DAN IN THE SHOP
After the dust settled and Dan Harrison was chosen as the Writer’s Apprentice, he pretty much got to work on writing his first piece right away. He also had an important decision to make, because other than the guidance, editing, and a home base to publish some of his work, a huge part of the prize he won was a Santa Cruz ride of his choice, decked out with goodies from Shimano, Fox, Reserve Wheels, and Schwalbe.
Dan didn’t deliberate for long. Almost immediately, he had made his frame choice: Bronson. Great bet for a guy who loves to pedal but still gets after it on the way down some of the steeper, rougher trails of the North Shore and Squamish. And, proving he is a man of taste, there was no doubt as to his colour selection: Kalimotxo.
Before getting to work, we laid everything out for a few shots. Photos: Deniz Merdano
Wintertime afternoon sun brings out the striking Kalimotxo paint job on the Santa Cruz Bronson that Dan chose as a canvas. 30|HD Carbon Wheels from Reserve will handle rolling duties.
Brand new Shimano XT Di2 for shifting, and XT stoppers.
A Fox 36 Factory up front, and a DHX2 out back because Dan fancied that coil feel.
Schwalbe sent a fine selection of Shore-worthy rubber to keep Dan’s Bronson well-shod.
If you’ve built up a bike before, you know the unique pleasure of assembling all your parts and getting your bench ready with your tools and supplies all laid out. You will also know the frustration of realizing you’re one stem spacer short, or have run out of cable ferrules.
Dan had worked in shops a bit, but told us he had never built a bike up completely from scratch, so we thought this would be a great chance to hang out and let him enjoy that process for the first time in its entirety. We also hoped it might produce a few comical moments…
Obsession Bikes was kind enough to let us invade their space and use a work bench, eliminating the risk of having to run down to the shop ‘for one more thing’ in the middle of the build. Deniz ran point, making sure the tools Dan needed were always at hand. Hailey made the drive down from Whistler, and I hopped a ferry over from Gibsons; it was a much shorter trip for Cam, straight down the hill.
Turns out, Dan’s pretty handy with the tools, and the build went just the way you’d want it to go – uneventfully.
Dan put the frame in the stand and got right to work. We were happy to sit around watching and heckling.
Getting down to it. Photos: Deniz Merdano
Installing the BB always feels like a significant part of the process.
On paper, adding orange to the colourful mix might sound like a lot, but it looks pretty damn good in there. Photos: Hailey Elise.
Dan made light work of most of the bike assembly. Photos: Hailey Elise.
Deniz stepped in to help from time to time to make sure we’d all get home before dinner got cold.
For a midwinter build, Dan selected Schwalbe Shredda Gravitys. Word from the Writer is that he loves ’em. The Reserve Wheels, unsurprisingly, are holding up very well.
This was the first time we’d gotten a chance to hang out with Dan in person since he won, and we all had a blast. He’s been getting his brand new whip all muddied and properly broken in since our evening at the shop, and we’re looking forward to some rides this spring.
If you see Dan patrolling the trails on his now not-so-shiny new Bronson, make sure to say hello. And watch for his next instalment right here, next Tuesday.
That’s a very happy Apprentice, and a very nice looking Bronson.
