From Justin-
In response to twotoneatl’s latest post (usually I dont like to air my dirty laundry in public but I feel this needs a response) there are always 3 sides to the story - my side, his side, and the truth. As always I think certain aspects of any event are remembered or perceived differently through each individual, and that being said I would like to post my view on the whole ordeal.
1st, let me apologize off the bat for this not sounding as eloquent as the heartfelt post of my ex-business partner. This will be my only post on the matter, as I don’t enjoy internet wars because they’re ridiculous.
I feel as if we (Skip and myself) have been painted into being these corporate, cut-throat, monsters that just one day all of a sudden decided our piece of the pie wasn’t big enough so we had to downsize. Trust me when I say this was a long time coming, there are many issues that none of you will hear about. I think anyone that is/was close to all three of us, honestly, could see this building for months. This wasn’t just decided on a whim. And I hope that they, and any others in the scene, don’t truly feel that we (Skip and myself) are the corporate cut-throat monsters i mentioned before. I apologize to any of our close acquaintances that were put in an awkward situation because of all of this, I tried not to bring it into our interactions.
I will say that when one of your business partners has an episode in the street in front of your business, in front of your customers, in the middle of the biggest alleycat of the year, and comes at you wielding a 2×4 with jagged nails coming out of it with a crazy look in his eyes,and then somehow makes you out to be the dick, on top of the pre-existing problems, you start to question “should you be in business with such a person?”. Most of you that read this don’t know what I’m talking about, but there are a few of you that were there and you remember. Anyway that was one of the last issues that just brought me to the position of “either I go or he goes”, you just can’t be in business with someone that puts you in that frame of mind constantly.
So I made my decision, and I stand by it. Sure there are certain things I wish would’ve gone smoother, but when you’ve got 3 different opinions, attitudes, and clashing tempers trying to solve anything without the other one wanting to give an inch, the process of a solution can take awhile.
In reading twotone’s post, some of it brought me back to “back in the day”. And I remember those good times, and they brought a smile to my face, even in the situation in which I was reminded of them. But I honestly feel that we three had not been on that level of friendship for quite awhile, at least in my eyes. And not to defend Skip, he can do this himself, but I recall the incident of twotone “going to jail for him”, and quite possibly Skip’s actions might have saved twotone from serious injury, or death. “But that’s a WHOLE ‘nother story”. Anyone interested in it can have a beer with us and we’ll shoot the shit.
Anyway, we had our reasons for taking the actions we did. And in retrospect I think that being in business with friends sometimes deprives you of that “buffer” that friendship offers. By that I mean the “buffer” that sometimes keeps you from seeing the really real way people act and treat others when conflict arises, because you can just get away from them and let things cool down and you don’t have to deal with the irrational behavior and whatnot. And sometimes friendships need that. But in business (in my experience), major issues have to be solved, you can’t just sweep shit under the rug. And sometimes the major issue is the cause of the problems/irrational behavior has to be let go. Like in this case. Well hindsight is 20/20 they say.
In closing, just a few things-
1st the “elitist & overpriced” shirts were a joke, and they sold quite quickly by the way. We knew that not everyone would get it, and there was the chance that people would think we were assholes. And honestly, I don’t see how anyone that walks into our shop would even begin to think that we’re “elitist & overpriced”. But that’s how we’ve always done things, and everyone who’s known us, been to our races, gotten our tattoos(which we appreciate), partied with us, or whatever, knows this.
2nd is that we know we can’t replace all the glitz and glamor that twotone brought to the shop. He knows the internet game I’ll give him that. But remember we’re a bike shop. We might not make as many posts, or take as many photos, or make as many promises as when twotone was here. But we are still here working on your bikes, tracking down that period correct component, building your wheels, and doing what we can for you.
3rd that’s it, the only post you’ll see from me (Justin) on the matter. This is my view on the issue. After this post you won’t see any digs at anyone, I wont take anyone’s facebook and make it my own, and post my conflicting views (nice move!). I wish twotone all the best. I’m sorry for all of you reading this that just don’t care, I just felt that I needed to post a response. I am now glad that twotone is no longer a part of this shop, and I hope he truly has moved on. That’s it for me.
Hope to see you guys around!
-Justin
From Skip-
As many of you may have heard long ago, figured out some time ago, or read recently Jon hasn’t been working for or representing us for over half a year, for over a month now he has had no affiliation whatsoever with No Brakes.
Some of you may have heard a thinly veiled “story” recently. I don’t appreciate my name or my business being dragged publicly or privately through the mud. Nor do I enjoy mine or my company’s image, or private words being displayed on his site without my consent.
So I will try to refrain from that same behavior no matter how obvious an invitation. I trust in most peoples common sense and reason to see a story so emotionally charged, and one sided for what it is. I want to make clear that my refusal to participate in the “public mudslinging” isn’t consent. It is a refusal to engage a person whose negativity I have worked hard to remove myself from in both life and business.
If his negative opinion of me has swayed your opinion of me as a person then I encourage you to make and form your own independent opinions of peoples character. If not I fear you may end up with bigger problems on your hands than where to buy tubes, or have your bottom bracket installed.
If as a result you’d like to inspect our shelves for dust, compare our prices, gauge our elitism, evaluate our customer service, or test our sense of humor in printing and promptly selling out of that infamous shirt, then PLEASE VISIT THE SHOP!
That’s the first and last from me publicly on that subject. If you have any reasonable questions pertaining to it let me know in email or in person and I’ll answer privately what feels right at the time. Around the shop it’s been business as usual and for the better for a long time, I see no reason to change that now.
-Skip
*****
