Before you know it, it’s mid-December. Christmas. Bonuses. The year-end. Hot pot. Snow. Parties. Booze.
Well, the reason doesn't really matter, but I went ahead and bought this rack. A little "congratulations on working hard for a year" award to myself.
PASS AND STOW 5 Rail Rack
Color：Silver, Black
Price：¥69,850(excl. tax)
PASS AND STOW products are handmade one by one by Matthew Feeney in Oakland, California.
Shige-san used to be the one in contact with him, but actually, I’m the one handling the correspondence now.
Even though it’s only been through email, I could really feel the kindness, warmth, and charming quirkiness of Matthew Feeney as a person. The reason I wanted one so badly is because I truly wanted to buy his product.
At first, we were properly discussing order numbers and specs, but then I remembered he talked about Rush on Bikepacking.com, so I told him, "I'm a prog (progressive rock) fan too!" and from there, the conversation shifted to music... (I had already half-guessed when I saw that the Pass and Stow T-shirt was a homage to Pink Floyd... *The Dark Side of the Moon* is great, isn't it?)
Matt: "Do you know YES? They're amazing."
Rintaro: "Of course! My favorite album is *Fragile*." (Get back to work, me)
Matt: "*Fragile* is too good. The first concert I ever went to at 16 was YES! Takes me back. I think I'll listen to it tonight!"
And so, we ended up getting all excited talking about music, leaving the progress of the rack production behind.
Ever since then, I had a vague feeling that "someday I'm going to buy his rack."
The time has come. That’s all there is to it.
I went ahead and bought it.
It’s a bit embarrassing, but I didn't actually own a bike that could take this kind of rack, so when a Bombora from Crust arrived at just the right time, I took the drastic step of growing a bike out of the rack. (I'll introduce that later!!!)
Whoa! So cool!
Those beautiful weld beads. The gentle, rounded form. And though everyone says it, I’m going to say it too: it’s light.
But for me, the biggest trigger for buying this rack was the fact that Matt and I share common interests. (Yes! Bikes and music!)
Given the nature of bicycles, you can’t escape the element of "specs," but there is an artistry that exists beyond that. It shows up in the form, the colors, the backstory, and the narrative of the product.
I bought this completely based on his personality and musical taste. That’s a long way from the bicycle itself, but having been lucky enough to communicate with the maker, I found myself desperately wanting a rack born from his warmth and character.
It costs a pretty penny, of course, but I believe that buying it is a way to show respect for that craftsmanship, and isn't that the right way to keep the economy moving...
Or maybe that sounds a bit too complex when I put it into words—in short, it’s all about the vibes!!
I learned a lot about what it means to buy a handmade product. It’s not something you get to experience very often.
It feels like my perspective on things like pottery, furniture, and traditional crafts is going to change, too. Let's keep that economy moving in a nice way.
There’s one other person here who was charmed by Pass and Stow from a slightly different angle than mine, so please make sure to read that too.
Have you bought a reward for yourself yet?
You can never have too many rewards, so if you're agonizing over it, now is the time.
The time has come. That’s all there is to it.
Finally, a video sent to me by Matt. It’s a scene where a prog-rock old-timer introduces the genre to a young person.
He told me, "You have to watch this, it's hilarious!" (lol)
I told him, "That’s exactly what happens to me when I listen to prog rock!"
He loved that.
Matt: "I've started listening to YES again, which I hadn't listened to in a long time since we started talking about this. Thank you for reminding me how much I loved them!"
Matt, thank YOU!!!!