WCRM: Day 2, Part 2 — the butt hug!

OK, when last we left our intrepid explorer (that’d be me), it was 10:30 am and I was just pulling into the driveway of Rick Mayer Cycle.

First off, if you ever ride to Rick Mayer — and you should, because his seats rock — be forewarned that Heavenly Valley Lane and Rick’s driveway area is all gravel. It’s not difficult, but Heavenly Valley kinda sneaks up on you when you’re on Oak St, and if you slam on the brakes and make a hard right onto the gravel road, your life might suck. Best to just do a U-turn on Oak and come back around.

Anyway, when I arrived, I was greeted by Seth and Brandon with the sad news that Rick was running late. He was in Sacramento that morning for his daughter’s college graduation and hadn’t made it back yet. I can understand the whims of the road, so no biggie. Seth and Brandon set me up in the office with a comfy couch, free drinks, books/maps/magazine, and internet access.

While I waited, four other people arrived: a friend of Rick’s who was just swinging by to say hi, another customer on a HUGE BMW K1200LT, and a couple who had trailered the woman’s brand-new EX500 up from the Bay Area to have a custom, lowered, seat made for her.

Seth and Brandon started on the pillion seat and backrest of the K1200LT while the rest of us hung around and chatted.

Rick arrived shortly thereafter, his lateness excused by his armfuls of warm fresh cheeseburgers from a local burger stand. Yum! Lunch was distributed as introductions were made and he got right to working on my Z’s seat.

Seth started pulling the staples out of the Z’s stock cover, which seriously looks like a repetitive stress injury workman’s comp claim waiting to happen. One staple went flying, making Seth swear and say “damn, I keep those!” I thought he was kidding, but…..not so much.

Seth had two of these; Brandon was just starting on his first. He must be a staple intern.

Anyway, when Rick went to work trimming my seat, there wasn’t much to see (the foam shaving room is closed off from the main workshop so the foam shavings don’t get all over everywhere), so Brandon took me over to see PUPPIES! Rick and his wife raise Newfoundland dogs — I counted six adult dogs when I arrived — and one of them had recently had widdle oooza snuggle puppies.

Awwwwwwaa!

By the time I returned, Rick had finished up the new foam and was ready for me to test it out. He sewed up the new cover (basket-weave vinyl with leather side panels) and Seth loosely stapled it onto the seat pan.

The first time I sat on it, it was clearly too sloped down, so Seth removed the cover and Rick trimmed it again. When I sat on it again, I felt like something was off, but couldn’t really tell what, so Seth handed me my helmet and told me to take it on a test ride. I headed back to the main road and did about 5 or 6 miles before returning…it was still pushing me a bit too far forward. Off came the cover again and back to the foam trimming room it went! The third time was the charm; the seat was perfect. Seth stapled the cover on fully, and I had my new butt hug seat!

The outcome is that the sloped back of the seat is further forward now, and the part where I actually sit is a little thinner and is shaped more like a butt than, say, a wooden plank. I have a very happy tushie.

I exchanged US Dollars for services rendered, and got back on the road.