Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Don Walker

So I heard a rumor that might interest some of you Don Walker cognoscenti. Evidently a larger maker of track, road and tri bikes has expressed some interest in acquiring DW. The rumor is further supported by the alleged appearance of a one-off DW badged as something else that is being shown around the bike shops in SoCal.

Any of you heard or seen anything? Anybody compete at the Wildflower and see something orange with Don's signature on the TT?

Is June 1 the last day that someone can get a custom DW track bike that's actually badged as such?

Enquiring minds want to know.

wow....shady....i feel like we...the life blood of the very life style....has been cut out of the loop

This is real Gordon Gekko stuff!

heh....next thing you know....he'll be having his frames made in china

anyone see that sweet new don walker full suspension mountain bike at walmart for $89.90?

anyone see that sweet new don walker full suspension mountain bike at walmart for $89.90?As Brett and Wanda say on Corner Gas,
Scorch!

When your kid grows up and asks, "Dad, how come I can't build bikes using the Walker name?" you can tell him the story of Faliero Masi, California "bicycle" companies and how the Mondocino marque came to be.

ha...i cant top that

He could always build under another name, like Donatello L'Escursionista. Gives it a nice faux Italian feeling.

this thread disgusts me.
geez people. give the guy a break...****ing a
at least he is doing what he wants to do which is what most people can't say.

i think they were just makin fun cause they know don and he has a sense of humor..

p.s... don.. what do you do when youre not making bikes? i mean job wise.. just curious.

Hey guys ,
I had Don to come here to these forums to see that messengers are interested in custom frames and the like. If you feel any different so what. He is now a regular poster here and given us new insite and share his knowledge.

S/F<
CEYA!

Don the floor is yours..Have fun!

i second ceya, i think it's great that don's here actually posting.

me too...and now that little chinese kids will be making his bikes he will have much more time to post

I, for one, cherish the thought of knowing the manufacturer of things I own, use and love. While I do not yet have the opportunity to patronize local, known or respectable people for all my material needs, being able to read about the experiences of a bike designer/builder is a blessed opportunity.

i would like to order one of the slave labour Don Walker Frames. Can I use my Walmart Credit Card?

I am seriously looking forward to the new line of DW Tennis shoes made by eager 9 year olds! Go free enterprise!

']I am seriously looking forward to the new line of DW Tennis shoes made by eager 9 year olds! Go free enterprise!

But they only remain eager until age 11. After that they turn into a bitter, jaded workforce. :rolleyes:

Joking aside, congrats Don. I hope the new, yet unnamed, venture is a success. You've worked hard for it and by hosting, organizing, etc the handbuilt show, you show that you support the passionate builders in the industry.

Hmmm.. Capital "IF". Is that a hint? Will Don go bicoastal? Somerville very lovely in the Spring!

Hmmm.. Capital "IF". Is that a hint? Not according to what I was told about the alleged orange bike at the Wildflower.

I was being facetious. But I'm curious about this alleged orange bike. What do you know? PM me if you don't want to post here.

Early March in San Jose eh? and still cold as crap here then....I think I now know how I'll be scheduling my traveling salesman stint next year

i've always wondered about builders' personal rides. perhaps you'd like to post some of your rides in the picture thread, don? (i don't think anyone will be upset if some of them are geared.)

I was being facetious. But I'm curious about this alleged orange bike. What do you know? There might be some pictures out there that I might have seen. And the alleged company appears to be showing it as a demo to LBS's in California for bookings in anticipation of the buyout.

You guys are too much...just because 10 year old kids will be making my bikes next week doesnt mean they will be in wall mart...look for them in your LBS.

DW ;)

hhah!



I look forward to next years show, we are going to San Jose, Ca. for March 2-5, so everybody start saving your money for a plane ticket!

DW

sweet. that's practically right in my backyard.

"Merger" is the appropriately sensitive term.

bump

This is the first time I"ve heard an AP mechanic saying they make anything but lousy money.

hey don.. um.. i read alot about your views on keeping jobs in the u.s... and i know i dont fully agree with them.. and i also dont believe in labor exploitation.. but i do believe in a global economy.. that said.. if you ever read the economist.. this months big issue(the world in 2005) had an essay contest on this subject and i think the winning essay was an interesting take.. basically it was a humanistic explanation for the need to accept that old america is gone forever.. and we must embrace a global economy...so its worth reading i think.. the idea of "made in the u.s.a" is what got us into iraq in my eyes.. but ill spare you that explanation.. itd be too long an essay

Come'on ... dont make me google! Where's the article link?

ha.. this took me forever to find sillygirl.. they dont make it easy

http://www.shelleconomistprize.com/index2.html

click 2004 winners.. its the article by claudia o'keefe

its the one titled "import workers or export jobs"

Don Walker, the next Keith Bontrager :D

Shell .... hmm.... do you think they'd like an essay that's against globalism?

ok.. why did i know that would be the first comment.. if you read deeper .. read the judges and that its the economists contest.. youd know that your comment is just a stupid off the cuff remark.. but.. i can tell you didnt.. great research.. now can we hear some conspirecy theories you cracked this month?

ha.. this took me forever to find sillygirl.. they dont make it easy

http://www.shelleconomistprize.com/index2.html

click 2004 winners.. its the article by claudia o'keefe

its the one titled "import workers or export jobs"

http://www.shelleconomistprize.com/essays/1st_prize_Claudia_OKeefe.pdf

looks really interesting! I have worked with some of the ecomonmist journalists before and they are all pretty smart standup guys - very zany and for the most part pretty "liberal." And for what its worth - in the publishing world, companies advertise regardless of the content - and they have no say - its actually goes against publishing "rules" to allow the advertiser to influence the content - if they do that then it has to have the words "special advertising section."

PS thanks for finding the link!

ooops

thanks for getting my back on the integrity of the content.. and thanks to ostro for the smarter link.. that monkey makes anything you type funnier.. even if its an updated link..

by no means am i saying this is the end all be all on the subject.. i just like her examples and the idea that we need to start thinking different because the old way is gone forever

The global economy can exist without greedy corporations pushing the bottom line... I don't really see it as a global economy until it goes both ways; I think its sad that nobody but westerners can afford western products... Sure, they are 'better', they 'last longer', and they are 'non-exploitative', but to most people in the world they are just about as affordable as lear-jets. I can't help but feel kind of guilty when the cost of my bicycle would feed a village for 6 months, despite the fact that I'm supporting good old worker boys from the States.

I'm not really going anywhere with this, but its impossible to relieve the abject poverty of most of the world without giving them jobs. As it is we are just raping resources and giving cash to the head-men. At least the creation of jobs (despite poor wages) helps to level the scales a little. Its either all or nothing.

globalization is a byproduct of technological innovation. The environment has changed and now we must adapt to it; as with any evolution there will be winners and losers during the transition period.

It's similar to global warming (not in an alarmist or environmental sense, but based on facts here (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1608639,00.html) ), its already here, we cant turn it off and so we must live with consequences.

globalization is a byproduct of technological innovation. The environment has changed and now we must adapt to it; as with any evolution there will be winners and losers during the transition period.

It's similar to global warming (not in an alarmist or environmental sense, but based on facts here (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1608639,00.html) ), its already here, we cant turn it off and so we must live with consequences.

and dont forget to not learn anything from it for the future and take it as god given...

The world's organic population has probably been almost completely anihillated 6 times from massive catastrophic metor impacts. These impacts were strong enough to evaporate all the water on the planet and turn pretty much everything into super heated rock. The only reason life could continue was because of hardy bacteria living deep in the earths crust in a narrow band above the heat from the mantle and below the heat from the apocalyptic earth surface. I'd be really impressed if we could come even close to matching this kind of ultimate destruction. If we don't kill the earth, space is going to eventually, so why don't we all just relax and become SUV driving nihilists? Life will always survive, and maybe the next intelligent species won't be so freaking stupid.

and dont forget to not learn anything from it for the future and take it as god given...


Not learning from the past would be wasting energy and resources fighting inevitable change instead of learning to adapt and making the change properly .....

or treating other countries the way we abhor treating americans (in america we fight for robin hood ethics, but then in the global economy we say "buy american" aka support only the wealthiest nation)

If we don't kill the earth, space is going to eventually, so why don't we all just relax and become SUV driving nihilists? Life will always survive, and maybe the next intelligent species won't be so freaking stupid.

We shouldn't take care of the earth's environment for mother nature's sake, she is very capable of taking care of herself. If we screw stuff up too much she will simply wipe us out and start over. This heart warming view of the world is touching, but ultimately useless and just another way to boost an ego..

instead a more honest and selfish view would be appropriate. We should take care of the earth's environment for OUR sake - we are depleting OUR resources, we are ruining the air WE breath. We are creating our own destruction. We should do it for our health and our ability to sustain life - as well as our children and their children.

We shouldn't take care of the earth's environment for mother nature's sake, she is very capable of taking care of herself. If we screw stuff up too much she will simply wipe us out and start over. This heart warming view of the world is touching, but ultimately useless and just another way to boost an ego..

instead a more honest and selfish view would be appropriate. We should take care of the earth's environment for OUR sake - we are depleting OUR resources, we are ruining the air WE breath. We are creating our own destruction. We should do it for our health and our ability to sustain life - as well as our children and their children.

The call to take care of the environment 'for OUR sake' is fine for marketing an idea to a selfish population.....it's all about us!!! talk about an ego boost. I think it's time we remember/relearn that taking care of others (including the environment) is a far better way to take care ourselves. Let's move beyond the 'what's in it for me/us' think and just do something because it's right. We'll still be better off for it.

Jim

I'm not in favor of the current globalization trend where people get cheap labor in other countries because the cheap labor isn't protected by worker safety laws, however, I have no problem with high quality things made in other countries. I'll always pay a little more for a high quality product put together by skilled people who care, regardless of the country. I won't buy Nike, because it is put together by marginalized people who don't care, and who are likely being abused. However, I've owned hi-fi speakers made in Thailand because they are made by a small company of crafts-people who own the company, and take pride in the products they make (and they are kick-booty products).

For me it isn't really what country something comes from, but how its made, and how the workers are treated, and whether or not they truly care about the final product. You find that a lot in the US, and that is something to be proud of, but it can be found in every country in the world if you look for it.

peace,
sam

and dont forget to not learn anything from it for the future and take it as god given...


who is god?

I think it's time we remember/relearn that taking care of others (including the environment) is a far better way to take care ourselves. Jim

ahhh - see that is exactly how I define selfihness though. Different defitions of a word make conversations very difficult!

Many people refer to a toddler who is whining for "MY TOY" as being selfish - but i see that as a moment of lack of selfishness. See at that very moment she is alienating or pissing off the other child she is playing with and ultimately doing herself a disfavor. Thus she probably wont get to play with the other childs toy the next day.

However, if she had shared her toy, then when the other child gets a brand new toy, she is more likely to share back. Thus she is spreading her resources to get more in return. And thats what I call the beauty of being selfish. Same principle as helping others because it is the right thing to do, just a tad more honest, and more importantly a larger view of the actual transaction at hand.

Objectivists like me get a bad wrap - but usually its because people are hesitant to understand a difference in language - which is very subjective. Frequently people get caught up in their own definition and fail to listen with an open ear....

I'm not sharing my GI-Joe dolls with my lame-ass friend with the care-bears. He can play with those happy little bastards all he wants, but they won't ever be posable action figures! :D

who is god?
http://www.theage.com.au/ffxImage/urlpicture_id_1055828431016_2003/06/19/21e_morgan_freeman,0.jpg