Awesome CD!

I can't believe it took me nearly three years to finally buy this. As a certified "Hazelnut" or Sister Hazel fan to those of you who don't know, I have made it a habit to buy their new albums within the first week of release. Yup, I own them all. Some how though, I missed Drew Copeland's solo album, "No Regrets". Well, I can say this much...I regret that I didn't buy it sooner. I knew it existed and I even saw it for sale at the Sister Hazel concerts I've attended, but for some reason, I never bought it. Well, today I decided that enough was enough and bought it off of iTunes. All I can say is WOW! There are obvious Sister Hazel influences throughout the album (actually, I guess what becomes obvious are his influences on each Sister Hazel album) as well as those from another North Florida musical legend, Tom Petty, but the album is decidedly unique. For me, the first track, "A Little Like Heaven", brought back a stream of memories from my times in Gainesville. Track 6, "Over You" is a break-up song that struck a cord with me because of it similarities to my recent break-up. The final song on the album, "Once Again" has a decidedly country music sound to it with an upbeat rhythm and positive theme. If you are a fan of Sister Hazel or Gainesville music in general, Copeland's "No Regrets" is a can't miss purchase.

Single Speed Pics and a Few Details

As promised in my usual timely fashion, here are some pics of the single speed along with some details on the parts used.

Late 90's Trek Cro-Moly frame. Deore hubs on a basic wheel set. My always present Specialized saddle. I'm not sure about the fork right now. I don't know if it is "suspension-corrected" or not. So far it seems to ride well, so I won't make a final decision until I get some real trail time in.

The heart of the drivetrain is all Surly. Surly Cassette Spacer Kit, Surly 22T Rear Cog and Surly Singulator.

The other part is the Shimano XT crank and Race Face BB that I pulled from my XC bike. In their place went the sweet new XTR crankset. VERY SWEET. I'm running a 34T chainring with the outer ring acting as a chainguard. I don't really have a choice though since this crank is one of those with the integral spider. I'm also running yet another set of Crank Brothers pedals...the Mallets this time. Since I may use this bike for a variety of purposes, it's nice to have a clipless pedal that is also a solid platform. This will also come in handy should any friends need to borrow a bike.

The cockpit consists of Avid Speed Dial Levers, Profile Grips, a sweet set of FSA XC190 (as in 190g) riser bars and a short Rocky Mountain stem.

THOSE brakes. Don't get me wrong, I love Cane Creek stuff, but the Direct Curve brakes are just lacking a little power. I finally got them dialed in after I trued the wheels and they feel OK now. They just don't have the feel that I've gotten so used to with my XT V's.

And the single speed makes four!

Great news! My fourth bike is complete. I just took an old steel mountain bike frame that a customer gave me and turned it into a single speed. The frame is a mid-late 90's Trek Tru-Temper steel frame. As some of you may already know, I just love steel. It might be a touch heavier, but nothing rides like it. The component mix is also good. The wheels are a little on the cheap side and I'm having a tough time dialing in my Cane Creek Direct Curve brakes, but I'm very happy over all. What made tonight even better was that a few of my guys that were in the store (real bike guys, too!) rode it and told me how much they loved the bike. One of the guys even said it was nicer than one that we sell for $1700! It's going to be a fun spring. Oh...and this weekend, I'll be sure to post some photos and a full parts list.