demo man
28-08-2006, 06:55 PM
Tonight i am proud to announce we have Mr. Jon Weaving, better known as "Grip", as our spotlighted Farker. He's been around for a while now, banning, ridculing and insulting members much to our joy.
I think he has also given me about the longest answers so far...:)
Here he is, in all his glory, after a "Bloody Wasp Stung" him in the eye on his last ride...hehe...
http://forums.farkin.net/photo/data/507/medium/Elephant_man_2.jpg
1. Who are you (name, bikes you ride, age, job)
Jon Weaving, I'm 51 and I own a little show called GripSport… and despite what some of you farkers might think I actually DO happen to own a couple of pushies - a Fuji XC bike and an old DBR thermoplastic dually that has the word "lightweight" on it somewhere, but actually weighs about as much as the Sydney Harbour bridge. Oh… and if you keep calling me fat I'll ban you.
2. When and why did you become a member of Farkin?
I just looked up my own join date to answer this question and realised I joined on my own birthday in 2003. I have no idea why, but all I can think of now is that I must really be a sad little moppet if I had nothing better to do on my birthday than join a bloody web site.
Oh hang on… now I remember why… it was to spam the forum about GripSport. Honest!
3. Why are you still a member?
Pinkbike banned me for talking shit and Scott appealed to the Hitler inside me and made me a moderator.
Well, that and the fact that I've actually met (both in person and just online) some really decent folk who share my passion for and interest in bikes. In fact I actually like every Farkiner I've had the pleasure to meet PLUS I've learned heaps from other members too, because while I certainly get to see a lot of frames, they are usually stripped down - and we're not a bike shop so I'm certainly no expert on bike componentry. In fact compared to many Farkiners I actually know bugger all about a lot of the bits and pieces. Ask me what the PCD is for a 4 bolt E13 and I'm stuffed. I'd need Google and a wikipedia and at least ten minutes for that sort of thing.
4. What was your favorite ride of all time?
My VERY first run on a fair dinkum DH track! My wife and I had been shuttling my son at Granton (or the other one not far from there… to be honest I scared myself so shitless I can't remember which one it was) and he "dared" me to have a go. So he took off on his Gimp… called me "old" and laughed at me… I saw red, launched myself after him and felt pretty damn good about the fact that I was actually gaining on him as we headed for the very first corner… until I realised that the bike I was on had been in the boot, with the wheels off… and that I'd forgotten to hook up both the front and rear "V" brakes in my macho rush to stick it up my son. That first corner hurt… a lot. After that I managed to wear out the brake blocks completely (in that one run) and post a time that would have been pretty good for a Sydney to Hobart yacht race. But I've never grinned so much in my life.
5. What are three things about you that few people know?
Yeah, right… you want me to spill the beans on the internet. Well I'm a rampant greenie and do work for a local volunteer "friends" group. I studied acting at the National Theatre Drama School. I own three pairs of pink undies.
6. What is the heaviest thing in your house?
You're really pushing it, mate. You know that, don't you!
Besides me I reckon it would be the couch my wife bought me (because I work so damned hard and deserve to rest comfortably). Either that or it's my collection of Rap music……… yeah, right…. bwahahahahahahahaha!
7. What sort of music do you listen to?
Ute radio is permanently tuned to the ABC (sort of like 3AW, but for people with 2-digit and above IQ's). Workshop radio is currently on VegaFM (after a few years of GoldFM), but I like different music on different days and depending how I'm feeling etc. My CD collection ranges from classical, through to "acid" country…. Tony Bennett through to the Whisky-a-go-gos. In particular though I love blues. I used to play (harp) in a few blues bands so I'll listen to just about anything that's got 12 bars and a harmonica in it.
8. What is the most frustrating thing about fixing other people’s bikes?
Nothing really, in fact it's the exact opposite. I tend to get pretty bored pretty easily so I really like to apply engineering principals to lots of different "problem solving" exercises rather than long, drawn-out major projects. I'm doing about 15-20 frame repairs a week and every one of them is different.
Actually there is one thing I find frustrating and that's when people (very few really) bitch about the cost of a frame repair. I can't understand how someone can pay as much money for a bike as they do for a car, but then bitch about a $200-300 frame repair that keeps the bloody thing rolling for them. Doesn't make much sense to me, because like I said their bike is worth as much as a car and if their car had the same sort of "terminal" failure as a bike's frame breaking they wouldn't think twice about dropping a couple of hundred sheckels on it.
9. What’s the best job you get to do?
Without a doubt it's when a customer comes in with a frame that's broken right where someone else has repaired it! I know… it's shallow of me, but when it's a frame I quoted on weeks earlier and the owner bitched about the cost and took off saying he can get it done for half the price elsewhere… well… I just love it when they come back. So the best job of all is when I get to tell them that the cost has just doubled because now I've got to fix the break AND someone else's stuff-up.
10. How much work do you actually do? Do you do the admin stuff mainly or are you still all-hands-on-deck?
I suppose our web site makes GripSport look like a multi-national corporation, but I think most people would be surprised to know just how small we are. So yep… I'm definitely "hands on". For instance I do every frame repair myself and if anyone else touches my lathe I throw a little hissy fit. I also take just about every phone call and handle all the customer enquiries/quotes etc myself. And just for the record, I started GripSport with a total of $76 behind me and did everything from designing the web site, the logo, the invoices and every product and repair method we use. If I sound grumpy here on the forums sometimes, cut me some slack… I'm tired.
11. What does your other half think of mountain bikes?
Marian is probably more of a "cyclist" than me. Her idea of fun is a 90km ride whereas I reckon 90m is a bloody good workout.
12. What does your boss think of mountain bikes?
See question above!!!!!
13. What is on the desk you log onto Farkin from?
Digital camera, scanner, calculator, apple core, peanut shells, Wilson's "Bicycling Science", cold cuppa (always), phone, price lists, family photo, micrometer (metric), a pile of unpaid bills, an even bigger pile of invoices to shops who owe us money (bastards!), a cat (often).
14. Mac or PC?
PC…. what's a mac?
15. Ipod or Iriver?
Well seeing Iriver are actually major "sponsors" of my younger brother's band (The Dukes Of Windsor) I really should say Iriver, shouldn't I? To be honest though I don't have either. I was given an MP3 player though… does that make me cool?
16. What’s it like being the oldest and fattest member of Farkin?
That's a bit like asking Rooks "what's it like being the stupidest member?" or asking S. "what's it like being the smartest member?" or asking demo_man "what's it like having your arse kicked by Farkin's oldest, fattest member?"
17. Last time you got approached by the police?
Well it was late, dark and the only light I could see for miles seemed to be coming from a young lady's window and I swear I had pants on when I left the house that night!
Actually I'm really not the type to get "approached" by the police. I reckon that's because I'm just a good, decent bloke and my Mum brought me up well, but I used to have some mates who said it was because I was just chicken shit. Who knows?
18. Last time you yelled at someone?
Believe it or not it was at a bunch of cyclists on the road! It annoys the crap out of me when cyclists ignore the road rules…. it gives all of us a bad name AND makes targets out of all of us in the eyes of motorists.
19. Last time someone yelled at you?
Hmmmm….. same bunch of cyclists from the question above.
20. Who’s bike would you most like to fix?
Not really interested in "celebrity" bikes unless it means I get to meet some interesting person. If that were the case then I reckon I'd like to fix bikes belonging to Steven Hawking, Roy Orbison, Steady Eddie and Flipper.
Thanks Grip!
P.S.
I now have a few Farkers ready to go, so thank you to those members who have sent me photos and answers - you will be up soon! Hopefully i won't stress as much between mondays now.;)
I think he has also given me about the longest answers so far...:)
Here he is, in all his glory, after a "Bloody Wasp Stung" him in the eye on his last ride...hehe...
http://forums.farkin.net/photo/data/507/medium/Elephant_man_2.jpg
1. Who are you (name, bikes you ride, age, job)
Jon Weaving, I'm 51 and I own a little show called GripSport… and despite what some of you farkers might think I actually DO happen to own a couple of pushies - a Fuji XC bike and an old DBR thermoplastic dually that has the word "lightweight" on it somewhere, but actually weighs about as much as the Sydney Harbour bridge. Oh… and if you keep calling me fat I'll ban you.
2. When and why did you become a member of Farkin?
I just looked up my own join date to answer this question and realised I joined on my own birthday in 2003. I have no idea why, but all I can think of now is that I must really be a sad little moppet if I had nothing better to do on my birthday than join a bloody web site.
Oh hang on… now I remember why… it was to spam the forum about GripSport. Honest!
3. Why are you still a member?
Pinkbike banned me for talking shit and Scott appealed to the Hitler inside me and made me a moderator.
Well, that and the fact that I've actually met (both in person and just online) some really decent folk who share my passion for and interest in bikes. In fact I actually like every Farkiner I've had the pleasure to meet PLUS I've learned heaps from other members too, because while I certainly get to see a lot of frames, they are usually stripped down - and we're not a bike shop so I'm certainly no expert on bike componentry. In fact compared to many Farkiners I actually know bugger all about a lot of the bits and pieces. Ask me what the PCD is for a 4 bolt E13 and I'm stuffed. I'd need Google and a wikipedia and at least ten minutes for that sort of thing.
4. What was your favorite ride of all time?
My VERY first run on a fair dinkum DH track! My wife and I had been shuttling my son at Granton (or the other one not far from there… to be honest I scared myself so shitless I can't remember which one it was) and he "dared" me to have a go. So he took off on his Gimp… called me "old" and laughed at me… I saw red, launched myself after him and felt pretty damn good about the fact that I was actually gaining on him as we headed for the very first corner… until I realised that the bike I was on had been in the boot, with the wheels off… and that I'd forgotten to hook up both the front and rear "V" brakes in my macho rush to stick it up my son. That first corner hurt… a lot. After that I managed to wear out the brake blocks completely (in that one run) and post a time that would have been pretty good for a Sydney to Hobart yacht race. But I've never grinned so much in my life.
5. What are three things about you that few people know?
Yeah, right… you want me to spill the beans on the internet. Well I'm a rampant greenie and do work for a local volunteer "friends" group. I studied acting at the National Theatre Drama School. I own three pairs of pink undies.
6. What is the heaviest thing in your house?
You're really pushing it, mate. You know that, don't you!
Besides me I reckon it would be the couch my wife bought me (because I work so damned hard and deserve to rest comfortably). Either that or it's my collection of Rap music……… yeah, right…. bwahahahahahahahaha!
7. What sort of music do you listen to?
Ute radio is permanently tuned to the ABC (sort of like 3AW, but for people with 2-digit and above IQ's). Workshop radio is currently on VegaFM (after a few years of GoldFM), but I like different music on different days and depending how I'm feeling etc. My CD collection ranges from classical, through to "acid" country…. Tony Bennett through to the Whisky-a-go-gos. In particular though I love blues. I used to play (harp) in a few blues bands so I'll listen to just about anything that's got 12 bars and a harmonica in it.
8. What is the most frustrating thing about fixing other people’s bikes?
Nothing really, in fact it's the exact opposite. I tend to get pretty bored pretty easily so I really like to apply engineering principals to lots of different "problem solving" exercises rather than long, drawn-out major projects. I'm doing about 15-20 frame repairs a week and every one of them is different.
Actually there is one thing I find frustrating and that's when people (very few really) bitch about the cost of a frame repair. I can't understand how someone can pay as much money for a bike as they do for a car, but then bitch about a $200-300 frame repair that keeps the bloody thing rolling for them. Doesn't make much sense to me, because like I said their bike is worth as much as a car and if their car had the same sort of "terminal" failure as a bike's frame breaking they wouldn't think twice about dropping a couple of hundred sheckels on it.
9. What’s the best job you get to do?
Without a doubt it's when a customer comes in with a frame that's broken right where someone else has repaired it! I know… it's shallow of me, but when it's a frame I quoted on weeks earlier and the owner bitched about the cost and took off saying he can get it done for half the price elsewhere… well… I just love it when they come back. So the best job of all is when I get to tell them that the cost has just doubled because now I've got to fix the break AND someone else's stuff-up.
10. How much work do you actually do? Do you do the admin stuff mainly or are you still all-hands-on-deck?
I suppose our web site makes GripSport look like a multi-national corporation, but I think most people would be surprised to know just how small we are. So yep… I'm definitely "hands on". For instance I do every frame repair myself and if anyone else touches my lathe I throw a little hissy fit. I also take just about every phone call and handle all the customer enquiries/quotes etc myself. And just for the record, I started GripSport with a total of $76 behind me and did everything from designing the web site, the logo, the invoices and every product and repair method we use. If I sound grumpy here on the forums sometimes, cut me some slack… I'm tired.
11. What does your other half think of mountain bikes?
Marian is probably more of a "cyclist" than me. Her idea of fun is a 90km ride whereas I reckon 90m is a bloody good workout.
12. What does your boss think of mountain bikes?
See question above!!!!!
13. What is on the desk you log onto Farkin from?
Digital camera, scanner, calculator, apple core, peanut shells, Wilson's "Bicycling Science", cold cuppa (always), phone, price lists, family photo, micrometer (metric), a pile of unpaid bills, an even bigger pile of invoices to shops who owe us money (bastards!), a cat (often).
14. Mac or PC?
PC…. what's a mac?
15. Ipod or Iriver?
Well seeing Iriver are actually major "sponsors" of my younger brother's band (The Dukes Of Windsor) I really should say Iriver, shouldn't I? To be honest though I don't have either. I was given an MP3 player though… does that make me cool?
16. What’s it like being the oldest and fattest member of Farkin?
That's a bit like asking Rooks "what's it like being the stupidest member?" or asking S. "what's it like being the smartest member?" or asking demo_man "what's it like having your arse kicked by Farkin's oldest, fattest member?"
17. Last time you got approached by the police?
Well it was late, dark and the only light I could see for miles seemed to be coming from a young lady's window and I swear I had pants on when I left the house that night!
Actually I'm really not the type to get "approached" by the police. I reckon that's because I'm just a good, decent bloke and my Mum brought me up well, but I used to have some mates who said it was because I was just chicken shit. Who knows?
18. Last time you yelled at someone?
Believe it or not it was at a bunch of cyclists on the road! It annoys the crap out of me when cyclists ignore the road rules…. it gives all of us a bad name AND makes targets out of all of us in the eyes of motorists.
19. Last time someone yelled at you?
Hmmmm….. same bunch of cyclists from the question above.
20. Who’s bike would you most like to fix?
Not really interested in "celebrity" bikes unless it means I get to meet some interesting person. If that were the case then I reckon I'd like to fix bikes belonging to Steven Hawking, Roy Orbison, Steady Eddie and Flipper.
Thanks Grip!
P.S.
I now have a few Farkers ready to go, so thank you to those members who have sent me photos and answers - you will be up soon! Hopefully i won't stress as much between mondays now.;)