Bike [censored] Aplenty

In article <[email hidden]>,

jerry in vermont said:

Not so hot: Track bikes as townies. Ok, there were tons of these, and
they look really cool and all, but just dont seem that practical.

Yeah, they probably aren't real practical, but there's an awful lot of 'em
being ridden in SF. Plenty of messengers use them.

Quoted message said:

Go check it out.

Probably Saturday.

--
tanx,
Howard

Grandma Smith said a curious thing
Boys must whistle, girls must sing

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

jerry in vermont said:

nothin' to do with camel toes, I assure you.

Just got back from the "hand made bike show" in san jose. lucky enough
to be out here for work this week instead of vermont.

just gotta say, WOW. If anyone is in the area and can go, do it. 15
bucks, and its not big so you can do it in 2 hours. You can chit chat
with the builders themselves and all. It was very cool.

When you see some of those rides, you wonder how you can ever go back
to your mass produced bike. Or, in my case, realize you just are not
going to buy another road bike until you can afford something with
intrinsic value like one of these.

My favorites:

#1 Richard Sachs. Ok, I have one, but I didnt buy it. I went over to
his booth first, cause he is by the door and i wanted to say hello. I
spent alot of time looking at the lug work and details of the bikes he
had there. Then I went around the whole show doing the same. Then I
came back to his booth again. IMHO he is just on a _slightly_ higher
level with the details and the esthetic (which I am sure I spelled
wrong) and the function of the details. His lugs are delicately thin
compared to most. Really thin. Its a beautiful bike that looks ready
to race.

#2 Vanilla. Oddly, next door to Richard. Totally different approach
and style, almost polar opposites, TIG welding, modern colors, etc.
But the quality just jumps out at you. Of the "younger" bunch of
builders there (the TIG welders, etc.) he is clearly , again IMHO, head
and shoulders above.

#3 I forgot the name, but he is a guy who builds racks, and is well
known for that. But he had an MTB frame/bike there that was a "fake"
single speed. Rohloff hub, but with a chain tensioner up under the BB
so you didnt see it. Lots of other very very clean details, all on a
full suspension free/trail bike. Very nice. Great engineering. Very
clean. I want one.

#4 Calfee Dragonfly. Ok, he has one there in some kind of color
shifting clear coat that is just off the freakin' hook. Bike is sick.
Plus he had that bamboo thing.

Not so hot: Track bikes as townies. Ok, there were tons of these, and
they look really cool and all, but just dont seem that practical.

Go check it out.

J

Photos?

On 03/03/2006 07:41 PM, in article
[email hidden], "jerry in vermont"

Quoted message said:

nothin' to do with camel toes, I assure you.

Just got back from the "hand made bike show" in san jose. lucky enough
to be out here for work this week instead of vermont.

just gotta say, WOW. If anyone is in the area and can go, do it. 15
bucks, and its not big so you can do it in 2 hours. You can chit chat
with the builders themselves and all. It was very cool.

When you see some of those rides, you wonder how you can ever go back
to your mass produced bike. Or, in my case, realize you just are not
going to buy another road bike until you can afford something with
intrinsic value like one of these.

My favorites:

#1 Richard Sachs. Ok, I have one, but I didnt buy it. I went over to
his booth first, cause he is by the door and i wanted to say hello. I
spent alot of time looking at the lug work and details of the bikes he
had there. Then I went around the whole show doing the same. Then I
came back to his booth again. IMHO he is just on a _slightly_ higher
level with the details and the esthetic (which I am sure I spelled
wrong) and the function of the details. His lugs are delicately thin
compared to most. Really thin. Its a beautiful bike that looks ready
to race.

I think that's supposed to be my 'cross bike on display there ...

--
Steven L. Sheffield
stevens at veloworks dot com
bellum pax est libertas servitus est ignoratio vis est
ess ay ell tea ell ay kay ee sea eye tee why you ti ay aitch
aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you
double-yew double-ewe dot flahute dot com [foreword] slash

jerry in vermont said:

#3 I forgot the name, but he is a guy who builds racks, and is well
known for that. But he had an MTB frame/bike there that was a "fake"
single speed. Rohloff hub, but with a chain tensioner up under the BB
so you didnt see it. Lots of other very very clean details, all on a
full suspension free/trail bike. Very nice. Great engineering. Very
clean. I want one.

Bruce Gordon? I remember when he had some sloping tube custom tourers
before they became popular for the racing set. Not cheap, but pretty
much can be set up to survive your next tour around the world - and he
can probably tell you which are the best wheelsets depending on the
countries you plan to ride through.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...

I live near Sacha White's (Vanilla Bicycles) shop in Portland, so I see
a lot of his bikes, generally hot of the jigs -- he does not normally
TIG, so far as I know. His bikes are either fillet brazed or they have
some of the most perfect lug work you'll see and fantastic dropout
work. He is extremely fanatical about detailing. Some is posted on the
show site and his company website is full of good images as well.

His aesthetic is definitely different from Sachs, but Sachs has
repeatedly endorsed his work in pretty much the same 'head and
shoulders above' terms that you have.

http://handmadebicycleshow.com

http://www.vanillabicycles.com

Quoted message said:

I live near Sacha White's (Vanilla Bicycles) shop in Portland, so I see
a lot of his bikes, generally hot of the jigs -- he does not normally
TIG, so far as I know. His bikes are either fillet brazed or they have
some of the most perfect lug work you'll see and fantastic dropout
work. He is extremely fanatical about detailing. Some is posted on the
show site and his company website is full of good images as well.

His aesthetic is definitely different from Sachs, but Sachs has
repeatedly endorsed his work in pretty much the same 'head and
shoulders above' terms that you have.

http://handmadebicycleshow.com

http://www.vanillabicycles.com

Thats right, they were not tig'd. I think I had the image of this
trike he made there in my head, it had some tig. I guess the lasting
impression was just one of, WOW. Holy [censored] that is nice work.

They are all nice bikes there, dont get me wrong, but when you get them
all in one place like that, certain ones really really "pop" at you
like, dang babay, thats hot.

Richard and Sacha were the two that just stop you from 10 feet away and
get better the closer you get. Although, I spotted the Dragonfly from
across the room, leaning against the wall, it wasnt even in the booth.
Looked like it had been ridden there. Wow, that is a nice rig.

That was very cool. I cant imagine a better thing to invest in (flying
to SJ and going to the show) if you are planning to have a custom bike
built. I mean, you gotta wait two years to get it anyway, and this gets
everyone in one spot.

Next year, east coast _wink_

Its like cross nats all over again.

In article <[email hidden]>,

jerry in vermont said:

Quoted message said:

I live near Sacha White's (Vanilla Bicycles) shop in Portland, so I see
a lot of his bikes, generally hot of the jigs -- he does not normally
TIG, so far as I know. His bikes are either fillet brazed or they have
some of the most perfect lug work you'll see and fantastic dropout
work. He is extremely fanatical about detailing. Some is posted on the
show site and his company website is full of good images as well.

His aesthetic is definitely different from Sachs, but Sachs has
repeatedly endorsed his work in pretty much the same 'head and
shoulders above' terms that you have.

http://handmadebicycleshow.com

http://www.vanillabicycles.com

Thats right, they were not tig'd. I think I had the image of this
trike he made there in my head, it had some tig. I guess the lasting
impression was just one of, WOW. Holy [censored] that is nice work.

They are all nice bikes there, dont get me wrong, but when you get them
all in one place like that, certain ones really really "pop" at you
like, dang babay, thats hot.

Richard and Sacha were the two that just stop you from 10 feet away and
get better the closer you get. Although, I spotted the Dragonfly from
across the room, leaning against the wall, it wasnt even in the booth.
Looked like it had been ridden there. Wow, that is a nice rig.

That was very cool. I cant imagine a better thing to invest in (flying
to SJ and going to the show) if you are planning to have a custom bike
built. I mean, you gotta wait two years to get it anyway, and this gets
everyone in one spot.

You're right, Jerry. All of the frames there were super nice, but there were
a few that really stood out. I agree with you on Richard Sachs (who's an
incrediby nice guy, it must be said) and the Vanilla. I'm still partial to
Sycip, though. Fun show.

--
tanx,
Howard

Grandma Smith said a curious thing
Boys must whistle, girls must sing

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

Quoted message said:

jerry in vermont said:

nothin' to do with camel toes, I assure you.

Just got back from the "hand made bike show" in san jose. lucky enough
to be out here for work this week instead of vermont.

just gotta say, WOW. If anyone is in the area and can go, do it. 15
bucks, and its not big so you can do it in 2 hours. You can chit chat
with the builders themselves and all. It was very cool.

When you see some of those rides, you wonder how you can ever go back
to your mass produced bike. Or, in my case, realize you just are not
going to buy another road bike until you can afford something with
intrinsic value like one of these.

My favorites:

#1 Richard Sachs. Ok, I have one, but I didnt buy it. I went over to
his booth first, cause he is by the door and i wanted to say hello. I
spent alot of time looking at the lug work and details of the bikes he
had there. Then I went around the whole show doing the same. Then I
came back to his booth again. IMHO he is just on a _slightly_ higher
level with the details and the esthetic (which I am sure I spelled
wrong) and the function of the details. His lugs are delicately thin
compared to most. Really thin. Its a beautiful bike that looks ready
to race.

Yes, RS makes a nice bike. If I was going to go for a custom bike he would
be at the top of my list. He is also withing driving distance, so I could go
in for a fitting. He will also posts on this forum from time to
time.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

#2 Vanilla. Oddly, next door to Richard. Totally different approach
and style, almost polar opposites, TIG welding, modern colors, etc.
But the quality just jumps out at you. Of the "younger" bunch of
builders there (the TIG welders, etc.) he is clearly , again IMHO, head
and shoulders above.

#3 I forgot the name, but he is a guy who builds racks, and is well
known for that. But he had an MTB frame/bike there that was a "fake"
single speed. Rohloff hub, but with a chain tensioner up under the BB
so you didnt see it. Lots of other very very clean details, all on a
full suspension free/trail bike. Very nice. Great engineering. Very
clean. I want one.

Bruce Gordon?

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

#4 Calfee Dragonfly. Ok, he has one there in some kind of color
shifting clear coat that is just off the freakin' hook. Bike is sick.
Plus he had that bamboo thing.

The bamboo frame always gets alot of attention. At interbike more people were
checking out the bamboo frame than the other frames.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Not so hot: Track bikes as townies. Ok, there were tons of these, and
they look really cool and all, but just dont seem that practical.

Townies are practical. It's just that no many companies get them right. I can
easily find a stock racing bike that will work for me. Basically I pay for it,
pull off the stupid reflectors and I can go riding. I can't do the same when
shoping for a commuter. On my current commuter I had to put on full fenders,
add front and rear lights, add a rack, and then remove the dumb suspension
seatpost.
-------------
Alex

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

#3 I forgot the name, but he is a guy who builds racks, and is well
known for that. But he had an MTB frame/bike there that was a "fake"
single speed. Rohloff hub, but with a chain tensioner up under the BB
so you didnt see it. Lots of other very very clean details, all on a
full suspension free/trail bike. Very nice. Great engineering. Very
clean. I want one.

Bruce Gordon?

Nope, it was some young guy from PNW who is well known for making RACKS
of all things. Anyway, not a "pretty" bike but just so wel thought out
and executed. Hard to make a freakin' trail bike pretty anyway. This
thing was the bomb though. 29 pounds he said. That rohloff is a tank.

RE Commuters: Check this pic from CN.com
http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=photos/2006/tech/features/nahmbs062/Soulcraft_townie

These guys routed the hydro cable down thru the fork leg. You cant
really see it here. Its a sleeve in the tube as well. Just amazingly
done. So clean. Why did no one think of this before? Oh yah, ugly
suspension forks, right.

That was a very nice towny. Even has brakes and bars you can pull on.

Howard Kveck said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

jerry in vermont said:

Not so hot: Track bikes as townies. Ok, there were tons of these, and
they look really cool and all, but just dont seem that practical.

Yeah, they probably aren't real practical, but there's an awful lot of 'em
being ridden in SF. Plenty of messengers use them.

Quoted message said:

Go check it out.

Probably Saturday.

did you see Johny Cycles? Beautiful work, I admit, but he had a bunch
of bikes with these wacko super deep (and NARROW) track bars. Ok, how
the hell are you supposed to roll around on these things on a fixy no
less?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=photos/2006/tech/features/nahmbs062/Jonny_Cycles_track_bike

I dunno, just turns me off trying to be weird. Then look at Sach's
road bike (not the cross bike, so much) and the lines are just perfect.
Its almost a retro bike (though its not, dont say that in front of
richard) but it still looks smoking FAST sitting there. Road racing
bikes should look fast. Period. Not many lugged framed bikes look
like they should have a frame number hangin' off them, but Richard's
do. Thats why I like them. Plus, the details are amazing, in a
utilitarian way. BRASS cable adjusters brazed ( I assume) to the head
tube. Brass baby. No worries there. Bike screams to be ridden.
Bamboo? Not so much.

In article <[email hidden]>,

jerry in vermont said:

Howard Kveck said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

jerry in vermont said:

Not so hot: Track bikes as townies. Ok, there were tons of these, and
they look really cool and all, but just dont seem that practical.

Yeah, they probably aren't real practical, but there's an awful lot of
'em
being ridden in SF. Plenty of messengers use them.

Quoted message said:

Go check it out.

Probably Saturday.

did you see Johny Cycles? Beautiful work, I admit, but he had a bunch
of bikes with these wacko super deep (and NARROW) track bars. Ok, how
the hell are you supposed to roll around on these things on a fixy no
less?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=photos/2006/tech/features/nahmbs062/Jon
ny_Cycles_track_bike

His work was very nice and clean (the paint job on that one is very classic),
but those bars confused me too.

Quoted message said:

I dunno, just turns me off trying to be weird. Then look at Sach's
road bike (not the cross bike, so much) and the lines are just perfect.
Its almost a retro bike (though its not, dont say that in front of
richard) but it still looks smoking FAST sitting there. Road racing
bikes should look fast. Period. Not many lugged framed bikes look
like they should have a frame number hangin' off them, but Richard's
do. Thats why I like them. Plus, the details are amazing, in a
utilitarian way. BRASS cable adjusters brazed ( I assume) to the head
tube. Brass baby. No worries there. Bike screams to be ridden.
Bamboo? Not so much.

I don't know that I'd say "trying to be weird," more trying to be different.
You're right about the Sachs bikes, they have an aggressive look. His
workmanship and detail is phenomenal. The bamboo bike is a good attention
getter, but there's a point where you gotta wonder if it ends up being too much
of a focal point, to the detriment of their other bikes. There was another
wooden frame - copper plated lugs with hickory connecting them.

--
tanx,
Howard

Grandma Smith said a curious thing
Boys must whistle, girls must sing

remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?

Quoted message said:

#3 I forgot the name, but he is a guy who builds racks, and is well
known for that. But he had an MTB frame/bike there that was a "fake"
single speed. Rohloff hub, but with a chain tensioner up under the BB
so you didnt see it. Lots of other very very clean details, all on a
full suspension free/trail bike. Very nice. Great engineering. Very
clean. I want one.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=photos/2006/tech/features/nahmbs063/old_man_mountain_boomerang

Old Man Mountain was the guy with the sweet MTB bike, the boomerang.
Very well engineered, IMHO.

J

Man, that has been bugging me.