So a few weeks ago I attended the New England Builders Ball. Overall a great experience and a wonderful event. I hope to be there next year if it continues into a 3rd year (Which it sounds like it will be!). Eric Weis put together one heck of an effort to get all of the builders in the door so my hat goes off to him for all his hard work. It was great meeting so many wonderful people, shaking hands and handing out plenty of stickers/cards. For all that swung by, it was great meeting you and I hope to see you all again soon! It was also a bit surreal to meet a bunch of the builders who’s work I have admired for so long. I only new them from their work via the internet, magazine articles or interviews in the virtual sense. To actually meet them was quite the honor.
I spent the early summer and fall prepping a bunch of new bikes. Basically I overhauled all of my own bikes (4 in all). What I was finding troublesome was that when I would speak with a customer, I was showing them early prototypes and having to describe things that i have built in the past with different methods and construction I am using currently. To have a lineup on hand that enables me to show them an example of a frame in the “This is how your frame will look, just fitted to you” setting is a much better way to sell than trying to sell it on promises. So 3 of these bikes I subsequently took to the Builders Ball which worked out nicely. A good mix: 1 Mountain Bike, a Fat Bike with packs and a Cyclocross bike. The display was fairly simple with easy setup: 3 bases with columns that enabled the pedals to ‘click’ in to cleats, and a folding coffee shop style sign. All fold/pack flat for easy transportation.
With the threat of rain, I ended up packing all the bikes INSIDE of my Honda Civic. Fat bike in the trunk with the displays and wheelset and my race stand/tools, and the Mtn. Bike/Cross bike in the back seat with their wheelsets. On the way home, I just threw everything up on top of the car now that I have a 3rd tray and off we went. Packing things up:
Setup was pretty quick – I put all the bikes together in a parking deck across the alley from the Biltmore:
My modest display for the show all setup:
And after all was setup, it was pretty much a buzz all night long until about 10pm when things wrapped up:
Photo copyright Mike Stultz / www.mstultzphoto.com
Again thanks to all for swung by the show to say hello and special thanks to Eric Weis for all his hard work putting the show together. Hope to be there again next year!
New England Builders Ball in Review
So a few weeks ago I attended the New England Builders Ball. Overall a great experience and a wonderful event. I hope to be there next year if it continues into a 3rd year (Which it sounds like it will be!). Eric Weis put together one heck of an effort to get all of the builders in the door so my hat goes off to him for all his hard work. It was great meeting so many wonderful people, shaking hands and handing out plenty of stickers/cards. For all that swung by, it was great meeting you and I hope to see you all again soon! It was also a bit surreal to meet a bunch of the builders who’s work I have admired for so long. I only new them from their work via the internet, magazine articles or interviews in the virtual sense. To actually meet them was quite the honor.
I spent the early summer and fall prepping a bunch of new bikes. Basically I overhauled all of my own bikes (4 in all). What I was finding troublesome was that when I would speak with a customer, I was showing them early prototypes and having to describe things that i have built in the past with different methods and construction I am using currently. To have a lineup on hand that enables me to show them an example of a frame in the “This is how your frame will look, just fitted to you” setting is a much better way to sell than trying to sell it on promises. So 3 of these bikes I subsequently took to the Builders Ball which worked out nicely. A good mix: 1 Mountain Bike, a Fat Bike with packs and a Cyclocross bike. The display was fairly simple with easy setup: 3 bases with columns that enabled the pedals to ‘click’ in to cleats, and a folding coffee shop style sign. All fold/pack flat for easy transportation.
With the threat of rain, I ended up packing all the bikes INSIDE of my Honda Civic. Fat bike in the trunk with the displays and wheelset and my race stand/tools, and the Mtn. Bike/Cross bike in the back seat with their wheelsets. On the way home, I just threw everything up on top of the car now that I have a 3rd tray and off we went. Packing things up:
Setup was pretty quick – I put all the bikes together in a parking deck across the alley from the Biltmore:
My modest display for the show all setup:
And after all was setup, it was pretty much a buzz all night long until about 10pm when things wrapped up:
Photo copyright Mike Stultz / www.mstultzphoto.com
Again thanks to all for swung by the show to say hello and special thanks to Eric Weis for all his hard work putting the show together. Hope to be there again next year!