David Tang has deep roots in the Tucson cycling scene having grown up in Tucson and cut his cycling industry teeth working in many Tucson shops before becoming the owner of Ordinary Bike Shop. Most recently, before joining Campfire Cycling, David managed the cycling department at REI. Beyond a deep and broad focus on all things bicycle retail, David ran a production company for many years and is a lover of House music and all things audio/visual. David also is an avid traveller and recently took an amazing sounding trip to France and Spain.
David has been busy running our ecommerce warehouse here, making things hum. David is a craftsmen of the cardboard, a tetris player of the storage shelf and a maestro of the inventory software. David does all of these things with a keen interest and love for all of you adventure minded cyclists out there. Order delivery turnaround time and super helpful customer service have taken a major leap forward here at Campfire under David’s watch.
จักรยานไม้ไผ่ – February. 10, 2025
Whenever I travel, one of my favorite pastimes is checking out the rigs of locals, and seeing what kind of unique bikes catch my eye. This Bamboo Bicycle (as it is clearly labeled on the downtube) was a gem from Chaing Mai, Thailand, and really fit in well with the jungle, city, and humidity of the area. Just looking at this makes my mouth water thinking of all the delicious Thai street food! The King headset and 3×8 brifters somehow matched up well with the rear dropouts, which were clearly custom made, or cut from another frame. I hope that this bike is still cruising around the peninsula!
Big Moment for a Little Guy – February. 03, 2025
This past weekend I got to take my progeny out for his first bike ride, and I definitely caught the feels. It was an impromptu trip spurred by good weather- I hastily installed the child seat on my Ortlieb Quick Rack, and it worked great (don’t worry, I moved the seat into a further back position after this ride), and we headed to the grandparents house by way of the bicycle boulevard as a family! He fell asleep on the way home, just as my mother said I did when I was his age.
Super excited to get out for more rides!!!
恭喜發財 – January. 27, 2025
The Lunar New Year has changed, and as my grandfather came from a village in the Guangdong province, the Cantonese wishes of good luck and prosperity were one of the first things my cousins and I learned growing up, and it was always a great time! There were Dragon/Lion dances, lots of food and candy, and fireworks, all of which I still enjoy. We are preparing homemade longevity noodles for the family, Lai See (red envelopes) for good luck, and have lots of dumplings in the steamer! I am using a nontraditional method for the noodles (the dough is resting in the picture), but they should hold delicious sauces just fine! I wish you all an auspicious Year of the Snake!
Tree Hugging, Southwest Style – January. 20, 2025
One of the inevitabilities of riding in the desert is the eventual run-in with cholla or “Jumping Cactus,” and in my nature of doing most things to the maximum, I can attest that the cactus will indeed jump. This particular species is the “Hanging Chain Cholla” (Cylindropuntia fulgida), but my favorite is the Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa), as the flower buds can be roasted in a campfire, and has a flavor akin to asparagus. The infamous “Teddy Bear Cholla” (Cylindropuntia bigelovii) is a variety that is also prolific, and a very common cause for sailor talk on the trails.
The Floor is Lava – January. 13, 2025
With my spouse out of town for work, I haven’t had much time for cycling in the past week, instead, I have been spending copious amounts of time trying to make the lower 3 feet of our home safer for this guy, who just began crawling like he’s late for an appointment! So far, the favorite things at ground level are: the dog water bowl (anything dog related, actually), a molcajete that lives on the bottom of an open shelf in the kitchen, taking apart the air purifier, and anything with electrical cords. Naturally, I’ve been trying to let him explore the house (without having a panic attack), and I’m excited to see if he can use his balance bike before walking.
Nondem Throwback – January. 6, 2025
With my child growing and gaining mobility, I’ve been going down the rabbit hole of bicycle related methods of carrying more than one or two people, and remembered this nondem bike from Interbike 2008. I may be only searching for a triple or a quad, but it’s nice to know that you can get a custom made ride that can even be packed up using S&S couplers! For now, I’ll settle for a rack mounted baby seat and a trail-a-bike!
Pining for Snow – December. 30, 2024
If you’ve tried to email me in the past week, you know that I have been enjoying some OOO time- it’s become a tradition for my little family to head North to our humble little cabin in Pinetop to disconnect from technology, reflect on the year, and plot goals for the next one.
Usually we get to take the dogs out to frolic in the snow, and we were hoping that we would let the little guy see some flakes for the first time, but it has been very dry up there, and there was only pine trees and chilly air to greet us. Leo still had a great time, and the dogs got to enjoy dog beds by the fire after a few jaunts in the woods. Hoping for some frozen precipitation soon!
Snakey Sleepytime🐍– December. 16, 2024
As much as I lament the cold of winter, the cooldown from summer is always a great relief- and the ophidians that hang out on the trail go subterranean to await the planet’s upper axis turning back towards the sun. While they slumber, there are still permanent warnings to bipeds of their existence. I find these signs amusing, yet poignant- the desert flora and fauna usually has some sort of trick up its sleeve to prevent you from getting too close.
Pie in your Eye – December. 9, 2024
As we are mid-swing into the end-of-year festivities, I’m celebrating one of my favorite holiday pastimes and traditions, baking, and this year has had no shortage! I made more than a half dozen pies over the Thanksgiving holiday, and have plans to bake tens of thousands of calories in cookies in the coming weeks. If you stop by the shop, there’s a chance you may be able to snag some! The pictured pie features extra flaky homemade crust and lattice, with the classic Granny Smith filling in my favorite super deep ceramic french pie dish. À la mode!
Twofer Thursday – December. 2, 2024
If you follow my weekly rants here, you’ve seen me spew about my slight obsession with the “Free Couches of Tucson,” and also the awesome street art/murals we are surrounded by in our downtown metroscape. Just down the avenue from us, I discovered a double whammy: a luxurious three cushion leather sofa in front of a local music venue/skate shop/artist studio! The buttery leather may now be crisp on this item, but I’m sure it has offered many folks respite from the hard concrete jungle. Since I don’t have social media, I’ll share this with you here!
Surly Supreme – November. 25, 2024
If you’ve been following these posts, it’s likely you’ve seen glimpses of the Surly Ogre that we recently built as the ultimate commuter/armageddon bike. It has been released into the wild to frolic in the elements, and enjoy copious fresh air whilst silently conveying its rider and cargo through unpropitious weather.
The Veer belt drive/Rohloff is truly a masterpiece of a drivetrain, and coupled with the dynamo lighting, this brute is ready for the apocalypse or trips to the store (whichever comes first)!
Cold Plunge – November. 18, 2024
We seem to have skipped over autumn weather here in the Old Pueblo, with temps going from 104° at the beginning of November, to mornings of 34° as of a couple days ago. As weary as we all were of the enduring summer heat, the swing in temps has most of the thin-blooded desert dwellers now donning their heavy cold weather gear and wondering when it will get warm again! Even though I’m no longer in shorts and flip flops (or my super fashionable SPD sandals), I remembered the blazing sun doing its thing on our recent Catalina State Park Overnighter and rejoicing that we are getting a break from triple digits everyday.
FYI: your waterproof Ortlieb bags (which are on sale right now!!!) can double as a beverage cooler filled with ice in a pinch!
Nothing like the first time – November. 11, 2024
This past weekend, I was able to get out with the family on a short hike in the Rincon Mountains, and my son got to experience a backcountry trail for the first time! The weather was nice enough that we could hike during the day without melting, and he also got to see his first horse at the end of the hike. I’m excited for future outings, and hope he enjoys getting out into the wilderness on two wheels as much as his dad does! For now, he gets to ride in style in his mahawi backpack (I have to admit, it’s quite luxurious).
Split your belt, not your frame (or pants)! – November. 04, 2024
We are currently custom building the most sublime Surly Ogre, complete with a full SON28 Dynamo lighting system, Rohloff hub, and a belt drive. Seems innocuous, but the frame doesn’t come with a split to run a Gates belt, but thankfully we now have Veer belt systems available for any frames that have at least 8mm of horizontal dropout! The belt is bifurcated and joins using a series of rivets, eliminating the need to send your frame to a builder to modify. It runs at a lower tension than Gates, and is easier on your hub driver. I’m super stoked to see this bike completed, and it may just pop up as a future Tidbit when it’s finished! Let us know if you would like to ditch your chain, and we can get you set up!
Mariachi Moments – October. 28, 2024
This past weekend we helped support the Fall 2024 Cyclovia Tucson by doing free bike maintenance, which was mostly flat changes and brake adjustments, but never knowing what the day would hold, we came well prepared. After a yearlong hiatus, it was great to see thousands of folks out enjoying themselves on streets closed to motor vehicle traffic! We had a beautifully shaded spot and were neighboring the folklorico and mariachi groups, and were able to enjoy being right up front for their performances.
Petite Asperitas Cooldown – October. 21, 2024
This week is yet another ubiquitous sunset pic, but these clouds were ushered in after our first cool front of the season, dropping the high from 105° to 73° in a day. This type of cloud has fascinated me for a while, and it is the newest cloud type recognized by the International Cloud Atlas! While this image may not be as striking as some of the others on the internet, seeing these still brought an exclamation point to the refreshing cool air.
Heatstroke Heroes: Desert Camping at 100°! – October. 14, 2024
This past weekend, a few brave souls wandered into the Sonoran Desert heat on their bikes to go camping at Catalina State Park. It was a toasty 100°F as we left the shop, and only got hotter as the day went on. We were rewarded for our efforts with Type 2 fun, and showers if we wanted! Kudos to the efforts put forth by everyone that attended!
Off the Couch, but not Over the Bars – October. 07, 2024
This past weekend I participated in one of my favorite rides, the Tour of the White Mountains put on by the fine folks of Epic Rides! While it was great to get out of our week of record shattering heat, I did not train or prepare for what always proves to be a very arduous task. After 50 dusty miles and a few more, I was cooked, but very happy to have done another year.