Always Check the Horse's Teeth

Salutations!

This bike may or may not look familiar to you.
It has the distinction of being the one-two punch
for the marketing division of Black Cat Bicycles.


It was built for Bike Mag's Ryan Labar, aka Squirrel, to do a review on
in the latest issue of said magazine.

It was also spotted at this years NAHBS.

My thoughts on the plan was similar to my thoughts from last year's
show: so many of the show bikes are incredible examples of
the builders' craft (dare i say, art?),
but bikes really are made for riding, first and foremost.

Anybody (and I mean anybody) can ride their
own creations and give the thumbs up.
This takes it one step further and asks someone else
to give a thumbs up or down, on a bike going to the show
as an example of what I make and ride.
Lay it all out.

The bike was displayed as it came back to me.
Not polished, not filthy, not artfully spattered with mud just so.
How a real bike looks after a few good hard rides,
without meticulous cleaning.

This bike is outfitted to shred. How I wish my bikes were set up.
Shimano XTR crank and brakeset,
Fox fork with that kashima business,
Chris King hub, headset, and cog,
Easton carbon cockpit bits,
Enve composites rims,
WTB rubber and saddle.

This bike is up for grabs!
Check out the new page over on the side bar for bikes for sale.

The music selection for this post is:
the Mountain Goats.
Hardly unknown, hardly known enough.
Nobody can write a song like John.
The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton.
This Year.
Psalms 40:2.

Mr Reliable

Yo.


This bike is for Mike Adamski in Durango, Colorado.


I really like how this one turned out.
Super simple and clean with a very smart color selection.
Good thinking, Mike.

Thanks, Mike!

Russian Circles is today's
listening assignment.
You can't fake drumming like this.
Get some.

Nuevo Mexicano

Hello there.
A bike frame today for Robert Winkel from Santa Fe, New Mexico.


Robert made himself a head tube badge inspired
by the Zia tribe's design featured in the New Mexican flag.

The paint design is lifted from Anasazi pottery.

Internal brake hose routing.

The lines of the gusset on the down tube have
evolved through the years.
Lately I've been trying to mimic the miter,
and thus the fillet,
as closely as possible over the top of the tube.
Makes for a tidy appearance that I really like.

Thanks, Robert.

All right folks.
There are people that love them
and people that loathe them.
There are few that lie between.

For those not acquainted,
for your consideration:
WEEN.

If you don't like what you're hearing,
wait a song or two.
From Mexican campo ballads to
Ziggy Stardust-esque hallucinations.
From Jimmy Buffet flashbacks
to tick rants.
From Yelling bouts to a
whole country record.

Huffing some Scotch-Guard
will get you in the mood.

Pure Guava is pure genius. Really.

Steel That Sleeps the Eye

Hey gang.
Today, I present a bike for Eric Richter.

With Eric being here in Santa Cruz, the conversation
about this bike started with listing names of roads.
Names like Stetson, Redwood Lodge, Schulties,
Redwood Retreat, Mountain Charlie, Skyland,
Valencia School, Uvas Canyon, etc.

Names like that conjure up thoughts of tight, twisty, steep roads,
shaded by redwoods, with pathetic pavement, if any at all.

The conversation continued with the new re-release of Columbus' Max tubeset.
Eric, being a junkie of all things Max,
wanted a custom bike to add to his collection of bikes built
with these legendary tubes.

First designed when tubes were narrow and didn't
take the abuse under larger, more powerful riders,
the double oversized tubeset was like nothing before it.
Huge, ovalized profiles allowed a bike to remain in one
piece while being raced in events like Paris-Roubaix
and the Tour of Flanders.

We decided not to use the entire Max tubeset,
settling for the bi-axialy ovalized down and top tubes,
chain stays, fork blades, and fork crown.
These are the most instantly recognizable tubes of the bunch
and overwhelmingly responsible for the look and feel of the bike.

We took it step further and added the ability to run 28's,
with fenders, or up to a 35c tire without.

Disc brakes, Dura-Ace parts.
If you can't ride this bike there, that place should probably be left unridden.

Between the capabilities of the bike and the fact that
Eric is one of the coolest, nicest, most genuine people I've ever met,
it was truly was a pleasure to build this bike.
Thanks, Eric.

All right kids,
enough of the sentimentality.
Melvins!
When I went to see the tour
supporting the Houdini record
(was that almost 20 years ago?!?!),
I remember thinking that it simply
could not be any louder.
Hooch
Honey Bucket
Night Goat

Up For Grabs

Hey, Y'all.
Today is a different day so we're going to do things differently.

Normally, the bikes posted are built for specific people.
Not the case for this bike.

As luck would have it,
this bike is, as the title suggests, up for grabs.

It has a 6 degree sloped, 56.5cm top tube.
Built for someone 5'11" or so.

Built with lugs and a super light, double oversized tube set,
this bike has the aesthetic of an old world charmer,
but the ride of a race bike.

Hooded dropouts for a stiff, responsive feel.

Fillet brazed pf30 bb shell for all the pedaling stiffness you will ever need.

Enve composites 1.0 carbon fork.
Will take 28c tires happily.

Drop me a line via email for pricing or for further details.
I'm happy to sell as a frame set
or to build it up as a complete bicycle.

SOLD. Thanks.

Let's hop in the Way-Back Machine for some Wipers.

New Year, New Bike

Happy New Year, y'all.

Let's start this year off on the good foot
by introducing a bike for Kyle E______.

Kyle and I have been acquainted since we
worked at the same bike shop about 10 years ago.

Having good friends on bikes is about as good as it gets for me.


Oversized head tube for those tapered steerer forks.

PF30 bb shell. Mega.

17/4 Stainless dropouts. Shiny.

Curvy tubes. All the bells and whistles on this one.

Been doing a lot of listening to Baroness.
Particularly The Red Album.
Rays on Pinion
The Birthing
Isak
Get it.