Good Life Cycles progress.

Since quitting my part time job in the media department at SCC a couple weeks ago, I have been trying to split my free time between homework and moving forward with my bike shop. I have been struggling with sleeping in way too long lately though! Hopefully I will get that under control and hammer things out even faster because normally when I get up early I am more productive throughout the day.

The last couple of days have brought some mile markers with them for Good Life Cycles. I believe I finally settled on a logo design, thanks to the help of the Visual Publications program at SCC assigning me a couple of designers to work with. I have my main logo, which is blue, and a female version of it which is pinkish/purple-ish. I was struggling with this idea because normally you want to stay very consistent. I think having the two color variations will be a great thing though. It will help me give the females more customized looks and items, which I think is a great thing. The female tshirts look wonderful already with the female version of the logo. It really adds something that I think a lot of businesses overlook.

I put my DBA paperwork in the mail today along with the filing fee. My first of MANY real business expenditures. I would have had it in long ago but I have been having financial aid troubles thanks to the college, so I am quite a bit behind financially and finally said "screw it" and sent the check in hoping the money coming into my account finally hits real soon. Luckily I had all my bills paid a month ahead or we would have been in big troubles.

As most people probably also saw on facebook, I hired a fantastic business accountant a week or so ago. He is going to be an incredible asset when it comes to fine-tuning my business plan and going to financiers, as well as working with me throughout the whole journey. Things are falling in place wonderfully so far and I just absolutely can't wait until my dream becomes my reality.

Starting in September, you will be able to start finding me hanging out at The Used Bike Shop on N. Cotner where I will start helping out and learning what I can from those guys.

Beautiful Rainy Day

I just HAD to get out and enjoy the weather today, even though I freaked out about my financial aid status and couldn't sleep last night resulting in sleeping in and skipping class today. I got out eventually and pedaled down to the college to try to get that taken care of. It rained/sprinkled the whole time but it felt wonderful. Especially after these past weeks of intermittent 100+ degree weather.

On the way to the college, I swung by The Used Bike shop to speak to the owner about a possible internship. I had previously corresponded via email about it but I hadn't had a chance to speak in person yet. It sounds like he's going to let me hang out there for a couple months! Woohoo! Happy news to cheer up a lousy day of worries.

Made it to the college and it appears that my financial aid is taken care of, now. It should have went through a month ago but apparently the financial aid staff neglected to mark it as complete and send it on. Holy crap. It's not like it's a minor thing or anything. This is practically what we live on while my wife and I are both full time students. Luckily, I had a feeling we were going to run into some crap and I pulled my stock out last month and got us a month ahead on bills. Otherwise, we would be royally screwed right now.

So after that, I realized I was due to donate blood again. I swung by the blood bank and got lectured on no exercise today "or you might pass out". So I got on my bike and road the 11 miles home fighting light-headedness here and there. Not recommended but I made it home conscious and without any mystery injuries or blackout periods.

Oh yeah, and this was my first time to try out my RaceFace rain jacket that Ruby got me for my birthday! It works WONDERFULLY! I would recommend RaceFace gear to anyone!

Sunday Rest/Misc-day

Didn't get much cycling in today. Slept in and attended our church, New Covenant. Came home to some Entrepreneur Financial homeworks and had to hammer out some month by month and annual numbers into some spreadsheets. Fun, fun, gag. That's what accountants are for! ..speaking of that, I need to go meet with an accountant this week.

Anyways, after homework I went to pick up an adapter to mount a water bottle cage on my wife's new Giant which is a step-thru and pick up some hardware to make the metal folding baskets I put on the Surly a little less permanent. I was using zip-ties but the thought of cutting and reapplying new zip-ties every time I wanted to go on a longer ride didn't appeal to me, so I'm using hose clamps now lol. Anyone have any better, quicker to remove and reattached ideas that can still allow my baskets to hold about 30 lbs each please enlighten me.

Luckily I stopped in to browse Shopko and they had $.99 bags of charcoal! WOOHOOOOO! <3 my baskets. Made out with 4 bags, could have probably hauled 6-8 thanks to bungee chords but I figured 4 was good for now.

The biggest load I've made out with, not counting the Rug Dr in the back of the kiddie trailer with the Jamis, was groceries with the Raleigh when I had the baskets on it.

UPDATED:
Finished the night off with a ride into the sunset, and sprinklers.

Monkey Wrench and New Bike for Wife

My dad and I ventured out to pay visit to Monkey Wrench's new location. All I have to say is, LOVE IT! It is 1 million times better than their old location. You can even tell that they all seem happier there. They can breathe now! I love the old vintage look of the building. It is just perfect for them. I could only dream of having a shop like that one. Was falling in love with some Salsa bikes while I was there so I had to bail before I accidentally took my lock and locked myself to one somehow.

Afterwards, we veered off to Cycle Works where I bought my wife a new bike to get her through until I have Good Life Cycles going next year and we figure out what kind she wants for good. This will be a good entry bike like my Jamis was for me. After a while of riding this, she will have more of an idea of what kind of riding she wants to do more and we can narrow her down to what kind of bike would be perfect for her. I'm hoping to maybe build each of us some Salsa bikes next year myself, or some other kind.

I am SO looking forward to graduating SCC at the end of this year. I can't wait to head to Oregon to attend UBI (United Bicycle Institute). UBI is one of the only 2 colleges in the U.S. for bicycle specific careers. I'm starting to work on GLC's projected numbers but it is such a process! I'm hoping to get a chance to speak to this accountant I am wanting to hire to help me nail my projections and get my books set up.

Everything's coming along slowly but surely. I have time. I am just getting impatient and very excited lately. I have been noticing little nooks of opportunity around the country lately, primed for a GLC bike shop! I am even thinking of future plans for a cycling lodge up in the mountains somewhere possibly.

Had lots of good riding miles the last couple of days with my dad who came to town and my wife. The weather was a tad heated yesterday but it was pretty amazing today! I can't seem to find enough excuses to ride the Surly LHT lately. It has been a dream bike of mine ever since I started riding. I am just dreaming up all the different things I can do with it. I feel blessed having found cycling. It is a wonderful lifestyle! I am excited to see my wife begin to enjoy it more now that we have replaced the ol' Shwinn.

Ode to Jamis

Yes, I sold my first bike.

I do miss you. I hope the new owner takes really good care of you (a UNL student wanting to commute on a fast bike). I have this picture of my last memory of you, my dear Jamis. Our last ride together, from North Platte to Lexington. You treated me good and I will never forget you.

But it's time to move on. Shortly after I met you, I had a mental love affair with Surly LHT at Cycle Works while you were getting an upgrade. Alas, the opportunity came for me to have LHT all to myself. Sorry Jamis but we both new an upgrade was inevitable someday. We had a good 1500+ miles together this year with many memories and many pictures.

I Have Returned

Woohoo I'm back! I had changed my password and forgot it apparently immediately after I did it and haven't gotten around to recovering it because my Outlook and everything was configured with the new password so I was too lazy to mess with it.

A few things have happened since my last posts. The MS Ride went wonderful. My buddy and I raised around $760. My bike shop that I want to open is coming along great but I just don't have time to hardly dedicate to it with work, full time college and full time family. Therefore, I'm quitting my job.

I have some students working on logos for me. I have a facebook fan page up for the business also. Once I don't have to work anymore I'll be pounding out my business plan and website. Hopefully I'll have financing within a couple months because there are a couple locations I am very interested in. I have been communicating with several bicycle companies about dealership status but I am kind of back and forth on which ones I want to go with.

If I have any viewers at all from the Dawson County area, I would really like some input on a few different things so please get in contact with me!