DIdn't see this one so I will respond here.

Troy wrote this:
"Nope Karl, I don't put millions of dollars into the sport of cycling and neither does COX. I know they put a lot in, but I assure you, it is not millions.
As far as not hearing stories that make sense from former DW techs, I don't know what you mean. What does not make sense to you? Hey, I know most of the corporate guys and old school techs. I was one of them back in '95, so I know what I'm talking about. I was only trying to give you what I believe to be good advice. Not looking to "stir the puddin". Besides, I've got no dog in this fight. If it's security your looking for stay with 'em. If your looking for a career and long term success, check out DoorDing.com and go to the Mobile Tech Expo in January (mobiletechexpo.com).
Good luck,
Troy
PS- Rich, DW doesn't GIVE you a insurance, 401K and a vehicle. You pay for it by giving up about 50% of what an independent would earn."

Troy, I apologize if I was a little vague about where the millions of dollars Cox Enterprises has put into cycling over the years has come from. First let me ask that if you know its alot, how do you know its not millions? Or, how do you even know its alot?
Let me explain to you what I meant. First of all, there are many companies that are owned by Cox Enterprises. Several of these companies put alot of money into cycling dierctly and indirectly because of its good return on investment. Meaning that it is a cheap and effective way to get the word to the right demographic and in specific areas. I know this because I do this very advertising work with one of those companies (not to mention the other companies not affiliated with Cox I work with). In the past, I have intentionally left many of those names out of my writings on this blog because it (this blog) was not started as an advertising sceme. The reasons for my writings no bearing on this message so I will leave them out. Eventhough, I have left theses companiy names out out of the blog I will mention a few of them and you can make the connections yourself: Cox, Discovery & OLN (I realize Cox is only partial owner. If you want to do the math to see what their contribution was to these adventures its up to you), Manheim, Autotrader.com and Dent Wizard to name a few. No these are not all direct companies in the Cox family, and no I did not say they put in millions all in one year. However, the sum of the whole is great and it far exceeds a million dollars. I meant the statement as a drastic dollar amount. So, it is not necessary for you to tell me what Cox does or doesn't do. I am sure you were never involved with the company in respect to a cycling advertising adventure as I am. Why then would you question something you know nothing about.
As for the good advice, I appreciate it. But if you were a tech at Dent Wizard over 10 years ago how would you know what the corperate guys are like now? Before I worked for the company as a tech or with the company in advertising I had close friends at corperate. Neither of these guys were at DW in 1995. Not to mention Cox did not buy DW until 1998. Where you with the company more than just 1995?
I don't work with DW for security, I work there for money. The benefits a great for a job the requires no college education. As a former teacher, at higher education institutions, I can tell you thats extremely rare. Not to mention the free or should I say paid tutition. I haven't checked, but I am guessing there are not many PDR companies or colleges out there that will pay you to come and learn the trade and then give you, excuse me loan you, all the tools you need to do your job (don't the even house the out-of-towners for free during training?). I have had alot of jobs over the last 19 years and that just doesn't happen. As for the percentage that DW takes, I have done the math for the entry level guy to the experienced 5 star tech and I know the percentage breakdown. I also did the math on the truck, insurance, phone, gas and so on. No, nobody gets these things for free. They pay into them. You are absolutely right. I calculated aproximately 56%-76% of the billed dollars go to the tech in some way depending on your level and billed amount. The lowest amount is okay by me since I understand that if I was an independent I would have to buy a vehicle (I no longer have one tha runs), tools (I on't have 3K laying around), pay my own insurance (the main reason I took this job), establish my own retirement (never happen), develop a route (which I can not do here which means I would have to move) and at the end of the day I would be making nothing because I just spent every last dollar I made because I am not yet as fast as average guy.
The stories I have heard are mostly about the how the tech seems to think he got screwed on his percentage or someone advanced him because of who he is. Everyone knows there percentage when they join the company. How can it be a surprise when that is all you get? If someone gets preference over you because they know someone I think that sucks. In the same breath I will tell you I got my job because I know someone at corperate. Thats how alot of people get in. Yes, there are many more situations that have gone on and still do that could upset the work force, but I don't care about the knitting circle. I am with the company to work. I have no interest in running every aspect of a PDR business so I will leave it up to the corperate office.
So I will give you a quick and simple reason why I do what I do and who I do it for. As a person with a Masters Degree in metalsmithing my only real interest in PDR is manipulating metal. I have been forging, pouring, raising and sinking metal since 1990. Out of graduate school I did not believe I would be able to support myself as a full time Metalsmithing so I went from job to job until I found a teaching position albeit part-time. Teaching is fun and sometimes enjoyable, but doing it part-time doesn't pay the bills. I could not go any further in my particualr situation so I gave up the ghost. I still talk to a few of my former students. They are doing incredible things with the skills I helped to develop which is rewarding. But, as John Medwedef once said about what he loves about metalsmithing, "I just love to heat metal up and smash it." Well I love that too, but I haven't found a company I would work for that does that yet. The next best thing for me is sinking and raising. Thats what PDR is. So for now I will do that at Dent Wizard. And, I will continue, with the help of my friends, to further develop the Dent Wizard Cycling Team. The team that this year supported junior riders that went to Nationals, Belgium and a little jr. World Cup 9 day stage race called Tour L'Abitibi. Not to mention the 5 State Championships they brought home, or the near miss Erik Tomlinson had in the Elite race at Crit Nationals. Did I mention to total and complete support of Mindi Martin's quest to break through at Track Nationals.
Man the more I write the better the company sounds. I am sure there will be alot of crap to swim through in the company but, I think I will stick it out.
Sorry I missed your response before Troy. I hope this clears up my thinking, and I am sorry you had a bad experience with te company. That doesn't mean it is not for everyone, or that the companies we are involved with don't do great things.

Good Luck. Karl.

Smooth

This morning I met up with "the John Rhines" for a little R&R at Castlehood. The trail the doesn't get the respect it probably deserves. Because of its layout, Castlewood has always been regarded as the second class citizen to some of So MO's giants like the Berryman or whatever the trail of the year is. But, Castlewood is a spiderweb for fast technical rocky hardpack single track. Yes there is asphalt in between and some double track to link up some of the trails, but the trail really has it all. The man, Rhines, reminded me of that today.

It has been over 5 years and maybe a decade since we have riden together, and I am sure it was in a race. He probably smoked me. I will tell you why. John is probably not the strongest guy on the flats, and too tall to fly up steep ascents. He doesn't disapear down descents. He also does not make mistakes. Plainly said he is smooth. Thats is nothing more, and in a sport that will beat you up if you don't clean the obsticles that is paramount. John crsuhed me two climbs in a row on the Blue Ribbon loop. Not because is is so much stronger than me, but because he cleans everything in front of him with ease. I miss that place you get off road where handling your bike is automatic.

I can't wait for the next play date in the dirt.

Its Gettin' Hot in Here

It seems when you go to a 12 hour mountain bike race you are supposed to be prepared. For the 12 hour Burning at the Bluff, I had my trusty pogo stick (with unreliable front tire it seems), a torch of a light (plugged in once never used) and a cooler full of grub. My compatriots AOK and 54X12 were both on par for sub 1:10 laps which I thought was realistic for myself. My first lap was just that. With dozen or so mistakes and taking it easy on the climbs I managed a 1:09. Not bad, and our mechanicals were kept to a minimum at this point, but as by guy AKO kept saying, "its 12 hours and the guy with the least amount of mistakes will probably win the race. My second lap put us out of contention. What a knockout. My front tire went loose on a down hill, and it was instantly like going ice skating for the first time. When you flat, have the equipment to fix the poblem, and still can not make it happen you know you are in trouble. I tried to ride it for about a mile. Not a god idea. Then my thought was to run it but, when it took me over 10 minutes to go a mile the second reaction was hope someone came along soon. Rider after rider stopped to helped me out and I either couldn't get my tire seated or whatever.......at some point I realized I would just have to struggle back. What a long lap. After that experience I was ready to pack it in. After some proding I manage to get suited up for our last lap. When your racing it is never good to try new things. Well, I have never raced offroad at night so I was in for a new experience for sure. By the time I was finishing up the final lap I was done, and thinking I would never do another 12 hour race. A day later I can't wait for next year.