Claudio From Challenge Tires Sends His Love

If today is Thursday, and according to my newly acquired Donald Duck Wrist Watch it is, that means if you're in Charleston, SC then you should try and make sure you're at South End Brewery at 7 PM to hear master frame builder Dave Moulton present a lecture entitled "The Bicycle: Evolution Or Intelligent Design". Sounds like it should touch on all of Dave's talents in the field of frame building and perhaps it'll touch... your heart? Speaking of heart touchers, of the five finger of death variety, Challenge Tires was kind enough to let sales impresario Claudio out of his Hannibal Lector-styled restraining gurney and allow a visit with Georgio Faulkner (our Italian components purchaser). Claudio told us he had just come from Frostbike and while the QBP folk were their usual kind and accommodating selves, the weather couldn't return the favor.

(Claudio from Challenge, 100 percent Cannibal-free, keeps a pair of Grifos always close at hand)Challenge lost three good men transporting Claudio by snow-Fiat across the barren tundras to make his connector flight to Charlotte. Marco, Giancarlo and Salvatore were dedicated tiresmiths who gave their lives protecting Claudio from drunken ice- fishermen with heinous accents. They shall be missed. Claudio was bummed about our rainy weather but said it was still better than Minnesota! According to the rumor mill, Challenge is coming out with a WHITE Grifo for next season "to match the white frames". Huh? Claudio also mentioned tubular mountain bike tires picking up steam in the USA and perhaps a 29er tire on the horizon? We will have to wait and see. By the way Claudio, we look forward to taking you up on that offer you made to the graphics department about "crashing" at your "pad" for the Giro this summer and "becoming familiar" with your "ATM card" and "refrigerator contents"! You're the best! Grazie!

(late edit: The Blog meant to ask Claudio what he thought about "The Bicycle Thief" (saddest movie ever?) and that if a person stole a copy of the "Bicycle Thief" (A "Bicycle Thief" Thief), would it negate the crime in the eyes of the courts?)