the conglomerate spreads its muddy tentacles

A few months ago I fired off a race resume and very polite letter to Industry 9, maker of fine bicycle wheels. After not hearing back from them, I sent this email:

Dear info@industynine,

I'm taking your e silence to my last email as a resounding 'no thank you. we get one metric shit ton of these whinny race sponsorship emails everyday. just let us go eat our jam and toast' 

However, I think it would be very beneficial for both (admittedly I'm thinking more of the benefit to myself) of us if you reconsidered. You seem like a cool group of guys, and I like to think (mistakenly) that I'm a cool guy, so the match between I9 and myself seems to be a match made in the bathroom stall of the county fair.

And honestly, all I need out of a sponsorship is hubs and spokes. I can furnish the rims and get them built up. I think that two hubs and 64 spokes is well worth the advertising that I9 would receive on my behalf. In addition, I would be happy to hug my computer and pretend I was hugging you gentleman if you say yes. I think that's an offer that's hard to refuse (but maybe not)

Keep on eating that toast,

Montana

I fully expected to never hear back from them, and even went to the bestest bicycle shop in the world to have Tim build me some race wheels. When I picked up my wheels from the shop three days later (that's some speedy turnaround on a custom wheelset.) I came home to find a letter from I9 saying that I was accepted. Jubilation!

I considered my options for a second, then decided that the speed benefits of PURPLE (I'm sure that if you spend any amount of time around me you wish I would shut up about the purple. But I won't.) and 120 engagement point hubs were essential to my racing. Yes, 120. I'm not going to do the math, but thats roughly a bunch more engagement points than my 48 point Hope Pro IIs. 

The wheels are going to look a little something like this: 

On this bicycle:

Good taste is so 2008.

In addition to all around help from Pro Bikes, food and shelter from MCS, and swanky clothings from Twin Six, Maxxis is going to be assisting me with all my rubber needs. And thats that. (sorry for all the plugging, (not pfluging) but I feel like I should give some links where linkage is due)

I've decided that I'm not going to get organized and come up with a solid race schedule for next year. It's too much work with to little benefit. I'll just play it by ear. But I do need to go register for the Mohican 100 before the rates go up (that ones already for certain.)

And I'm pretty sure that I'm going to enter the bloggers grant contest for Brek Epic. If I do, be prepared for unabashed solicitations for your vote. Because I really, really want to go to Colorado and get me some asphyxiation.

While cresting a very steep hill with my huge backpack last night, an old woman muttered the best thing someone has ever said to me while I was on a bike: 

"Yuh got more muscles than brains. Huh."

That about sums it up.