Back in the mid 80's this was the best mountain bike shop around. I found this old picture of Jay who was the owner. After that it was sold to Ted from Chumba Wumba. Not the band.
bike beat: the only place where drool cups should have been mandatory due to all the shiny ano bits in the glass cases. thanks for the flashback!
Thank you so much for the kind words. Susan and I remember all of you -- our associates, customers and friends -- with much love and squalor. Drop us a line and prepare to regret it forever... Jay MacKinnon - The Bike Beat
Jay!!! How the frggen hell have you guys been? well I hope. "prepare to regret it forever"...is that warning for you or us? \\/ send our best to Susan and remember "Ride Fast Take Chances"...and try to land on something soft. Cheers :beer: Billy...the truck crusher
Wow, a blast from the past. I remember the Bike Beat well. That was in my early days of MTB'ing. Always loved looking at the purple ano bits and pieces. :lol:
Yeah. I had a bike that was given to me. It had a Syncros seatpost that was missing one of the clamp pieces. I took it in and they gave me the other piece. Totally cool. I ended up buying a saddle from them and some other gear. I would have had to pay ~$80 to replace the seatpost, which was crazy to think about since I only made $8 an hour back then.
Hey Jay , WOW it has been a long time. I remember drooling over the metal flake Mantis that you had. I wanted that bike bad even though it was way to small for me. I was in there 2-3 times a week hanging out with Jeff, Bill & you two. Do you still play the drums or ride?
OK. I guess I have to come out of my self imposed silence for this. I still remember back in 1988 I had my first Cannondale mountain bike and everything was falling apart. Jay was the only one there and he fixed it right up. After that there were many bikes purchaces and many sweet parts. The shop had a great vibe and was probably the biggest mountain bike shop in the country. I also went to see some great bands with he and Jeff Holt who worked there as well. There were many drunken night in Hollywood. I still talk to everyone who worked at the Beat. It would be great to see Jay again! :beer:
I still smile when I drive by that building. Those where the days. My only concern was where am I going to ride and when. JAY, DO YOU STILL HAVE THE PURPLE ANO SNARE DRUM?
Yeah I remember the old days I used to go there just to see what the latest and greatest was and it was usually in the case or hanging on a bike. Totally a cool shop. Very much missed.
We are both well and happy as hell. And you? You'll have to find out, Darby Crasher. BTW, if any of you guys want my email addy send me a PM. (Billy coined the phrase 'Ride Fast Take Chances'... although originally it was "Ride fast, take chances, watch out for trucks")
I ride every day rain or shine. My bike has a rack, a kickstand, a Brooks saddle with springs and a u-lock that weighs as much as the Queen Mary's anchor. I'm a total Fred now. All I need is one of those tiny helmet mirrors to complete the ensemble. Had to give up the drums for a while after I broke my wrist in a traffic mishap (it was the classic parked-car-door-opened-by-oblivious-retard-into-approaching-cyclist). Which Jason are you? Jason from Nebraska? (I knew like about a dozen Jasons back then)
Jason Seamans the guy with the Cracked AMP research bike and the GT bravado prototype. I used to come in and hang out with Jeff Holt. I hung out with Rick Tanner he had the tracheotomy. He is easy to remember, Bigger guy. It's been a long time. I am not the Nebraskan Jason
Doh! I shoulda known it was you by your user name... how you doin', brother? Jeff turned 40 years old today. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana. Likewise!
What's in there now? (we don't visit The OC much, obviously) Someone told me that Bicycle Man of Orange is an LA Carpet store. How depressing. I do indeed. It isn't purple anymore however. The finish got all scratched so Ted kindly stripped the color off and polished it.
I have always spoke highly about the shop. I learned a lot of my bike building techniques from the early days from the shop. In my opinion the Bike Beat had the highest standards when it came to bike building and products carried. That is why the magazines had bike being built there. I still only use the same boat axle grease on everything. That is how I know what bikes I have worked on and if its been tampered with since. I still build bikes with great detail. Mostly high end bikes. I still use the same standards when working on any bike. It's a lot easier with industry standards. Disc brakes tabs,BB,HS,axle spacing. It has become a little more consistent. Although front and rear axl sizes have been going in all directions. It was a pain to set up disc brakes at first. Everything was constantly changing. Well it great to hear from you. I will tell Rick that I have heard from you. If you haven't talked to Jeff you should hit him up. J
I'm doin well. Same ole same ole. Still ridin and drinkin to much. I can't believe Jeff is 40! Next time I see him I'll tell him you turned up again. Check your PM for my e-mail addy dood... :bang:
