To get a feel for the wine before you indulge, Ranno tilts and swirls

A new direction? Well, not exactly, but definitely a new way to seal the deal.  Before we get into things, lets get one thing clear – wine does it for me.  I’ve put in the base miles training my palate,  and the rewards being reaped are magical.  Good bottles stay in my memory for weeks until I get the ‘wine guy’ at Liquor Mart to order the store a case I soon there-after splurge on with the 20% case discount.  I just can’t seem to have a meal after 12 noon without the stuff.  Not quite addicted to the point of AA, but an admirer of the art form.  I also happen to be applying for Italian citizenship, and guess what, that’s part of the application – molto bene!!

Nick tests the value of a possible trade for some bike gear...

A new client of TGM just happens to be the owner of a vineyard.  I heard this tid-bit of information through my boss’s closed office door across our warehouse to my lonesome workspace with Pandora set blasting on 80’s pop.  I perked up like a 6th grader at a pool party.  But at this point it was still hear-say.  “What are the  chances of that working out” I thought to myself.  Well, this morning my skepticism was thrown under the bus.  A delivery at 10:30 a.m.?  You got it.  I could see the alcohol sticker on the blank brown box from afar – brought me right back to my days at Boulder Wine & Spirits where I began to memorize the monthly visits of the reps with “the good stuff” for us to taste and hopefully sell.  That’s right, we received our feeler, our taster if you will.  Our possible client, who unfortunately will have to remain nameless, came through.  Four bottles free of charge – a gesture of good faith.  Now its up to us to test the waters…  Obviously, we can’t trade 72 cases of wine for a road bike, but who knows, maybe the wine can be his/her form of The Gear Movement coupons, redeemable at Diesel’s desk.

Pop that thang!

Now on to what came out of the box.  A 2003 Napa Valley Cabernet, a 2007 Sonoma Valley Syrah, a 2007 Montepulciano – Sonoma (I like him already, he’s importing Italian varietals!!!), and a 2005 Sonoma Valley Cabernet.  Boo-yah!!!!  An ‘03 Napa Cabernet?! Are you serious?  This sucker is going to be a face eraser!  Big & balanced forward fruit with, huge nose, lingering berry notes in the back of your tasters as she goes down – surely to flank the palate from all sides.  The 2007 Syrah should be a soft, elegant, and smooth fruit sensation ready to swing dance with any savory dish thrown its way.  The Montepulciano?  This Tuscan gem is hopefully the dry, balanced-tannin and sophisticated fruit I’m after in my $7/bottle budget that I am all-to-often unable to find.  And the 2007 Sonoma Cabernet? A possible cellar candidate (yea, if I had one)?  Well, I’ll let you know when I get there.  We’ll see if I can wait until Friday.  Salud ”

The wine is poured by Diesel himself!

The Prius and the Bike, Ask Nick Ranno which "Green" path he travels by most

Boulder – the town of contradictions. Don’t get me wrong, this place rocks – there is a reason I haven’t moved back to Georgia. This blog is not aimed at anyone, just everyone in Boulder that inspired these thoughts. So I have to come up with a blog for work? The latest body art is out due to today’s Facebook – iPhone – hey lets email Ranno’s mom this photo – type of connections I tend to find myself at the loosing end of more times than I can care to remember. So what to blog about? Good question when I am not a blogger to begin with, but let’s see… I do ride my bike to work everyday = a commuter? Whatever the name, I am constantly getting passed by cars and staring at their bumpers – rain or shine. Lately, the oddest image continues to make its way through the brown snow-covered bumpers of countless Toyota Prius’s and alternative fuel vehicles alike that determine I am at fault for their mid-text near misses. But first, lets get back to the beacon of these bumpers. “Save the rainforest,” “Go Green,” “My other car is a bicycle,” “My other car is an airplane,” “My other car is a helicopter” – really?

What does it take to build a Prius, I think we are looking at it!

Anyway, when I am fortunate enough to get a visual of my verbal-assault target of such a vehicle with such a bumper tag, and they are rocking a tie die and dreads and blaming my presence in the intersection, which at this point has been granted by a green light, for their failure to notice that the light they are sitting under is now red – well they are getting the best I have to offer in 4 letter cocktails at happy hour. First off hommie, I know your vitamin cottage hourly wage didn’t pay for that Prius, and second, I’m practicing what YOUR CAR preaches – simply because I enjoy a good bike ride and saving some money, not because I care to tell the world about my beliefs on my seat post. I’m just doing my thing, going from point A to B, minding my own business, but you, well, by now you know what I think of you. Next time you pass the buck to a bike, take a look at your set up first.

I don't think many words are needed to describe this party with a Tesla, Prius, and Touareg

Editors Note: Nick Ranno is one of our longest standing employees at The Gear Movement. He has been working on a full body tattoo from our friends over at Bolder Ink, hence his references at the begining of this blog. Nick rides his one of the bikes in his wealthy stable to work everyday no matter what. We have seen him ride to and from work in blizzard conditions, are you as amazing as he is? Check out the World Commute website by CatEye to log your commuting miles!

Fast Tube by Casper

Sometimes our emplyees and owners alike need to go the extra mile to sell our products. Such is the commitment here at TGM that we offer to our clients. We will slave away to sell your gear at the top dollar price if that is what it takes to make you happy!

The above video was shot by Jordan, with Ben as our model and just about the whole TGM crew in attendance, laughing hilariously! Sometimes you just got to have fun. Crazy thing about it was that we got these skinsuits sold no problem, and for maximum dollar. I don’t like to use this space to pump our ego our our services, this is more a space for us to tell our fans and potential new clients that we use a fun atmosphere to seriously get the job done!

Ben Duke, modeling the latest in ski slope fashion!

One of the perks of working here at TGM, is that you get to pose in our ridiculous photo booth wearing some of the crazy clothing we get! Here is to you, our brave employees!!

The Latest in Jelly Belly fashion wear from TGM! Modeled by Nick "Diesel" Ranno

Part of the TGM crew showing their fun side!! Photo by Ben Duke

Did a small photo shoot with some of the employees at our shop yesterday! Part of owning a small business and trying to keep things interesting around here is doing fun stuff! Don’t get us wrong, we don’t take the entire shop to the amusement park on a regular basis but sitting behind a computer and posting Gear on eBay can get a little old sometimes.

Matt showing his best "Blue Steel" impression! Photo by Ben Duke

With an impending snow storm coming in today that dropped a good 5 -6 inches of the powdery white stuff we thought it would be a great time to get out and do a little photo shoot. Pictures are courtesy here by Ben Duke – our fearless leader who takes some amazing shots. Ben has a great understanding of light and how to get the right angles; Jordan typically takes Ben’s great shots and distorts them or ruins the lighting!

Elizabeth - obvously from the "wesstsidde" Photo by Ben Duke

After Ben took these rad photos it was back to work and business as usual, but ay know – we have fun here! That is the most important part of our business. We are here to post your Gear on eBay, so let us know if we can help you move your old inventory – we have fun doing it, and you will definitely have fun getting the checks in the mail! Cheers to all from the crew at TGM!

The paparrazzo is looking for Mr. Ranno! Photo by Ben Duke/Papparrizzi

Elizabeth and Matt showing their "Gangstah" side!

1999 Schwinn Straight 8 DH Bike. Photo by J. Schware

Well ladies and gents, step on up and view this beauty! This is a one of a kind Schwinn Homegrown Straight 8 Joe Lawwill designed DH Bike. This beauty was owned and used as a spare bike by the venerable Schwinn Factory Racing team back from 1999-2000. Check out some of these pics – I mean the bike is in mint condition!

Check out the old school Rock Shox Deluxe pull shock style rear suspension – remember when these things used to just blow up? I’m telling you, this is the bike that first got me into loving DH racing and all things Mtn Biking!

Shimano Airlines System. Photo by Jordan

Theres also the old school Rock Shox World Cup 151 Boxxer Triple Crown front fork, with the matching color scheme! This was the first year Hayes Disc Brakes were available for Mtn Bikes – the beginning of trickle down technology from the moto world. Note the rear floating caliper!

Schwinn Straight 8 Cockpit! Photo by Jordan

Where can you go wrong with the full Shimano drivetrain? From the beefy XTR crank set to the 48t “For Downhill Use Only” chainring to the Shimano Airlines system. Note the special gauges below the top tube to monitor the levels of compression in the air hoses. This rig almost looks like a moto with its beefy Sun Ringle Double Wide front and rear rims with brand new 26×3.0 Nokian Gazzoloddi tires.

Even if you never got much into DH back in the day when there was some money in Mountain Biking, give this bike a once over – honesty this is a one of a kind legend!

Do you have a story about this team or this era of Mtn Biking? Let us know, Check out the video below – we dig this stuff!!

Fast Tube by Casper