Sweet Sixteen
Mon, November 15, 2021 
On November 12th, 2005, I posted my first article here and so last Friday marked 16 years of writing here on “Dave’s Bike Blog.
Crazy really when I consider my California business began in January 1982 and lasted until October 1993. Less than 12 years.
During that relatively short time, I created a body of work that still exists today and probably will for many more years.
Plus of course the frames I built in Worcester, England in the 1970s. So, I guess I can add Dave’s Bike Blog to the list of my achievements.
I think of all my other achievements during my life. Engineering projects, some of which still exist, I am sure. Machinery and various equipment I have either worked on or designed and built, in England and The USA both before and after I left the bike business.
But this is no different from most craftsmen, engineers, and people in construction. They create a body of work over their lifetime, but they don’t get to put their name on it, and that is the difference.
“I started out in the bike business with nothing… Today I have most of it left.”
But that is not the point. When someone buys one of my bikes used on eBay, although I will receive no financial gain from the sale, I get great satisfaction in knowing they will enjoy owning and riding that bike, and then maybe pass it on to someone else. Rather than it be left to rust or end up in a landfill.
Today I am a retired framebuilder, and I have moved on to other creative endeavors, songwriting is one of them. I also get satisfaction when a person comes up after hearing me perform a song at an open mic and say, “I really like that song.” Then ask, “What is your name?” I know that person genuinely likes my song, he or she is not saying it because I am a known songwriter.
And when other artists who are great songwriters in their own right, ask if they can record one of my songs, that is indeed a compliment. This has happened on two occasions. Although there is little financial reward in it for me, they spent their own money to record the song.
Which brings me to my personal life, and my personal Facebook page. If you have ever sent a “Friend” request to my personal Facebook page and I have not responded, please don’t take it personally. My Personal FB page is mostly made-up people I actually know. I have 324 friends, if I include bike riders it will increase to thousands.
They are mostly songwriters, musicians and writers, and they are not interested in bikes, anymore than bike riders are interested in my songwriting. The last thing I want is people loading up my personal page with bike pictures and questions about bikes.
I feel I allow plenty of access, writhing here, and then there is the Dave Moulton Bike Facebook Group where I post regularly. In addition, there is a link to my personal email on this page and my Registry.
Email me if you have a question, but please not a 1,000 word essay, you may include a phone number, I have been known to call people if the answer is too long to write.
Please don’t PM me to my personal FB page, as if I reply, then you have access to my personal page. Some have got on that way and for the most part if they don’t give me grief, like taking my jokes as serious statements, I probably won’t even know they are there.
Here's to more years writing on “Dave’s Bike Blog.” And if this Covid nonsense ends, maybe a few of us might meet again. I appreciate your continued support. Thank you all.
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Reader Comments (5)
Dave, thanks for explaining why my FB friend request was ignored. I get it. Congratulation on your life accomplishments. You've done a whole lot better than most people.
About the blog. I've followed since the early days, the last few years on feedly.com and before that the old Google RSS Feed. Lately when I get a new blog notification on Feedly the link says "Not Found 404.0". The only way I can find it is to Google it, which take me to your old blog and then I have to click the "Dave's Bike Blog HAS MOVED" link.
Dave,
I am also getting the 404 error.
It may be a glitch with squarespace?
Yes, even the email reply notification links give me the 404 error.
I am sorry some of you have been having problems, but everything is working at my end. Do you get the same error when you click to My Registry or My Online Store from the Navigation Bar at the top of this page. Also from links on other sites like https://dougreport.com/
Square Space has been a good and mostly reliable host platform, but I do have to switch browsers from Google to Microsoft edge if I need to add a new post or even to simply post this comment. The tech support is practically non-existent on Square-Space, and although there is plenty of info available on their site, one cannot get hold of a real person. So, I will have to find help to upgrade. It needs to be someone I know and can trust. I am not about to hand over passwords to just anyone.
My main concern of course is in switching over the archives, and all the material therein. I would hate to lose any of it. Thank you for your patience and any expert advice would be appreciated.
Dave
Thanks for the sixteen years worth of writing. You are an inspiration.