Where do I even begin? How about January, 2012.
As many of you know, I've been an employee of MOAB bikes for about a year and half. Adam D. was my "in" as far as I can tell, since I had worked with him previously at another bike shop and he could vouch for me.. It was great hanging out with him again and catching up after not seeing each other much over the prior few years. I obviously got to know everyone else there as well since we relied heavily on each other to get our work done. It's a neat dynamic if you've never stopped in to say hello.
As a sales guy, I spent most of my time hanging around Thad, an often grumpy but never actually mean 9-year-old kid in a 40-year-old's body. We grew to become great friends, although it took a while for me to figure him out. We learned early on that we both share a passion for photography and video and that seemed be the starting point for our friendship. I'd also say it's what spurred me on to invest a stupid amount of money in photo equipment this year...
Jim and Rick have been hilarious to work with and often offered a brief escape from the crazy that is MOAB. I became known as "Sexy Patty" (said in a Scottish accent) to Jim and "The Pizza/Test-Ride Connoisseur" to Rick. A few other characters have come and gone, such as RJ, the guy who can talk to anyone, Alex, the long-haired Californian, steel-frame enthusiast, and Andy, the "no doubt, brother!" guy.
Mark owns the place and is easily the most hands-on and hardest working boss I've ever seen. If you can manage to catch a moment of his time, see if you can get him to tell you a story, because he is probably the greatest story-teller in Middle Tennessee. Jeremy is his counterpart and fills Mark's shoes when he's not around. I'd call Jeremy the "Man of Mannerisms." He's also wicked fast on a bicycle.
The highlight of my time at MOAB was often wednesday evenings after work because that's when we had our weekly group ride. When it first started last summer, it was routinely 12+ people but as the colder weather crept in during the fall and winter, our group dwindled to about 3-4. But it was the same 3-4 people. Me (aka Panda), Thad (aka Papa Smurf), Lauren (aka Lo), and Tab (aka... Awkward Turtle?). It's hard to think of a closer group of friends than this. We suffered a lot during those cold winter nights and I do mean nights, because it was definitely pitch black darkness for many months. Rain a few times, hail once or twice, snow for sure. Previously, my personal rule was, "no riding below 34ºF. Now it's something like "I know what 24ºF is like and I survived, but I still don't like it very much."
Naturally during this time, I've picked up a few extra bicycles, including my first-ever real-life mountain bike: a Niner One9! I am SO bad at riding it though due to lack of experience. In time I keep telling myself. In time. I also picked out a custom Moots Psychlo X, or Psyclocks as my non-bike shop friends call it. More on this one later...
To summarize this post, I've met some very special people these past 18 months, both employees and customers-turned-friends, and I'm going to miss them dearly. Why, you ask? Because I quit my job on June 22nd to ride my bike across the country...
Jim and Rick have been hilarious to work with and often offered a brief escape from the crazy that is MOAB. I became known as "Sexy Patty" (said in a Scottish accent) to Jim and "The Pizza/Test-Ride Connoisseur" to Rick. A few other characters have come and gone, such as RJ, the guy who can talk to anyone, Alex, the long-haired Californian, steel-frame enthusiast, and Andy, the "no doubt, brother!" guy.
Mark owns the place and is easily the most hands-on and hardest working boss I've ever seen. If you can manage to catch a moment of his time, see if you can get him to tell you a story, because he is probably the greatest story-teller in Middle Tennessee. Jeremy is his counterpart and fills Mark's shoes when he's not around. I'd call Jeremy the "Man of Mannerisms." He's also wicked fast on a bicycle.
The highlight of my time at MOAB was often wednesday evenings after work because that's when we had our weekly group ride. When it first started last summer, it was routinely 12+ people but as the colder weather crept in during the fall and winter, our group dwindled to about 3-4. But it was the same 3-4 people. Me (aka Panda), Thad (aka Papa Smurf), Lauren (aka Lo), and Tab (aka... Awkward Turtle?). It's hard to think of a closer group of friends than this. We suffered a lot during those cold winter nights and I do mean nights, because it was definitely pitch black darkness for many months. Rain a few times, hail once or twice, snow for sure. Previously, my personal rule was, "no riding below 34ºF. Now it's something like "I know what 24ºF is like and I survived, but I still don't like it very much."
Naturally during this time, I've picked up a few extra bicycles, including my first-ever real-life mountain bike: a Niner One9! I am SO bad at riding it though due to lack of experience. In time I keep telling myself. In time. I also picked out a custom Moots Psychlo X, or Psyclocks as my non-bike shop friends call it. More on this one later...
To summarize this post, I've met some very special people these past 18 months, both employees and customers-turned-friends, and I'm going to miss them dearly. Why, you ask? Because I quit my job on June 22nd to ride my bike across the country...
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