Five years ago I got a call from a customer who asked if I needed someone to design a website. Since we already had a website, and knowing he knew we had a website, I figured he thought the current one was lame, and he was right. So I agreed, and he came up with the nice site you’ve been looking at since 2005 or so. After another five years we figured it was time for an overhaul. Besides, it’s our 10 year anniversary, and we wanted to give ourselves a gift. After months of nit-picking, chasing our tails, second guessing, and simply not wanting to work on it, the new website is up and running. The guy responsible for what you see is Mitch Kline. Web designer, photographer, dad, drinker of fine ales, and all around great guy, Mitch has become an integral part of the look and feel of Soulcraft. Thanks Mitch for all the hard work. Nice job.
As for the site itself, aside from the obvious change in the look, there are some nice functional aspects as well. You’ll notice that we’re highlighting complete bikes rather than just frames. Each model’s parts kit can be tweaked to suite your needs, with a constantly updated price shown so you know weather you’ll need to sell one (1) kidney, or two (2), to get your new Soulcraft. That being said, we've made a big effort to make the pricing competitive and also have a comprehensive parts offering. And even if you don't see the parts you want, we can work up a custom kit quote for you (after we get a deposit). There are more detail shots of each bike so you can see some of the workmanship and features more clearly. There's a History page with the full story and some great photos and the News page will give you a quick look at what’s new or coming up here at Soulcraft. For those afraid of change, not to worry. The Blog will continue to be a great place to waste time, and the FAQ page is still a humbling experience. Also, we’ve added a “Current Lead Time” ticker in various places around the site which will be constantly updated so you’ll know how long the current wait is for a frame, which is currently 3 months down from the usual 6. We’ve been cracking the whip here so you can get a bike in a reasonable amount of time. There’s a Paint and Decal picker where you can sit for hours and look at all the color and decal combinations, and there are Tech Docs to help you with maintenance and parts compatibility.
 On the digital frontier, we’ve created an official Soulcraft Cycles Facebook page where you can become a fan and check out some cool stuff that might not show up anywhere else. And maybe from time to time we will put out the word about a week long sale on soft goods only to “fans” and no one else. Speaking of fans, Captain Kinevil and Mo Rebolledo will be aboard The Green Machine and heading south to the San Diego Custom Bicycle Show. If you live along the 101, keep your eyes peeled and your beer cold.
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Our frame feature of the month is something that not many people notice. So give up the love for the “reinforced seat collar insert”. This little guy is pressed into the seat tube and welded prior to the frame being built. It’s a thicker wall tube than the seat tube itself and wards off cracking around the slot while also helping the final ream of the seat tube come out perfect every time. On top of that, your seat post is less likely to get stuck in the frame because it contacts just the inside of the insert, and not the seat tube itself.
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Our Frame of the Month is a Holy Roller geared frame for Chuck Hoefer down at Pacific Coast Cycles in Oceanside Ca. He’s one of two (2) Soulcraft dealers in the country, and one of the big Salsa dealers back when I worked there. As you can see, the top tube is bent to allow for more standover, which we’re going to make optional on small Holy Rollers from now on. And look at those funny nubs on the seatstays. Chuck likes to run these things called “V” brakes.
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Sponsors of the Month are GU and WTB, both of which are local companies that do a lot to support the local scene. GU has been a Soulcraft Team sponsor for many years now, and they keep upping the ante with new products, some of which have enough caffeine in them to not only get you to the finish line, but give you enough of a bump so that when you get home you might want to re-glaze the windows or tile the bathroom. They have something for before, during, and after the ride, and none of it gives you the churning stomach so common with other powders and go-food. And now they have these things called Chomps, which are a clever disguise for gummy bears. These are good anytime.
WTB is one of the most storied names in the biz, being one of the original mountain bike component makers. They handle the grips and saddles for us and luckily they make enough models of each to satisfy the wide array of hands and asses that make up our team (they’re mostly asses though). Considering that they cover two of the three contact points on the team bikes, it says a lot about the time and effort those guys and gals have put into designing their products. Team Soulcraft sends a big "Thank You" to both GU and WTB!
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Team Member Of The Month - Michael Hosey
Team Member of the Month is Michael Hosey. He was 15 when he joined the team and we used to call him “the kid”. He’s been on the team longer than anyone yet is still one of the youngest members. He was indoctrinated under the previous administration’s “Own the Podium” program, and still harbors dreams of NORBA glory and the associated admiration of the six (6) people who still pay attention to NORBA (don’t tell him that NORBA is dead and gone), two (2) of which are his parents, but we’re slowly wearing him down. In the last couple years he’s been spotted taking dollar primes and beer hand-ups at Cross Vegas and swilling whiskey at Singlespeed Worlds. We couldn’t be more proud. Now he’s a college grad that recently joined the ranks of the unemployed. No school and no job means damn fast. He likes lightweight parts that fail while he is leading races and has broken just about everything on his bike, except for his frame.
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