It is time to call it a day. This weekend I made an extremely tough decision, to quit writing here on this blog.
For the simple reason I have run out of things to write about, or rather worthwhile stuff that people want to read.
People like the tech stuff, and history. The tech stuff, I have just about covered it all. The beauty of the bicycle is its simplicity, you push one pedal down and the other one comes up.
How much technical stuff can there be, I have used up all I have. I have not kept up with the new stuff, I have no reason to, I am no longer in the business,
As for history, "You can't make that stuff up.” Some I write from memory, but as with the tech stuff, I have covered most of my personal experiences already.
I have written about the riders who were the heroes of my youth, others who were not my heroes I do not care to rehash stuff from the Internet that anyone can find.
All I am left with is commenting on current events. However, I am not a political animal, and I hate the fact that people use the bicycle as a political tool. These days, I just want to ride my bike, and I like to think I write for people who want to do the same.
I am not out to save the planet, or ban automobiles. In my real life, I have cut back to one small car, but I did that for economic reasons, not political. A person can survive without a car if they wish, but that is not my wish. I enjoy the convenience of owning my own car.
Why is it, the extreme left wing, eco-nuts think they own the exclusive right to the bicycle? And why is it, if you ride a bicycle everyone thinks you are an extreme left wing, eco-nut?
Looking back on my most recent posts, I am not happy with them; it is not work I can say I am proud of. Not that I didn’t make the same effort to write it, as with any other post, or choose words any less carefully. The subject matter is negative, and I am only using it because that is all I have.
A comment on my last post was a reality check for me. It read:
Interesting comment - about one possibly insignificant, irritated old man. From where I am, a long way away, it looks a lot like over-reaction though - merely one grumpy old man complaining about another.
The last way I want to be remembered, is as a grumpy old man. This is not the first time this comment has been made. Yes I get angry, anger is passion, and without passion in life, there is no life. You may as well give up and die.
My only desire when I started this was to share the knowledge and memories I have gathered over the years. I have done that, to keep going is to do so just for the sake of keeping going.
I have been writing here for almost three years, there are 286 posts, enough material to fill a book. Having filled a book with all the knowledge and memories I have, how can I write another?
This was not an easy decision; my readership is the highest it has ever been. I felt I had an obligation to those readers. However, I have an obligation to myself; this blog is not my whole life. I am involved in many other creative endeavors.
In the end I decided the best time to quit is now, while my readership is at the highest, not a year from now when it has dwindled to nothing, and everyone says I have lost it.
This site is not going away; about 70% of my daily hits come from Google searches by people seeking bicycle knowledge. The blog material will stay, and after I have taken a break, I will develop the site for people who still own and ride bikes I built.
There will be more photos of owners bikes, and possibly a bike registry. I have a backlog of about fifty emails I need to answer, maybe now I can finally catch up.
I'm sure there are many readers who have not even come close to reading all that is here. Now is your opportunity to catch up.
Not all recent comments have been negative, in fact quite the reverse. I what to thank the many who have been supportive, and for giving me the feeling that it has all been extremely worthwhile.
Mon, August 25, 2008
Bicycle Accident Lawyer
If you own a frame or bike built by Dave Moulton, email details to list it on the registry website at www.davemoultonregistry.com
If you ask me a question in the comments section of old outdated article, you may not get an answer. Unless the article is current I may not even see it. Email me instead. Thanks Dave
Reader Comments (88)
I loved your blog- I looked forward to reading it every day. Very interesting, clear writing, and unique perspective. Best of luck, and enjoy your riding.
Dave
I just popped over here, as I do every other day or so, to see if there was anything new from you. It's as if an old friend has written a note telling me they are moving away, out of the country.
I will not chivy you to continue posting. That would be silly. I wll however thank you deeply and from my heart for the articles you've posted and for your balanced approach to cycling. You've brought both insight and wisdom to my own cycling.
Thanks again Dave!!!
I'll miss your updates, but as a writer and former blogger myself, I know what you mean when you say you've run out of things to say. It happens. Selfishly, I hope it's a temporary situation as I enjoy your wit and wisdom.
I recently added John Howard serial# 210 to my small stable. Someone had upgraded it to 8-speed Dura Ace, but a friend of mine and I restored it to friction shift glory with a mix of vintage Campy and Cinelli parts. The bike is so comfortable and stable yet light and lively, I may ride it in the 2011 PBP. If I do, I'll send pictures.
-A-
Dave,
Thanks for all of your information. I was one of those stumbling onto your site from Google. I had just found myself the owner of a beautiful 1980's Fuji Regis, but did not know the first thing about road bikes (I was training for a triathlon at the time). All I wanted to know was how to apply handlebar tape, and you came through.
Thanks!
Dave,
So sorry to hear you are discontinuing your blog. I thoroughly enjoyed every posting. You have one of best quality cycling blogs out there!
I'm hoping you might reconsider and post at least on a semi-regular basis. I enjoyed your technical articles as well as your thought provoking commentary on the current state of cycling.
I've recently started my own blog chronicling a recent frame purchase and build, and I'm getting the idea how much time and effort goes into keeping one up to date and interesting.
Good luck with future endeavors, and more imporantly, enjoy riding!
-Dwight
http://myrambouilletbuild.blogspot.com/
Dave,
Yours has been one of my favorite places on the web over the last couple of years. I wish I had found you earlier. I will miss your words.
Thanks,
-Rob
Dave,
Thank you for all you have shared.
Doug Robertson
Hi Dave,
Thanks for writing the great blog. I found it a few months ago and have gone through the history read every post. I wish you the best.
Happy cycling.
Chris
Enjoyed your blog very much. Even old bikers need a guru to talk to when they climb the mountain looking for wisdom and a sense of history. You don't need to write something every day--just when you have something to say! Personal blogs are for musings, bad poetry, and an outlet for comments on the latest outrages, etc. That some who read your blog may be negative in response at times is to be expected and welcomed. There are, believe it or not, people who are contrary about everything, even among those who ride steel frames!! Take a break! Don't feel obligated! Just sign on when you want to post something of interest or have something to toss into cyberspace. Everyone who has read your blog has you bookmarked and will look forward to something new whenever!
It's never been less than a pleasure Dave. Quit while you're ahead, and enjoy riding your bike while ye may!
Definitely one of my favorite websites.
The fire can only burn so bright for so long eh? I look forward to any new projects you take on and expect they will be just as insightful and exciting.
Keep writing Dave, from the amount of comments you've gotten it is clear you have a solid fan base!
Hearts,
MC
Cycling will be losing one of the great voices. If BKW shuts down, there will be little of quality left.
Please continue with your blog. I am 28 years old and do appreciate your insight.
CWR
Best, Dave
Courage to say you've got to call an end to the blog.
Besides sharing what you know and what you've experienced--the blog is a creative outlet I can tell. I think I'll track down and buy a copy of that book of yours--that way I'll have a part of your work on the book shelf at home.
Maybe I'll shut down my blog too--not right away, but some time--and write that play and those short stories. The blog has been the base miles, right? Now for the real riding--and writing to begin!
Cheers! Bruce
Tucson, Arizona
Dave, thanks so much for the great stories and info. I enjoyed reading them all. Best of luck to you. Dan
Maybe take a year and then see whether you're refreshed? Regardless, thanks for taking the time to write it all down. I studied your bike-fit information closely. Onward!
Enjoy your rides and thanks for all the great info! Just don't forget the password so that you can always come back and add something that made you think or that you remembered. You never know when you'll want to write again.
Thanks for your blog...I'm sorry to see it go, but this blog is not your whole life, nor should it be.
Dave -
Hate to see you go. Your website has been an excellent source of all sorts of information for me. Thanks for everything. Hope you get nothing but tailwinds.
Dave -
I have been only reading your blog for a short time. However, your good attitude about sharing and respect to others on the road and in life in general will certainly not be forgotten by me.
Thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge, experiences and opinions with us.
I've immensely enjoyed reading your blog every since you told me about it a couple of years ago at the CBC shop. Thanks for all your time and energy in the blog, it will be missed!
Wow, tons of accolades, and they are well-deserved. Thanks, Dave, for riding and writing. I hope that when I visit my cousin down in Charleston in the next few years, I will be able to pick your brain for local rides. Good luck with the next adventure(s).
You were one of the more thoughtful writers out. Enjoy the bike.
Thank you for your posts. I have learned a lot from them and enjoyed them often.
I enjoyed your perspective whatever the topic, especially when you could make the technical issues simple and less expensive to deal with than other sources.
I think you could have forgotten more about bikes than a lot of us know, so I'm not sure you have exhausted what you have to offer. I hope maybe over time you will find a way to continue the dialog.
At least my Fuso isn't going away! :) Thanks again.
Dave,
Don't worry about snide comments, whoever pettily called you a grumpy old man is wrong, and they probably stir-up the extreme left wing, eco-nut assumption you wrote about anyway.
I hope that in the peace and pressure-less atmosphere of simply enjoying your cycling, that perhaps the wind-in-your-face inspiration will offer you some new ideas to write about.
Best wishes,
Urban Commuter
I keep coming back here to read the comments. The comments on this one could turn out to be a blog all on their own. However, Bike Snob NYC already has almost twice as many in just one day after being ticketed for running a red light. Now, I'm not suggesting Dave should start running red lights or anything like that. Let's keep this thing going and Dave can just go and ride is bike and not worry about it anymore!
Dave,
I've loved reading this blog, though I understand you wanting to move on. If you do think of something more to write about, I hope you won't hesitate to post it because you've said that you've stopped.
Thanks for your work!
Best of luck,
John
Dave
A great read. However, you did not cover crank lengths and how you sized them. A pity.
Dave,
Love your stuff. One of the few blogs I read that offer good insight and well thought out perspectives. I find it "rude" when people call you names like "Grumpy old man" when you offer a well thought out opinion on something and provide your rationale. Nothing wrong with opinions. If someone chooses to disagree, well tough cookies, it's not like you're offering a moral perspective over a religious issue. It's about biking and the enjoyment of it.
Will miss your insights. Thankful for your work. Keep on riding.
Sorry to hear that you are deciding to fade to black when you are at your highest point. Then again it is always good to take a breather, a break and rekindle that fire that never really burned out.
I will admit I am a recent reader and from what I have seen you make some great points, you speak from the heart and that says alot. The future is bright, with change comes growth and through that growth a new opportunity, for a bigger and better story and a new outlook on life by bicycle and in existence, I wish you the best in this new journey and hope that the day will come this blog will be revived or in the new world of the site to be. Looking forward to whichever direction it may flow.
Thank you for sharing your hard-earned knowledge. We have really appreciated it.
I was afraid of this. Now what do I do for withdrawal? Almost all the other cycling blogs are by wet-behind-the-ears slaves of high tech from the Lance Armstrong bike boom whose main claim to expertise seems to be the ability to walk into a Trek, Specialized or Cervelo dealership and open a wallet.
Dave, you had me worried old mate. I check your archive page every day to see if there's been a new blog post, and after a week's time I was concerned you may have been sick or worse. So, I'm happy that you are in good health, but sad to know that my favorite internet distraction will be on hold for the time being.
You know, Tina Turner said she was done with performing, but her comeback tour has been a sell-out across the world ;) Rust never sleeps my friend.
Best wishes,
Erik
Hi Dave,
I'd just like to say how much I've enjoyed reading this blog. And if you never post agin; that's fine, and if you come back that's great too. I'm particularly touched that you take this whole business with such personal feeling. the way you've put your feelings on the line is a testament to your humanity. Enjoy yourself!
Jody
Dave,
Genuinely sorry to see that you've made this decision. I only just discovered your blog last month!! OK, so there is already plenty for me to read here, and that's good.
In any event, thanks for all the great work that you've generously shared with us here.
Best Wishes
n
Hi Dave:
I bumped into your blog a few months back, initially thinking to myself that I had stumbled into "that folding bike guy's" blog. After reading some more, I discovered my error, and added another Moulton to my memory. But I was also hooked on the interesting posts, and I have been steadily working through all them up until now. As I approached page 1, I wondered with anticipation what up to date posts I would find. Imagine my surprise to find out that I've come to the end of the line!
I will miss your posts, Dave. I found them insightful and thought-provoking, rich with wisdom that I took to heart.
I wish you many more thousands of kilometers of happy traveling. I will do the same, with open heart and open mind.
Ken
With 86 comments on one post, you'd be a fool (no offense meant) to quit blogging. I dream of that kind of traffic and participation on my blog.
Take a break ---- rest - reflect ---- then get your *ss back in the saddle and start writing. It appears to be "what you do".
L
so, dave.
do you have any intense reserves about posting a way for people with immediate need to reach you?
s.