Bicycle Bonanza!

   I hadn't been writing a whole lot during the past few months, quite simply because very little had been going on. Well, that situation changed drastically in the last couple of weeks, as it seems more people have been wanting to get out and ride, while there is currently a shortage of new bicycles throughout the nation's shops. Not only has my stock of finished bikes taken a (welcome!) hit, but customers have brought in the bikes they have for repairs or improvements - all at my safe, side-door drop-off, of course!

   This all started for me after a visit from a past customer, Chris, who had me do some work on his Lemond bicycle about four years ago. He recently purchased a Colnago VR-1 "Ferrari" frameset in a bargain deal, but it was a bit large for him, so he asked me to include it on my blog/craigslist/Facebook sales pages for him, hoping it would get a bit more exposure. He also wished to sell his Lemond to help finance the building of a new bike, for which we are currently searching.

   One of my circle of teacher/cycling-mates stopped in with his practically new Trek Emonda that needed some major help. He was out riding on one of the trails and a stick popped up into his wheel and lodged between his spokes and the driveside stays, crushing them both. He was lucky to not go flying head-over heels when the bike came to a an abrupt stop, but he was now looking at hundreds of dollars in carbon frame repair!

   He needed me to disassemble the bike for shipping out to the repair specialists in Colorado. His high-tech bike had hydraulic disk brakes, of which I am definitely not an expert, nor do I honestly care to be, but I was able to leave all hoses attached, pad and secure the levers to the frame and I hope that causes us no issues when everything is returned to be put back together.

   Just a couple days later, I was contacted by a very nice woman named Elizabeth, who was having a friend visit for some cycling along the Delaware River and wanted a bike with some "climbability". She had seen the listing for the Patelli bicycle I've had around for a while, and I was really hoping that was the one she wanted, though I had concerns its gearing wouldn't fit her needs. I thought Chris' Lemond would be the most logical purchase.

   Turns out Liz is a VERY serious (and knowledgeable) cyclist, logging in multiple thousands of miles a year. After some test rides, she decided she wanted both bikes, and we then talked about maybe switching to a compact crankset on the Patelli to help on the hills. I gave her some idea of what would be involved, which she enthusiastically okayed. She also dropped off an older Nishiki touring bike of hers that she wanted to give to her daughter, so she's having me do a refurbish job, replacing some of the worn and rusty parts, as well as remove and replace the flaking decals.

   A short time afterward, my friend Ron sent a message asking when he might be able to stop by with the Monteverde bicycle I built for him - oddly enough, right at the time I was working on Chris' Lemond. Ron wanted a tune-up, but he also mentioned that he had been having some issues reaching his brakes from the drops. 

   I immediately thought of adjusting the lever position on the bars, but he still wanted the ability to ride comfortably on the hoods. I suggested switching from the vintage curve of his 3T bars for some compact bars which have a shallower drop. Luckily Soma makes some really nice aluminum bars with a polished finish, instead of the ubiquitous black bars now on the market, so we ordered a set.

   Not finished with reunions with past customers, Andy, who had bought a Ridley Boreas  contacted me about a trade-in for a custom-built vintage bicycle. He had seen the Pinarello Treviso project from many years ago and hoped I could hook him up with something similar. I showed him the Olmo San Remo frameset (photo below) hanging in my rafters, and it fit the bill perfectly. In the meantime, Andy had made some changes to the Boreas but had saved the swapped-out parts. I'm in the process of piecing that bike back together because someone has already expressed interest in it!

   My neighborhood friend Brad easily wins the title of most frequent customer, as he has had many bicycles among several family members in my shop for work over the years! He dropped off two bikes for tune-ups, and I found the drivetrain on his mountain bike to be completely worn out. I realized finding new chainrings for his decades-old Shimano crankset was going to be more expensive than just buying a new crankset. He'll also need a new cassette, chain and bottom bracket, but it's still cheaper than a new mountain bike!

   During a couple visits Matt and I had been swapping parts between his All-City and the Klein. We got one bike finished, but found the other would have to wait, as it required a couple of unforeseen parts purchases. We have a lot of fun during our visits - including informal competition to see who drops Allen wrenches less.

   Saturday evening someone purchased another of the finished bicycles hanging in the rafters, and I had to partially disassemble that and package it for shipping to St. Louis.      

   Finally (as far as what is currently in my shop), someone in Brooklyn responded to my listing of the Somec bicycle I recently completed. Because his uncle had one just like it, and he had always been envious, he immediately sent full payment via Paypal, including a little extra with a request for delivery.

   It was an amazingly pleasant drive Tuesday morning with little traffic, even across Manhattan! The drop-off was quick and safe, after a brief chat through face masks, then I was heading off to do a loop ride from Ringoes, New Jersey, over to the Delaware and Raritan Canal area, down through Princeton and back.
   Three other people have contacted me the past couple of days about helping them search for vintage bikes or frames, after finding out I've been kinda wiped-out of my stock of finished machines. I couldn't find anyone interested in buying just a month or so ago, now I can barely keep anything around!

   I joked with Dave, when I received a message today that his repaired Emonda frame was on its way back to me, "Just in time - I was tired of sitting around doing nothing."

My Second-Favorite Cycling Teammate

   I have to give the #1 spot to my wife, of course, and really, we have been cycling longer (in years and overall distance), at a higher average speed and more often than most other of my riding companions. My father would swing right into that second slot. Unfortunately, due to a combination of health issues he passed away last Tuesday, just one day after his 74th birthday.
   He loved to travel - though he would admit, not-so-much when it involved his work as a sportswriter - and explore new places, and about a decade ago he started cycling regularly. Because I was a homeschooling father with a very flexible schedule, and my boys were both teenagers who could be left on their own if needed, he took the opportunity to plan a few cycling journeys that we could experience together.
   In 2011 we started a series of one-week trips, each year doing a segment of the C&O Canal Towpath and Greater Allegheny Passage Trails, making our way from Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh, PA. The lead photo is a shot of us in front of the fountain in Pittsburgh's Point State Park, at the "completion" of our journey. The quotes are there because our trips ended up rather out-of-order, but we did manage to do the whole 330+ miles without killing ourselves or, more importantly, anyone else. As John Candy said to Steve Martin in Trains, Planes and Automobiles, after nearly being taken out by a pair of 18-wheelers, "We can laugh about it now; we're alright."
   You can read about all segments of this journey and others through the Trail Tales link to the right, as we've also hit spots like the Virginia Creeper, Washington & Old Dominion and Columbia Trails. I am a big fan of railroads, and these initial trips with Dad really inspired me to explore more Rails-To-Trails projects all over the country!
   During our adventures we had a lot of laughs, reminisced about our families, met many interesting people and, because I inherited his easy-going manner, we dealt with several mishaps along the way without a shout or grumble between us. Oh, Dad did plenty of grumbling, but it was more about his strange perception that every slight uphill was a mountain!
   I know my father had plans for more trips in his mind, but his health began to fail, starting with a heart attack back in the spring of 2016. I remember Dad telling me that the doctor said, "You're lucky your son got you into cycling and that your heart is strong, because the blockage you have in there would have killed you otherwise."
   I could list many reasons I enjoy cycling, but if indeed the sport bought me another four years to spend with Dad, that certainly would be at the top!
 
 
   Because I had all of the parts for the Somec project waiting on my shop shelves for me to start assembly, it was only a matter of getting to it. I did find out that the Campagnolo Athena group was missing a chain, and I needed some white bar tape, but after the mailman arrived a couple days later with my packages, I put the finishing touches on the Pieroni:

The Somec and its "spec sheet" are now listed in the For Sale page. See you next time - stay safe and healthy!