Wearing many hats here at Campfire, Jake has found great alignment for his many skills and interests working with us. Jake grew up in the Tucson area enjoying many of the outdoor adventuring opportunities from running to climbing. But more recently Jake has gone all in into the world of cycling and bikepacking.
We gladly yanked Jake away from REI where he had gotten himself established as a bicycle mechanic. Now he is wrenching for us and along with taking care of our event and product photography.
Another great bikepacking business skill that Jake brings to the table is bike bag sewing. If you ask really nicely, you might be able to convince Jake to make you a bag 😉
Fork Service – October. 30, 2025
This week brought in a treat — a customer rolled in with a stuck-down fork. I don’t see these too often, so I was pretty excited to crack it open and investigate the air spring.
Turns out the rider had been sending it a bit harder than their air pressure could handle. Bottomed out the fork, cracked the air-spring shaft, and boom — air leaked into the negative chamber and left the fork slammed shut.
A stuck-down fork isn’t just inconvenient — it can be dangerous. Releasing that pressure always ends with a loud bang and sometimes a flying part or two. We follow strict safety steps to keep things safe in the shop.
Tucson eat yourself! – October. 24, 2025
This last weekend we had the annual Tucson Meet Yourself festival happeningoutside the shop.This is a fun event where venders come and sell the best street food from around the world!
I got some Thai tacos on my lunch break and they were so delicious I had to go back for seconds!!
Luna Lights Up the Shop – October. 17, 2025
This week, Toby got a visit from Luna, a nine-week-old puppy who instantly brightened the shop. Named after Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter, she lived up to her name—sweet, curious, and full of magic.
A new display case – September. 28, 2025
This week I brought in a new display case so we can show off our bling. Within 5 minutes, Ellie had crawled in to the case to experience the feeling that all claw machine stuffed animals feel on a daily basis.
If you haven’t seen it yet, you should swing by to see what we have filled our bling case with!
Mt Lemmon day – September. 22, 2025
This last weekend I joined some friends (Dylan Gonzo and Jorge) for a day of shuttling some of the downhill trails on Mt Lemmon.
We had 3 good runs down Tucson’s rootiest trail Aspen draw and 3 good runs down the Secret trail to session some large drops. This was great practice for my upcoming trip to a downhill park next weekend!
Shop dog Ceder – September. 16, 2025
Here’s a photo of our infrequent shop dog, Ceder, excited to open the doors for a day of service. Having ceder around always helps make the day better. I can’t wait to work with him again!
Toby’s Shop Stomps – September. 10, 2025
This week we had a customer’s bike come in after being hit by a car—unfortunately, it was a total loss. The wheel was so badly taco’d that the only way to get it back onto the frame was with a bit of aggressive stomping from Toby. Sometimes the repair bench calls for finesse, and sometimes it calls for boots.
Toby’s Greatest Hits: Hold Music Edition – September. 04, 2025
Toby is currently on hold with customer support. Here’s a lovely photo of him, enjoying the classical hold music. Judging by his expression, you can tell he’s really feeling it—whether that’s genuine enjoyment or just the slow surrender of someone waiting… and waiting.
Some might call it frustration, others might call it zen. Either way, Toby wears it well.
50 year morning with Nate – August. 28, 2025
This past weekend Nate and I headed out to 50-Year, linking up slick rock rolls and dropping into chutes before the desert heat really kicked in. The trails were as fun as ever, but the rising temps cut the ride short. Looking forward to cooler days ahead, when we can stretch the miles and stay out all day.
Mike’s Monster Cross Upgrade – August. 22, 2025
Last week’s wacky bike was a drop-bar conversion on a Trek Super Caliber. This full-suspension MTB received a “monster cross” upgrade, featuring a Salsa carbon cow chipper handlebar and Redshift grips and tape. These additions make the bike fast and comfortable. I can’t wait to see this bike on the trail! Thank you, Mike, for bringing in another fun conversion.
When it rains it pours – August. 16, 2025
This weekend, we had a monsoon at the shop! We took a quick break to feel the drop in temperature outside and witness the Sonoran storm soak the streets. It’s not every day you see the streets briefly turn into rivers, and within hours, you couldn’t even tell there had been a storm. Rain is a spectacular sight in the desert.
Full Moon Magic – August. 10, 2025
This weekend I rode a full moon lap on Mt Lemmon with some friends. Night rides always make the trail feel like a new unrecognizable trail.
It’s always a good time. There were many bugs out and about that night.
A Trail-Ready Snack – August. 04, 2025
This weeks tidbit, I review a new trader Joe snack I haven’t tried yet. Passion Fruit Rounds fruit snack. These are made from passion fruit, cane sugar, apple juice concentrate and powdered sugar. This would be a great bike riding snack. Oddly, they taste like passion fruit 8/10. Could use more salt. Maybe some tajin would boost it to a 9/10
Making a bright orange recumbent even more orange – July. 28, 2025
Ellie and I had the opportunity to install orange tires on an orange recumbent tricycle e-bike, with orange bars, orange spokes, orange grips and anything else that’s orange you could imagine. It’s a bike you surely cannot miss.
Mike’s Singular build – July. 21, 2025
Here’s a sweet build we did for our friend Mike. This beautiful singular frame, shiny silver rims, grx groupo with the new campandgo slow bar tape really make this bike POP. We are looking forward to see where this bike takes Mike!
When life gives you Lemon – July. 14, 2025
Lemon the puppy swung by the shop last week. Thanks to Lauren for stopping by with this cute Puppy.
Even more Color – July. 07, 2025
This week, we added some additions to Cayce’s colorful cycle. I performed another harlequin pattern on the bars with cloth bar tape. Cayce couldn’t just choose one color, so here it is: a 4-color bar wrap! It’s fun and unique, with just the dose of chaotic energy Cayce loves.