We're home

Ramshorn Peak in the Absaroka Mountains in Dubois, Wyoming. This is now our backyard!

DATELINE DING'S CUSTOM CYCLE LAND-BASED SHOP, DUBOIS, WYOMING --- It's with a heavy heart but a bounty of hope that I must announce the end of Ding's Custom Cycle American tour 2012-2013. A string of bad weather and low ridership in Texas this spring, combined with a truckload of stress, burnout and health issues weighing on both of us, led to what I believe was a smart decision to land base for a stretch.

 

I'm proud to say that with the ongoing support from so many people - family, friends and customers, especially Bill and Deb Gray in Hondo - we had one hellava an adventure. We worked at 20 motorcycle rallies over the course of a year, vending in 10 states from New Hampshire to Nevada, and traveled through more than two dozen total. By my estimate, we had in excess of 200 customers who bought tires, oil, T-shirts, batteries and an obnoxious air horn, and we handed out some 1,000 business cards and dozens of cool company magnets made by the Grays. In shops, garages and on fridges nationwide, people have a Ding's memento nearby.

 

The plan underway has us working and residing at the Dubois shop (Ding currently building us a cool warehouse-style loft), planning regular visits to the Dunoir Valley rustic cabin for occasional fishing breaks, and regrouping for several months. If feasible, next year, we may consider a smaller tour schedule that would have us vending at Algona, Iowa, Sturgis, and possibly a couple in Texas and Oklahoma. We need to wait and watch with hopes that the market can bear our services and fees in the future. Right now, a lot of full-time vendors are struggling to make ends meet.   

 

I'm cooking and grilling more, which I truly enjoy (shrimp tacos with lime last night); we are reading novels like crazy, and Thumper is back in his "hood," chumming neighbors daily for ball tosses and snacks. I plan to continue blogging occasionally and we will keep the website and Facebook pages going. 

 

Anyone headed to or fro Yellowstone better stop at the shop for a cup of strong hot coffee, a view of the mountains and stories from us about life on the road and life in Dubois (pronounced due-boys instead of the more authentic French due-bwah). We can still service your ride while you wait. Also, phone numbers and email remain the same.

 

Have a peaceful summer all....

 

Love Hol, Ding and Thumper

 

   



I wish it was a ham....

Look closely into the gas can on this chopper. You can see the reflection of Ding's logo and some of our decal work on the BFT. Father handed a son down this ride.  It sits on the rack for work here in Hondo at 85 degrees. South Texas sunsets are nice and make it easy to find something cool to shoot.

DATELINE GRAY COMPOUND, HONDO, TEXAS (many wild flowers to see)---OK Folks. here we are. Business and econ classes notwithstading, we find ourselves at a crossroads. As an aside, the welcome home has been great. It's been King Ranch Chicken after stuffed bell pepper dinner and more.The Grays are foodies and they cook well. Thank you so very much for everyrhing.
The war room is in full use trying to determine the remainder of the season. I won't bore y'all with details about  a one-ton truck that needs to be 2 ton. Should we have done earlier or not? Are we crazy?
It comes down to Don and I deciding - whata fun project$%^^&*

Got so crazy, we lost sight.....more ideas welcome
Hol

Biblical rains, the Hungarians and more

DATELINE SAN ANTONIO/ALAMO CITY KOA CAMPGROUND --- Haven't slept well recently due to the long stretch of bad luck with weather and attendance at some rallies. HOGS of Texas over in Columbus had a nice spread - plenty of room for us, the required power supply and lots of green grass for Thumper. Based on hearing that some 2,000 folks had pre-registered, we were all feeling pretty positive. Well, the rain came and came and came some more. Entire rally, including our vending area was under water for a long time..

Alas, we talked with a team of three guys trying to get a mobile burger joint going - told them our truth and that's that plenty of rallies, regardless of size, need good burgers (and theirs were!) A new fellow in the mobile oil business was based across from us - we shared as many tips as we had and encouraged him to go forth and keep trying.

With lots of rain slamming some cold folks, I sold some long sleeve shirts and also gave a few away. Don did a couple of tires but one of the more interesting meets was a couple from Hungary who are riding this  modified bike around the world. They came to camp and cleaned a carbourator and hung out quite a bit. Not to much English spoken but that was ok.

I got slammed by fire ants, which still consume my legs today. We are at a crossroads with all of this, to be honest. Having to talk long and hard about continuing this. Without more customers, we simply can't make it work. I believe the decision to rally in Texas was a good one. It was just one of those long stretches in which riders didn't ride due to heavy wind and rain. Alas, I would have changed a rally or two to a different one with more history and succcess behind it.

We're off for a couple of days to repair truck, again. Don now has his knee brace and shot. Thumper is good but a little bored and I'm hanging in for the time being. We need to figure out the options and make a plan.

More down the road....Hug from D, T and H

The couple from Hungary are riding this around the world! I signed a note in pen on a vender.

HOGS OF TEXAS RALLY



You can see our logo and services offered signs hanging in the old western town at the Enchanted Springs Ranch in Boerne, TX. The ranch is a big tourist spot for people who want to see exotic animals and visit its own small town, which includes a little church, a graveyard and saloons. This was part of the Hill Country Holler rally in Boerne.

DATELINE COLORADO COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, COLUMBUS, TEXAS --- We've landed at the site of the Hawgs of Texas Rally, an 8-year-old event that is expected to draw several thousand riders between Wednesday and Sunday. That's a good thing because we need some more business after Nacogdoches last weekend. The forecast sounds decent, the location is very green with great trees and lots of land. More than two dozen bands booked, too, as well as some interesting side events, including the History Channel's plan to be here filming a woman named Mighty Aphrodite who somehow blows herself up and lives. The CMT channel also expected to film the Rowdy Johnson Band.

We know several vendors here, including Rick and Susan of BAD Bikers, their Oklahoma-based leather and lace company that specializes in plus-sizes. They are in Houston today buying more inventory, including, possibly, my first ever pair of chaps. Don finally got the shot in his bum right knee in San Antonio so now it's just the week-long wait for his brace.

Bandera rally was very good, Boerne and Nacogdoches quite a bit slower. After this HOT rally, we have some time off before heading to Mt. Enterprise for an adult event called Rally in the Crater. That will be our last Texas stop before heading east. We may set up in Hill Country in early May to catch a few riders there.

Not much more to report. Today is a good day. I'm calmer and cooler; Thumper is chilling; and Don is in far less pain. I think tonight might be a date night - a nice meal out and some "us" time. Like I've said before, to quote Calamity Jane: "Everyday takes figuring out all over again how to f^&*ing live."

Thanks to all for the anniversary well wishes. More soon....D, H & T (and sometimes Lucy).

This rider had a cool trailer - SHARK!

The Texas Tornados filled in for Los Lonely Boys in Boerne - good show.

A couple in Bandera who shopped with us.

Lucy...Rick and Susan's 10-year-old border collie and my buddy. She got to rally with Thumper, Don and I for several weeks. She was great!



Our initial start into the parts business.



    



 

Ding 'n Hol survive a year - wow

DATELINE NACOGDOCHES COUNTY EXPO AND FAIRGROUNDS, NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS --- It's our one-year anniversary. No land-based house, no ring and mostly bickering. It rained yesterday so we are only partially set up. Sat in BFT with Rick and Susan - leather and lace experts from Oklahoma - and fiddled on computer, ate sausages and watched True Grit. Don is a new grandpa to Melody Mae (no connection but my grandmother's name was Mae); mom and baby are well. Life on the road is hard and romance is nearly non existent. Mood swings are gauranteed, regularly. I am thankful for running my own company and not working for "da man." Working to get Sturgis and Galveston troupes prepared. Desire to flee is strong but I won't. Lucy the loaner border collie is present. She's old but helpful. Sunny now...will make Kona coffee and start moving tires. Thanks to OFOPOS for all the well wishes...much appreciated....Hol. Don and Thumper and occasionally Lucy.

Bernie done, Nacog here we come

DATELINE MOTEL 6, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS ----We are exhausted. Bandera rally was great, Boerne (said Bernie) was slow. Enchanted Ranch was beautiful. We are landed for Don's knee. Hopefully the doctors can help...OFOPOS visited, it was nice. More soon...

Update

Just finished Thunder in the Hill Country in Bandera, Texas. It was a good one for us. We are camped here for a couple of days and then on to Boerne (pronounced Bernie), Texas for the Hill Country Holler at Enchanted Springs Ranch