-podge of mixed up parts I’m either testing or have won through a bean bag toss at Interbike (thanks Niner!). I’ve essentially had the same Weekender build since the West Coast ride we did a year ago. I spent a few hours rummaging for spare parts and rebuilt my machine into this dog carrying commuter.
I’m freestyling a route around the country something like this.
Today I loaded up my new car and hit the road to do a loop of the eastern half of the country. I’m going to visit bike shops and show them the new Fairdales we have coming in. Thanks to a late start I only covered around 500 miles and am now holed up in a hotel in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
Well, to be honest I didn’t accomplish a whole lot on the Empire mural today… or at least it doesn’t really look any different. So here instead is a picture of Monty getting ready to head home from last night.
I know not everyone lives in Austin or gets to ride 3 miles of the 9 miles to work on a quiet bike path along a river, but I sure am grateful I do! Just had one of those days where I can’t understand why anyone would be in a car… well, that and my car broke down again and was towed away.
I need a better dog carrying solution. I’m thinking it might time for some kind of cargo bike… or hell, we made a skaterack… maybe some kind of dog rack?
Monty gives a Fairdale a run for its money, and then sadly injures his foot on a sharp clam shell and must be carried home. Give the little dude some props for that leap!
Also, Fairdale’s are finally arriving in some far away places.
Australia has received their shipment (Australian people go here: BMX International).
UK is covered by IMG (get a Fairdale through these dudes in the UK).
So this is what I wake up to every morning. My (sometimes) little buddy Monty. He’s one of those morning people (not sure if morning-dog is a term). Wakes up so peppy and ready to go. I could easily sleep a few more hours but sure enough, 7:30 am every morning this little guy is rolling around and trying to play. Go back to bed Monty!
