Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Gato Blanco De Los Camino

Check out my ghetto-fabulous photo studio!
Only the finest oil stained canvas drop cloth for you folks.
So pro.


Carbon fiber top tube and seat tube/mast. Steel lugs.
It was harder than it sounds. More nerve wracking, too.

Press Fit 30! The only oversize bb platform worth fussing over.
The rest are marketing hype without the promised benefits.
Stiffness ain't worth a hill of beans if you have to pedal through constantly roached bearings.


15 pounds as you see it here.

Let's here it for The Thermals!

Monday, March 22, 2010

rOADBIKE.

I'm running out of clever quips for titles, people. Times is tough.

This bike made it out to Richmond, VA, for the Fancy Bike Show. It was probably the most subdued item in the hall. It was made for Jen, and she likes it that way.


I particularly like the chain stays. Flattened in some directions, squooshed in others, and swooped in others still.



The wood paneling looks all rumpus room-y.
Too bad no polar bear skin rug to really make this one pop.

Sugar.
Actually, anything with Bob Mould.
dig.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Goes With My Luggage

Here in Santa Cruz, this is a trail bike.
As Aptos Brad says, "there are 2 rocks in town and I know where both of them are."
Swoopy stays take the edge off those 2 rocks.

This custom stem keeps the brake cable as straight as possible to avoid any friction and ensures your brakes work as well as possible.


Asymmetrical paint scheme to make symmetry freaks freak.



Heel clearance? Yep.
Mud clearance? Yep.


Hecka smooth.

Listened to a lot of Sunny Day Real Estate while getting ready for the show. Yes, that is 4 different links, 1 for each word. They are that good.
Saw them in October. Still have it after all these years. In spades.

Green Machine

Single speed 29er's have kind of become a calling card for black cat bicycles.
So here is the one that I took to the handmade show.
Hope you like it.


Curvy custom stem? You got it.

I spent 2 days, yes, 2 days making these fork tips on the mill.
That radius on the back blends with the radius on the disk tab just so.
They are wide and thick and tall enough to do the job but not look clunky.
How many people commented on my fork tips?
Zero.
I sure am proud though.

All the curvy tubes are butted microalloy sweetness. No straight gauge 4130 here.
Built as you see here: 20 pounds.

Even the chain stays are curvy.

Black ano dropouts look pretty sharp.

In honor of the handmade show being in Richmond, VA, the music pick has got to be:
Avail.
I wish they'd play live over on this coast a bit more often.

Oh yea, I owe Chip a huge thank you. This guy is what you would hope all bike shops to be.
When in Richmond, go say "hey" and check out his scene.