tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42435504049495129182024-03-17T23:02:58.611-04:00Two Serious BikesAHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-21239053070672317252012-11-16T21:30:00.004-05:002012-11-17T21:14:07.164-05:00Marcel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAz441LCvCFjh2CTryBQgviE-bhJ8pCT5DuCfuIo2PiW-6DMQuNuYdoKxA4IgtTgeWlgXO8_74No-OeiMAY6yeVLVsejgv87VyCuI-vkFiNsvXaA-_g0zSPaNIm3HPqVnZeqOiBjuvmM/s1600/IMG_8289.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAz441LCvCFjh2CTryBQgviE-bhJ8pCT5DuCfuIo2PiW-6DMQuNuYdoKxA4IgtTgeWlgXO8_74No-OeiMAY6yeVLVsejgv87VyCuI-vkFiNsvXaA-_g0zSPaNIm3HPqVnZeqOiBjuvmM/s640/IMG_8289.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Marcel, I am proud to say, is done. This is a bike that has been <i>years and years and years </i>in the making. It started out as a custom frame order from Velo Orange, back when they offered custom frames. I bought all the parts I needed; and all these parts stayed in my closet after they cancelled their custom frame line. This was the frame I originally wanted to build in Doug Fattic's class, though he quickly convinced me that it was way too complicated for a first frame. Then, since I wasn't having any luck finding a space to build, I decided to order a version of this frame from someone else. This was the bike to be named "Clive" (you can find out more by searching that keyword), but it didn't work out, and it was back to the drawing board.</div>
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Naturally, when I finally got a space to build, this was the bike I started to make. I made the fork (the fork that's now on this bike), but then messed up the BB drop on the frame, so had to turn that frame into Jocelyn Lovell Bike. I had already started the Curnoe bike at that point, so the randonneur moved to #3 on the self-made queue. But then I got busy, and I lost my shop space, and #3 never happened.</div>
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Enter Olivier. After we lost our space, he set up a little framebuilding area in his house. So I asked him if he could finish what so many other had started. This he did (in something like two weeks, no less.) Using my fork, and some "investment stamped" lugs I'd made, and some other frame bits such as my CS/dropouts, he put this together, and build a rack, stem, and décaleur for me. I then filed the lugs and did various picky things I like to do. Then Noah Rosen (Velocolour) did the paint and chroming. The result is Marcel, an uncommonly fine bicycle.</div>
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<b>The build.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5l4UNXWoOKtr8Qd0MSqVyZnSzNKNMLURJwskzce0lhRO2FnKgh8MGJ9kTBYmR7Bb5oaVToAfZ9_gAU4R93FgdtB-Llc7hYiHPmy9U91Npe7G05AEDJi7FNqCu6x6dt5JkeZgdv0dv7js/s1600/IMG_8277.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5l4UNXWoOKtr8Qd0MSqVyZnSzNKNMLURJwskzce0lhRO2FnKgh8MGJ9kTBYmR7Bb5oaVToAfZ9_gAU4R93FgdtB-Llc7hYiHPmy9U91Npe7G05AEDJi7FNqCu6x6dt5JkeZgdv0dv7js/s640/IMG_8277.jpeg" width="640" /></a><br />
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This was by far the longest, most complicated build I've ever done. Since time is at a premium these days, I decided not to bother documenting it, and just get it done.<br />
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One of the main complicating factors was my lack of shop space. I just clamped my vise to my desk and went for it. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmVaIx2M0VKxOKi-Cg2sSVVMImQPhTER513R3RxIYc61fYKLimVrr9Pbgei1NnT0nkXpok4yML4-5WO72XmYbmTcvdcF9sc_tqNCSl-Q9i2cQ_hqpjQF4orB73xX77Z_Qo47unhrjFmA/s1600/IMG_8278.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgmVaIx2M0VKxOKi-Cg2sSVVMImQPhTER513R3RxIYc61fYKLimVrr9Pbgei1NnT0nkXpok4yML4-5WO72XmYbmTcvdcF9sc_tqNCSl-Q9i2cQ_hqpjQF4orB73xX77Z_Qo47unhrjFmA/s640/IMG_8278.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The below picture captures the experience. It's a total mess, there are bike tools, files, drills, and soldering stuff all over the place. It took me about a full week of work to get all this done, then a full day to clean up.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC7YuJ6d9F4ybyMFOiBd_Dd7T9EtNrMWEAuu4KnrmL0uCZPqXSOaDHUA5iNxZBmdiF2ViPQ8i8PobymcrSutyYqFm9InLiT52W5Bm2ZEI9W9sGxi-CDdnpNhlG1VCKvWgdUxfz0UAQIU/s1600/IMG_8280.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTC7YuJ6d9F4ybyMFOiBd_Dd7T9EtNrMWEAuu4KnrmL0uCZPqXSOaDHUA5iNxZBmdiF2ViPQ8i8PobymcrSutyYqFm9InLiT52W5Bm2ZEI9W9sGxi-CDdnpNhlG1VCKvWgdUxfz0UAQIU/s640/IMG_8280.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The results.</b><br />
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Of course, it was worth it. I guess I still prefer the Curnoe Bike, just for being so colourful and weird, but this is probably a "better bike." It's a fairly extreme version of a constructer bike—extremely integrated—and it all works phenomenally well, so far.<br />
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Here he is: Marcel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjSJ9pKtM0kMhNDhjVuy2skWqJh6xX27G0nIgL6rHV_LI0qtmpgn-KawgZ9uCvp-MyVUBPd8zAKm-BYow145uHGn3s_Ii4ITRkDDhenJ3as7ULpWwGR7fzZ90bZDf9Zvz6I2sUmWjgoY/s1600/IMG_8311.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjSJ9pKtM0kMhNDhjVuy2skWqJh6xX27G0nIgL6rHV_LI0qtmpgn-KawgZ9uCvp-MyVUBPd8zAKm-BYow145uHGn3s_Ii4ITRkDDhenJ3as7ULpWwGR7fzZ90bZDf9Zvz6I2sUmWjgoY/s640/IMG_8311.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The logo.</b></div>
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Since I didn't make all of this bike myself, it of course didn't make sense to use my A.HAMMOND decals. But given my obsession with decals, obviously I wasn't going to leave it blank. After much thought, I came up with the name BIS, and this logo:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R_nWH9hwsOKh8OW_DRAgwZizQRgSEK3fFl-DkrG6_Hw7I-AGTV6j5F97kL-Z48_jTN15egzplzF7EKLFqb0FBfAVld0f0SdNhCOr_EIwcV5JSBsFNSRr7FiAF2H3MrmX7MLp9OXexz4/s1600/IMG_8295.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R_nWH9hwsOKh8OW_DRAgwZizQRgSEK3fFl-DkrG6_Hw7I-AGTV6j5F97kL-Z48_jTN15egzplzF7EKLFqb0FBfAVld0f0SdNhCOr_EIwcV5JSBsFNSRr7FiAF2H3MrmX7MLp9OXexz4/s640/IMG_8295.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUalKkZ_fIxLTfmnrfonKqWWUFuO2AFj02YXTuhhq9ZOOpWL7Wng2-JggWknxa0XIUtFzhQax-SOo2BVFSYhbtEW7BwKAH0CM9DwKtcLqxHnqdA7y8lEnzTMupjhOdw0RWcTTU5PJ4BQw/s1600/IMG_8293.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUalKkZ_fIxLTfmnrfonKqWWUFuO2AFj02YXTuhhq9ZOOpWL7Wng2-JggWknxa0XIUtFzhQax-SOo2BVFSYhbtEW7BwKAH0CM9DwKtcLqxHnqdA7y8lEnzTMupjhOdw0RWcTTU5PJ4BQw/s640/IMG_8293.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The name is mainly from the musical term, "bis," meaning repeat. Repetition is the basic activity not only in cycling (turning the pedals over, again and again and again), but also in frame building, where you seem to always do something at least twice before you get it right. A lot of French product names have the word "bis" where an English product would be "mark II"—the second try, the improved version. That sense of the ongoing, never-ending quest for perfection (hey, didn't Richard Sachs say something about that somewehere?) is part of the name too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiPJeNpSTz9inq3s3uNFkakkaPEc1Wdh_wejWDGvGtkCDIYeo7B48wygocPAKHQkobsmc-uYuMlWYFlGlddmV32-b8VMLjq_OzR0zkrrPFUC00EuX51JHysYphNpTRSowESelXlz_R6k/s1600/IMG_8335.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLiPJeNpSTz9inq3s3uNFkakkaPEc1Wdh_wejWDGvGtkCDIYeo7B48wygocPAKHQkobsmc-uYuMlWYFlGlddmV32-b8VMLjq_OzR0zkrrPFUC00EuX51JHysYphNpTRSowESelXlz_R6k/s640/IMG_8335.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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More important, though, is the root word of bis: two. It's a bike made by two people, the result of collaboration at every stage. I hate to get too mushy/conceptual here, but that's why the two sides of the downtube logo share a letter "I." Two "I"s merge into one. Collaboration! (Noah, if you're reading this, yes, my tongue is in my cheek—<i>slightly</i>.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqV2J8Dlvpibm7kQQbSi5DTEhgPsL6rCQSQJV6xCRDr-jo8SHc3mlqehes_VrEQk6ekdVwoXeshXegQexYdyYUYuKRvF1AVz89cjN-aYMUkBtwnoYURA7Re4ej-FCeNM0bLT2P8Sft0cs/s1600/IMG_8334.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqV2J8Dlvpibm7kQQbSi5DTEhgPsL6rCQSQJV6xCRDr-jo8SHc3mlqehes_VrEQk6ekdVwoXeshXegQexYdyYUYuKRvF1AVz89cjN-aYMUkBtwnoYURA7Re4ej-FCeNM0bLT2P8Sft0cs/s640/IMG_8334.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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If ever a logo called for a second version, though, a "mark II," this is probably it. People seem to think it says either "B.S." (woops) or "B.L.S." or something. Pretty much no one gets "BIS." In a way, though, even that misreading sort of fits in to the concept.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdnyyS1kUSH0E__sO2taxugwtqtAbYhestEAQ-Rx-IQmwbRp8J7M79rCfd-Ktjq20LrO-VZkytcH3yTPk7BQdzlEvZoIb8dCboBAKQaVssKeLUt1kHouky78qZHXGHrrIKTTtfse2LMg/s1600/IMG_8303.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMdnyyS1kUSH0E__sO2taxugwtqtAbYhestEAQ-Rx-IQmwbRp8J7M79rCfd-Ktjq20LrO-VZkytcH3yTPk7BQdzlEvZoIb8dCboBAKQaVssKeLUt1kHouky78qZHXGHrrIKTTtfse2LMg/s640/IMG_8303.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div>
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The head tube/seat tube logo is that stretched out letter "I" surrounded by two dots, the musical notation for a repeated passage—for "bis." You'll notice that you see the same shape when you look at the downtube logo (above) from the top.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr4r6XgapsoY7A3YDqJeckLDP-wOXy2iqsZVfZX4SjJYwf5S1-3Kqiip7GW7MSFjKTvYfwydhbTyvnCFHAUcuyyM_EApSE4vHosG8laFfXHzS7ZvNlG1RrEtPaks58RZ0nuJ5X5O80NU/s1600/IMG_8313.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr4r6XgapsoY7A3YDqJeckLDP-wOXy2iqsZVfZX4SjJYwf5S1-3Kqiip7GW7MSFjKTvYfwydhbTyvnCFHAUcuyyM_EApSE4vHosG8laFfXHzS7ZvNlG1RrEtPaks58RZ0nuJ5X5O80NU/s640/IMG_8313.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I really like the way the DT/ST logos look, and wouldn't change them. I also love that photo above and this one below. The above for its symmetry, and the shifters popping up like ears, the below for getting so much action into a small frame.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFUNTGTR81SNZLfpE05z1CLsYg7gR1OIBAmQ72O7T3mj8w-bHYUs6H_gfte03g20eJ1sexDtRE4X7qnrVZG8MrtA2RV10-p7m5z6J19RDi2nx0hYiYSb237oa-hc4h1X_20uIl6t_8EY/s1600/IMG_8315.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsFUNTGTR81SNZLfpE05z1CLsYg7gR1OIBAmQ72O7T3mj8w-bHYUs6H_gfte03g20eJ1sexDtRE4X7qnrVZG8MrtA2RV10-p7m5z6J19RDi2nx0hYiYSb237oa-hc4h1X_20uIl6t_8EY/s640/IMG_8315.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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By the way, the name "Marcel" is from Marcel Proust, one of my favourite writers. I was briefly considering calling my collaboration with Olivier "Cycles Proust," because one of his surnames is Proulx, which is related to Proust, and since I like Proust so much. Also because the title of Proust's great work, <i>À la recherche du temps perdu</i>, "In Search of Lost Time," is a pretty appropriate slogan for a bike company. But, alas, it was all too cheesy, even for me, and so BIS was it, with Marcel left for the name of the bike.</div>
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<b>Stem, décaleur, general integrated-ness.</b></div>
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As a bike, probably the most distinctive thing about Marcel is his (yes, typically <i>French</i>) integration and constructer-ness. A lot of that is visible in Olivier's custom-made stem, which holds a décaleur, a special hanger, a boss for a bell, and a step cap switch for the lighting system.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0gYy51bHlttpyVHc8zB9K_S-RG1Q74kEsJYMPBvNoqGAavqvKjvH28x7XFdgTIBoJLiG4lKjMJFS6ktvi4Kha3cuOrpqa2BMPB7Xz7YvyoGcqunNqKvMMURBE-SBKeKINN3LeavIL4s/s1600/IMG_8291.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0gYy51bHlttpyVHc8zB9K_S-RG1Q74kEsJYMPBvNoqGAavqvKjvH28x7XFdgTIBoJLiG4lKjMJFS6ktvi4Kha3cuOrpqa2BMPB7Xz7YvyoGcqunNqKvMMURBE-SBKeKINN3LeavIL4s/s640/IMG_8291.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There it is from the other side. Note also that beautiful headset spacer, made from aluminum tubing of the same dimension as the steel used to make the stem clamp.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnShONF1Fr2qGAnQPlawcjHOYsroR162dKLM1uVT8JvFXz9tTtOdRaM-1ukFoye9hsbY7sFU6ivR7lZ0TpgLc4TC8ONsjwqK3vw8mt24eu3VF-AAaFuY3hkj8kHSuE8d9lWriU0eRCBqA/s1600/IMG_8326.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnShONF1Fr2qGAnQPlawcjHOYsroR162dKLM1uVT8JvFXz9tTtOdRaM-1ukFoye9hsbY7sFU6ivR7lZ0TpgLc4TC8ONsjwqK3vw8mt24eu3VF-AAaFuY3hkj8kHSuE8d9lWriU0eRCBqA/s640/IMG_8326.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfaJsWU2n38U3iG6yhBqybmD4IwsdpHRmy20mJXyY_e1BZmppXKH4IMWt14dAUJ4SEePL-_zYqpczqmHtIxJh-5LltKViZm1_RZf9KUtsA6eqGdWBhk-e5Xhx6UOzYDEoSYA650e4zr8/s1600/IMG_8332.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVfaJsWU2n38U3iG6yhBqybmD4IwsdpHRmy20mJXyY_e1BZmppXKH4IMWt14dAUJ4SEePL-_zYqpczqmHtIxJh-5LltKViZm1_RZf9KUtsA6eqGdWBhk-e5Xhx6UOzYDEoSYA650e4zr8/s640/IMG_8332.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Handlebars.</b></div>
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The handlebar area is really pretty exciting on Marcel. The levers are nice Mavic-branded Modolos.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-q208hT3XYoX6HHJjUkMuZ17y6dGNUd60cXhsqAaSwXSxF-EZhq5OphjlRfOlw8Xney6Xk6fNdCiC2_IvBADJMmFVTlPGawj-Xnrx5LLnjTRK-AY4vLlKVv6hRc8MT8w8Zh2UPFqx1I/s1600/IMG_8354.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-q208hT3XYoX6HHJjUkMuZ17y6dGNUd60cXhsqAaSwXSxF-EZhq5OphjlRfOlw8Xney6Xk6fNdCiC2_IvBADJMmFVTlPGawj-Xnrx5LLnjTRK-AY4vLlKVv6hRc8MT8w8Zh2UPFqx1I/s640/IMG_8354.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div>
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The bars themselves are Philippe randonneur bars. I've never seen any other black ones like these; they're pretty phenomenal. I really like the colour of the cloth bar tape too. That's white tape with about 15 coats of clear shellac, then two coats of amber, then some more coats of clear. I was trying to get it to match the sidewalls of the tires and the chamfer colour on the Brooks Pro saddle. (I can't help mentioning the nice radius on the stem clamp—one of the little touches I'm responsible on an otherwise made-by-Olivier stem. Note that the clamp itself is 25.0, for the French bars.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnrLCbIYf5nsR4ARuoH1IXBXQ6JqLxmo1xnaGTNeBRYmEBYJnpn-Yr7eZ2R3BPZerJWKiWHMrt44Mu5UJNX85Y2J9d1a_-n3tmzbGiHkF47ZQ5XOrauQ8KAa47mjCEmzfOph8I95RHGQ/s1600/IMG_8356.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnrLCbIYf5nsR4ARuoH1IXBXQ6JqLxmo1xnaGTNeBRYmEBYJnpn-Yr7eZ2R3BPZerJWKiWHMrt44Mu5UJNX85Y2J9d1a_-n3tmzbGiHkF47ZQ5XOrauQ8KAa47mjCEmzfOph8I95RHGQ/s640/IMG_8356.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Rack</b></div>
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The rack is entirely Olivier's doing and must be one of the nicest ever made.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAyeiFcb06F2LNjUAdwMMeIRlB_axY5D47YXd8WKf_eNcTU3KSH1LAIz2ARLOh2ngPEebs6Z12MjQ0MgNVduWVybp60NY5MsDfWmbfI1tIAv0YR4EfLQxLSfMhCuC3Yg8gHMmxcdRHXI/s1600/IMG_8353.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnAyeiFcb06F2LNjUAdwMMeIRlB_axY5D47YXd8WKf_eNcTU3KSH1LAIz2ARLOh2ngPEebs6Z12MjQ0MgNVduWVybp60NY5MsDfWmbfI1tIAv0YR4EfLQxLSfMhCuC3Yg8gHMmxcdRHXI/s640/IMG_8353.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's an absolutely minimalist design, and does the job very well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGnf8OUGLQNmmF7_NaBvhP8keJn6ump-kufNNvjK1FkruOjsxL_TZFRP0NeNBUA9AxCLuljbluGOXjXO8-o63olK_qDHxu5m1ktCFri8j8LPmWHtc_oqItCJalMeVhEYGuZYUNDDB1sE/s1600/IMG_8360.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGnf8OUGLQNmmF7_NaBvhP8keJn6ump-kufNNvjK1FkruOjsxL_TZFRP0NeNBUA9AxCLuljbluGOXjXO8-o63olK_qDHxu5m1ktCFri8j8LPmWHtc_oqItCJalMeVhEYGuZYUNDDB1sE/s640/IMG_8360.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Probably the nicest touch is that gracefully bent tube that serves both as a left strut and a light mount. Best of all, Olivier left the tube open to make it easy to pass lighting wires through. A really brilliant touch, and very helpful in the build process, which was complicated enough as it was.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg_O1fxRwHNbGFnjubqcD66R05TZibFegbhoHqxtfKste4_JemM5kozrWTF5AaclKJ0O8RE8febj4xoNIjn222hIa-7e0D0-7ddFoLsv80i5duAXi3hoTmkBERdgG1ED4looo1WKVd-g/s1600/IMG_8304.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwg_O1fxRwHNbGFnjubqcD66R05TZibFegbhoHqxtfKste4_JemM5kozrWTF5AaclKJ0O8RE8febj4xoNIjn222hIa-7e0D0-7ddFoLsv80i5duAXi3hoTmkBERdgG1ED4looo1WKVd-g/s640/IMG_8304.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Back end of bike.</b></div>
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Let us now, totally arbitrarily, have a look at the back end of the bike. That's a Brooks Pro saddle, a Sugino Mighty seatpost (horrible looking when I got it, but some filing/sanding/polishing got it back in order), a really quite nicely filed Cinelli CS seatlug, a beautiful rear brake cable hanger, and, well other things I can tell you more about below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS9XhoVijvfaO-eBIdq0Do4G1dL7lnWHwkiX_iZ0JyKWHlwyzLzZqChmvxiSoTzfEzuQXbYjVk5eRTX40gzUqOPg1MvTWzoXfDt6mWsK9hCWhl00dCtBCi8AcNVRNpZ9trWQRfpEWCVY/s1600/IMG_8342.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUS9XhoVijvfaO-eBIdq0Do4G1dL7lnWHwkiX_iZ0JyKWHlwyzLzZqChmvxiSoTzfEzuQXbYjVk5eRTX40gzUqOPg1MvTWzoXfDt6mWsK9hCWhl00dCtBCi8AcNVRNpZ9trWQRfpEWCVY/s640/IMG_8342.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div>
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As I did on the Greg Curnoe Bike, I made a fender reinforcer for this one. I actually meant to have have the two bolts on the other side of the stay, but I don't imagine there's any functional difference. It looks fine, too.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCLipRLZSJcBgmEpM7h4mqY28hDLC3ARcHfmUCpnjiiGPK_UXWNZdj485byONnTs2O459jBJZwM9C3cL9PrVdMrZdlNwsNPxiBeRW57rzz-A82AB2gHTlcU-_pemAa4BSVL0RkTDVIUU/s1600/IMG_8359.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOCLipRLZSJcBgmEpM7h4mqY28hDLC3ARcHfmUCpnjiiGPK_UXWNZdj485byONnTs2O459jBJZwM9C3cL9PrVdMrZdlNwsNPxiBeRW57rzz-A82AB2gHTlcU-_pemAa4BSVL0RkTDVIUU/s640/IMG_8359.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Man oh man oh man oh man do I like this Mavic derailleur. It works as well as the 7400 Dura Ace, but it's built with that Mavic over-the-topness, and it looks amazing. I took advantage of the fact that one can totally take these apart and rebuild them (no rivets!) to disassemble it and remove the anodizing. Thus all the shine. This is a NOS derailleur, being used for the first time now. The cassette is a 13-24 Shimano Uniglide 6-speed that I found (along with a bunch of others; I have a massive stash now) a couple of years ago, unused, at a bike co-op. The hub is a XT 6-speed Uniglide mountain bike hub, spaced at 130mm. A really excellent hub. Also, note the cut-out Ritchey dropouts. Filing that shape out was <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.ca/2010/05/dropout-filing-and-reaming-out-seat.html">the very first thing I did</a> in my the shop behind Hoopdriver.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjqSd3jIE9gYxsShUGZWi79fq66AyMYgA0IZaeulRWCYvmNT0zBpLKufuVm7zCWteT5RuUa_DK57pWb7SYkHCwV8krvNw5n8hrLYad0VYzP1ZVm3wt_XCB2f0zaPpgut9RuI7WHiwviM/s1600/IMG_8346.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjqSd3jIE9gYxsShUGZWi79fq66AyMYgA0IZaeulRWCYvmNT0zBpLKufuVm7zCWteT5RuUa_DK57pWb7SYkHCwV8krvNw5n8hrLYad0VYzP1ZVm3wt_XCB2f0zaPpgut9RuI7WHiwviM/s640/IMG_8346.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Olivier added this chain slapguard, made from a spoke. I got the idea from something I saw by Alex Singer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHotzU-_oydE-yL9i0ITclsLlRip3hYEygkx3G5DV-GlvjGTlGVoYG8tx1goKXsHevXLwxMp8bRCo-DksrPu66Ejqg2tXdcbBbPJihRBDDCJ05bYo3QSdzjHsX7C7uE6fgaU_QwDfPGzU/s1600/IMG_8344.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHotzU-_oydE-yL9i0ITclsLlRip3hYEygkx3G5DV-GlvjGTlGVoYG8tx1goKXsHevXLwxMp8bRCo-DksrPu66Ejqg2tXdcbBbPJihRBDDCJ05bYo3QSdzjHsX7C7uE6fgaU_QwDfPGzU/s640/IMG_8344.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The rear light/pump peg/etc.</b></div>
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I got these lovely engraved Mafac "2000" calipers from Mike Barry, probably in about 2006. I stripped the anodizing, leaving them in this beautiful state. Mounted to braze-ons, of course.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6infi_xDs10Wtd68v73sb2MhnDNVWojNnlly18d2ndhltii7YeizguZmQgiN7ptLdoWauUyq188c4IOy4ADosajML1xQI4f1hGFWEwUUCEaUQdHI7Jc_MrBzOVZj7K-KQZjCBMK25Hs/s1600/IMG_8301.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL6infi_xDs10Wtd68v73sb2MhnDNVWojNnlly18d2ndhltii7YeizguZmQgiN7ptLdoWauUyq188c4IOy4ADosajML1xQI4f1hGFWEwUUCEaUQdHI7Jc_MrBzOVZj7K-KQZjCBMK25Hs/s640/IMG_8301.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div>
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There's that nicely filed seat lug again. And more excitingly, the rear light. The shell was taken from an old French taillight Olivier found for me on French eBay, and <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.ca/2009/07/clives-taillight-kermit.html">Olivier and I made the actual light </a>and figured out a way to attach it to the frame. (It's all done through chainring bolts, convenient since they're hollow, and you can pass wires through them.) This is one of the nicest shots, showing lots and lots of little things going on, and working well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxKyxDoazub4kC4nalzYr4vRIA1G6F43NrJvanxuXU6S4KH-hQMHEUNuOiIZdW7vb7cNmdPSerlfAX1hzZjbhcipG624gFrHokCd7AZKiXyv4p_H5dGgOZ1dKwiE5R9OY1i-O5P1lZmc/s1600/IMG_8338.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxKyxDoazub4kC4nalzYr4vRIA1G6F43NrJvanxuXU6S4KH-hQMHEUNuOiIZdW7vb7cNmdPSerlfAX1hzZjbhcipG624gFrHokCd7AZKiXyv4p_H5dGgOZ1dKwiE5R9OY1i-O5P1lZmc/s640/IMG_8338.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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From the other side, you can see the pump peg. Also, the light nicely lit up by the sun...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtRm4sss88R4fv0jBsDfYpQFTE4kHAxJndTAcC6uZRa028kwXuDT_7v1Am5LGm6oUxPI7X5THi3e-IY3zn6W_L8HSr5t_FimXycWLOKpOaGsepXcxYLnPvAuFvykif7QQPRDUnzSWdkM/s1600/IMG_8306.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtRm4sss88R4fv0jBsDfYpQFTE4kHAxJndTAcC6uZRa028kwXuDT_7v1Am5LGm6oUxPI7X5THi3e-IY3zn6W_L8HSr5t_FimXycWLOKpOaGsepXcxYLnPvAuFvykif7QQPRDUnzSWdkM/s640/IMG_8306.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The stem cap switch.</b></div>
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The biggest source of stress for me was figuring how to make this stem cap switch work. It's a pretty simple idea (it makes a lot of sense to be able to turn your light on and off from there, especially since that's a spot that's not used for anything else), but really quite complicated to implement. I got the idea from Jan Heine, but unlike him I wanted to use a threadless steerer, just to make things slightly less complex. The downside to my arrangement is that I can't adjust the headset without taking the switch out, so it needs to be set up perfectly the first time. (Naturally, I've already had to take it apart a few times.) Olivier made the beautiful cap itself. I did all the wiring, which required a lot of forethought, but wasn't really all that tough. One of my favourite things about this bike is that the lighting circuit is grounded through the frame—the steel is actually part of the circuit—the frame is alive with electricity!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46NvyBiohS1QTmAikNRE9ProDun-Tgq5dJBSqmK3y0-w67Jj8tvXG7SLS9G_KFnWCU0nIvoxRgqHVZR6Ax2RMDDQDMh09d1ppqRwCpWJcH47iFI7C2MhsM4uf9VxVkvj6YAaToFZzQk0/s1600/IMG_8320.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj46NvyBiohS1QTmAikNRE9ProDun-Tgq5dJBSqmK3y0-w67Jj8tvXG7SLS9G_KFnWCU0nIvoxRgqHVZR6Ax2RMDDQDMh09d1ppqRwCpWJcH47iFI7C2MhsM4uf9VxVkvj6YAaToFZzQk0/s640/IMG_8320.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Without going into all sorts of detail, this is the switch and the little machined plastic piece that keeps it in place. (It all needs to be knocked a few centimeters into the steerer, so that the switch stem sticks out only slightly.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_Zto7-yPTCcFCGoifX7jXKGV1qJri2baoSqSheMfFakzSu2FCWxEjMBDQfNfJzFyDMVYwEUoowrFWZ9fSiEX9NLGglm1QoHugQLAM3mTKTlVsw6MssQYBYAsmstwZ0v5MNFlsQrzYFc/s1600/IMG_8275.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY_Zto7-yPTCcFCGoifX7jXKGV1qJri2baoSqSheMfFakzSu2FCWxEjMBDQfNfJzFyDMVYwEUoowrFWZ9fSiEX9NLGglm1QoHugQLAM3mTKTlVsw6MssQYBYAsmstwZ0v5MNFlsQrzYFc/s640/IMG_8275.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The switch has six positions, which I've set up for off-on-off-on-off-on. Here is one of the three "on" positions.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-UGfc5130Z42AUoUBOWjpUvVAi2HFeDA_NyEErNC2QF2YVoRlzd_0c8dcudpW3hgTZg6WnKKQoPo0LZOpCin1Srtf29AcPCPTtqIsbqOBzvBZVKPUxqSkYZZcGARWbMMpRiREyvABD4/s1600/IMG_8321.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-UGfc5130Z42AUoUBOWjpUvVAi2HFeDA_NyEErNC2QF2YVoRlzd_0c8dcudpW3hgTZg6WnKKQoPo0LZOpCin1Srtf29AcPCPTtqIsbqOBzvBZVKPUxqSkYZZcGARWbMMpRiREyvABD4/s640/IMG_8321.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here is proof that it all works.</div>
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AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-71404053814534901512012-10-12T10:24:00.002-04:002012-10-12T10:24:32.846-04:00Marcel in the Flesh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well it did end up being a rather long time, didn't it!</div>
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I'm afraid I am again in a rush, and won't have time to provide my long-overdue explanation of the name "BIS" and its logo. I will merely say that, unfortunately, everyone thinks the logo says "B.S." because I insisted on wrapping the "I" over the top the downtube.</div>
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I will also say that I think Marcel looks absolutely incredible, and that Olivier's work here (most of the frame, the rack, décaleur, and stem) is truly wonderful—beautiful and also very functional. Noah's paint, as usual, is exceptional.</div>
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More photos as the build progresses!</div>
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AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-85640059647113393322012-05-10T16:25:00.000-04:002012-05-10T18:46:25.227-04:00Meet Marcel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Oh dear, sweet blog, what a long time it has been.<br />
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The catastrophe that has struck me is best described as the onset of adult life. I finished my Ph.D., ceased being a grad student, and have begun teaching. On the balance I can say that the adult world is what I expected it to be—which is why I was so studiously avoiding it.<br />
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I did however find some things to get obsessed with and preoccupied by in the adult world. And since, in the true spirit of obsessiveness, I get truly obsessed with my obsessions, I have had almost no time for bicycles in the last year—either riding them or building them. But the teaching year is now over, and so it's time to make a slight return.<br />
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Let me begin by catching you up. In December, my shop partner Olivier and I learned that, alas, our shop space was being reclaimed. This was no surprise, as I wasn't using it at all, and the space was needed for other things. So since December I have been shopless. Not so Olivier, who had a perfect little space in his recently-purchased house, and moved the stuff in there. He has been <a href="http://cycleops-into.blogspot.ca/">building away</a> ever since.<br />
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He said he needed a project, and I was more than happy to give him one. Since 2007 (yes, that is <i>five years ago</i>) I have been trying to get a randonneur built. I have had all the parts—TA cranks, Schmidt hubs, Mavic derailleurs, and so on and so on—in my closet for each of those five years. I placed orders with two separate custom builders, each of which look quite a long time to not work out. Then I tried making the randonneur myself (he was called "Adam Jr." in this state), but I messed up the BB drop, and so Adam Jr. became Jocelyn Lovell Bike. Then I got caught up in Greg Curnoe bike; and then I got caught up in the aforementioned adult life. Thus the project passed on to Olivier, who has done an absolutely superb job of it. (I should add that what took two professionals and myself five years to not complete took Olivier about one week to finish.)<br />
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This bike is a "collaboration," which is another reason to like it. I built the fork, "investment-stamped" the lugs, shaped them and then filed them. Olivier did most of the work: everything else, including the frame, a front rack, a stem, and a décaleur.<br />
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I have named the bike Marcel, to reflect this spirit of collaboration. Marcel Proust, you see, is one of <i>my</i> favourite writers. He is also French, like any good randonneur. The name of his great work, <i>In Search of Lost Time</i>, sounds like it could be the title of a time trialist's autobiography, which adds to the fun. It so happens that <i>Olivier</i>, whose first language is French, has among his surnames "Proulx," which is a nice North American relative of Proust's surname.<br />
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So: Marcel. Let's have a look at him.<br />
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One of many "constructeur" glory-shots: the little area where the taillight light braze-on mount meets the seat tube pump peg. God Bless you, Olivier! (Amusing side note: it was no fewer than <i>three years ago</i> that Olivier and I built the taillight that will screw in to that hole [at the time, it was to screw in to a bike named Clive.] <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.ca/2009/07/clives-taillight-kermit.html">I named the light Kermit</a>.)<br />
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Olivier's lovely curved SS bridge, between Mafac bosses almost centred on the stays.<br />
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Olivier's equally lovely stem. Some things that I did in this shot: I put a fun shape into the handlebar clamp and I prepped and filed those beautiful Cinelli CS lugs. I hardly modified their basic bird-beak shape. The more I look at and think about lugged bikes, the more I think that is <i>the proper lug shape.</i><br />
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Olivier's extremely elegant front rack, with extra-simple and extra-beautiful internal routing. It mounts to the Mafac bosses on the fork, which I made long ago, and whose inarguable loveliness is largely the result of fork blades bent by John Medclay.<br />
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I just love Olivier's way of attaching stays: strong, light, and leaves the stays at a perfect spacing for Mafac bosses. A great hanger, too. I didn't go crazy with lug-filing; just made things reasonably even. (I've photographed this bike from the non-drive side, incidentally, for Greg Curnoe-related reasons; and no, I won't use that Sugino post, whose flutes are unfortunately too long.)<br />
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Oh, say! What's that? New logos? A new name? "Bis"? Lots of lines and dots? What is all that about?<br />
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All questions answered in the next post, which will, I promise, arrive in fewer than nine months.AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-27977207823628424572011-10-02T18:12:00.000-04:002011-10-02T18:12:50.847-04:00Paul Butler's "The Greg Curnoe Bike Project" at the AGO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJPGn2c97FqQ3wcgY5xJIha4NHW29Zs3M4Wbn1mx2pDldGC8nDajIhlukeV1v0Cd8xBKYtDluP9e-6zgLVZovhL87M4R1XS-R35-G_m2a1B9eoHduqh9Evf546fWk6vHXnZnB5_TgzSU/s1600/closetheartlifesplit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJPGn2c97FqQ3wcgY5xJIha4NHW29Zs3M4Wbn1mx2pDldGC8nDajIhlukeV1v0Cd8xBKYtDluP9e-6zgLVZovhL87M4R1XS-R35-G_m2a1B9eoHduqh9Evf546fWk6vHXnZnB5_TgzSU/s640/closetheartlifesplit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.ago.net/paul-butler-the-greg-curnoe-bicycle-project">Paul Butler's Greg Curnoe Bike Project</a> is under way at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and runs until November 13th.<br />
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For my own totally different Greg Curnoe Bike project, completed last spring, read <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.com/2011/05/close-artlife-split-etc-statement-of.html">my artistic statement</a> and <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.com/2011/05/greg-curnoe-bike-vs-real-world-first.html">look at photos</a>.AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-53821067470282360092011-09-11T15:19:00.000-04:002011-09-11T15:19:58.232-04:00Gaudi Bike, Step 1; and Bikes and Guitars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jeFmNz7D-OvZMARhWbLjRMVNsJmgDpv6kpKeCs5skaQMToA1vBmQmkI1u0HytLG-zRQPuPuVydwUYdkd0YyalOi2LanFCaJd4lRhm6wxaZ0PlupV5O7MdK4ZLJDgRUXxmZbVdwZUHTo/s1600/IMG_7841.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0jeFmNz7D-OvZMARhWbLjRMVNsJmgDpv6kpKeCs5skaQMToA1vBmQmkI1u0HytLG-zRQPuPuVydwUYdkd0YyalOi2LanFCaJd4lRhm6wxaZ0PlupV5O7MdK4ZLJDgRUXxmZbVdwZUHTo/s640/IMG_7841.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Yesterday I took the very first step for the next bike, which I am calling for now by the dramatic title "Gaudi Bike." This first step was putting brass in the transitions of some a stamped Cinelli CS lugset to begin my "investment stamped" process—a sort of time-waster that allows me to do nice silver-brazing on old, long-pointed lugs. The seatlug (which has a reinforced binder, also) looks a bit a double-beaked baby bird asking for a meal. I have kept my framebuilding hobby "starved" for the past while; it is hungry!<br />
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Below is a photo taken in the same room as the above, my living room:<br />
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For a long time I've been meaning to put up a post about bikes and (mostly Fender) electric guitars—relatively simple, often colourful devices whose designs came to maturity in the post-war years and have mostly changed, if at all, for the worse. I'll actually write that post some day—but for now, this accidental juxtaposition of my Sonic Blue Fender Classic Player 60s Strat (the 2006 model with the AY-signed pickups, a phenomenally nice Mexican-made guitar) and Jocelyn Lovell Bike sort of makes my point for me. (Yes, I did design the Lovell paint scheme around this guitar -- including the slightly green white on the headtube, to match the "mint" pickguard! But the blues are a bit different.)AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-31571970469634049392011-09-04T12:54:00.003-04:002011-09-04T12:56:55.361-04:00What I Learned on My Summer VacationThis has been the busiest summer of my life. In addition to finishing and defending my thesis, I've had to deal with the downside of thesis-completion—finding a job—and then preparing to do that job. (I'm teaching a course at the University of Toronto. It's the first time the course has ever been offered before, so I had to develop the entire syllabus from the ground up.)<br />
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All of this was made even more challenging by the fact that I had a long-planned vacation set up for August—I had to squeeze a year's worth of work into three months. But the vacation was wonderful. And while I did almost no framebuilding this summer, I did get a lot of ideas while I was away. Here is a cycling-themed summary of my summer vacation.<br />
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After spending a few quiet weeks in Poland, I went to London—where my visit happened to coincide with the London-Surrey Cycling Classic, whose start I was able to see. I was hoping to mingle with the riders before the start, but security was tight. No Tom Boonen autograph, I'm afraid—but if you squint, you can see him in the Belgian colours at the front of the pack. Cycling-wise, London reminded me a lot of Toronto: lots of fixed gears, some reasonably nice; generally cycling-unfriendly streets...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWH8o4hWCHTWqsFqrnvb81zANVFUCr1_H5c9jggCp7eDtR_n2vQVD901GCfCLpMuR7WOkSR7q5fiv63VYWylMG2BShT7Xmrs3UvK0hBJmXbw1Exahyphenhyphen1En5p3e0yOiYhM5XW-XmpxWrkA/s1600/P8151239.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWH8o4hWCHTWqsFqrnvb81zANVFUCr1_H5c9jggCp7eDtR_n2vQVD901GCfCLpMuR7WOkSR7q5fiv63VYWylMG2BShT7Xmrs3UvK0hBJmXbw1Exahyphenhyphen1En5p3e0yOiYhM5XW-XmpxWrkA/s640/P8151239.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I made my first visit to the Netherlands, which I found generally less amazing than most bicycle-loving Torontonians do. I think the Dutch bikes in Toronto are nicer than the Dutch bikes I saw in Rotterdam, which mostly looked like mountain bikes. But I was suitably impressed with the separated bike lanes, and it was exciting to walk across the Erasmus Bridge, where the 2010 Tour de France started.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZvNvgpIgybVfb2VCTrEtETPKJymgAZsEqqKb5GtfW_c0G0iAtvdZbuMpakue7YkHkUD1ALvHj0gc8Bfyd9QPpEN1nSJwBbxAv_LplF_Fa41758bmTa5jDIXS97T3kY2fzFySdZWCBSA/s1600/P8161271.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZvNvgpIgybVfb2VCTrEtETPKJymgAZsEqqKb5GtfW_c0G0iAtvdZbuMpakue7YkHkUD1ALvHj0gc8Bfyd9QPpEN1nSJwBbxAv_LplF_Fa41758bmTa5jDIXS97T3kY2fzFySdZWCBSA/s640/P8161271.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I couldn't help but be impressed by Flanders. Commuting cyclists get excited about the Netherlands; racing fans get excited about Belgium. I was hoping to bump into Tom Boonen in his home region, but failed again. I bought a copy of <i>Het Laatste Niews, </i>the Antwerp-based newspaper with the excellent sports section, despite my complete lack of Flemish.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLqmy-c0zXD0pxC1sneU_zGk6CI6JFumx4HkcQ8yoEGJRSm9PyT5d2e9jsxuMvCRN7H_KH3-UpKqMeQl6Kykn-lGouwjeWIoH9NPYSHc7cq5n7uvNHXI9X-oFj6rNRMcIP8yWSE8c55E/s1600/P8281534.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLqmy-c0zXD0pxC1sneU_zGk6CI6JFumx4HkcQ8yoEGJRSm9PyT5d2e9jsxuMvCRN7H_KH3-UpKqMeQl6Kykn-lGouwjeWIoH9NPYSHc7cq5n7uvNHXI9X-oFj6rNRMcIP8yWSE8c55E/s640/P8281534.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
By far the most educational stop was Barcelona. I was impressed not by the bicycles, but rather—like every other tourist in Barcelona—by the Gaudi buildings. And Gaudi gave me some very good bike ideas. This is because he is the most incredible <i>constructeur</i> ever. I was particularly floored by the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau_G%C3%BCell"> Palau Güell</a>—which is less colourful and crazy than most Gaudi buildings, but was designed from the ground up, and is really conceived as a whole, with every tiny detail (and there are, at least, millions of little details) fitting into the larger project. My favourite parts were the secret hallways above the guest rooms to permit spying; the handmade furniture, wrought-iron, and hardware fittings; and the incredible central dome around which every room on every floor is built. I was so impressed with the Palau Güell that I forgot to take any pictures. Above is a picture of the chimneys of the nearby Casa Batlló, which has charms of its own. I very much like the idea of decorating something luridly functional like a chimney: it would be fun to do something similar with fenders or mudflaps...<br />
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I am going to set aside at least one day a week for framebuilding this fall. I have a number of projects in mind—the first of which may well be called Gaudi Bike!AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-25031596732520134692011-07-11T11:17:00.002-04:002011-07-11T11:20:28.177-04:00The World's Nicest Carbon Frame Could Be Yours!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kWDdjjWas7rVbj3BWqCoHpHCp8ZJmJIBVgwqhjJ43BCoACW7fAiWfOpJHz3XGygSHr4fK13LEupq0vDznLTpGIlUCFrqBVJPhhyphenhyphenWhGwXJ4_-BJHXA-X3-4tRqT-y-T0DEeYF9jHyA2E/s1600/pinarello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6kWDdjjWas7rVbj3BWqCoHpHCp8ZJmJIBVgwqhjJ43BCoACW7fAiWfOpJHz3XGygSHr4fK13LEupq0vDznLTpGIlUCFrqBVJPhhyphenhyphenWhGwXJ4_-BJHXA-X3-4tRqT-y-T0DEeYF9jHyA2E/s640/pinarello.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i>Nice</i> in two senses. First sense: Noah Rosen of Velocolour, painter of all my frames, did an elaborate and stunning paint job, inspired by his childhood love of pinball. (If there was a soundtrack to this bicycle, it would obviously draw heavily on <i>Tommy.</i>) Second sense: this frame is being auctioned to support the charity <a href="http://www.righttoplay.com/International/Pages/Home.aspx">Right to Play</a>, which helps disadvantaged children in their efforts to play and have fun (a worthy cause!)<br />
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It's good-looking and it does good work. It's a very <i>nice</i> frame.<br />
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This project was put together by Michael Barry Jr., one of Canada's finest cyclists and the son of Mike Barry of Mariposa fame, Noah, and Pinarello. Michael and Noah jointly came up with the pinball idea; and Noah painted the frame, which Pinarello donated. If you're in the market for a fabulous and unique bicycle frame, and you're looking to support a good cause, go to <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320723860463#ht_4932wt_1030">the eBay auction</a>. It ends in four days.<br />
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Also: Michael Barry Jr. is writing <a href="http://themes.thestar.com/page/tourdefrance">articles for <i>The Toronto Star</i></a> during the Tour de France, which are well worth checking out. His <a href="http://michaelbarry.ca/2011/06/organizers-%E2%80%94-and-riders-%E2%80%94-need-to-take-responsibility-for-race-safety/">recent blog post on rider safety</a> is a brave and intelligent reflection on a worsening problem.AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-51974821117771180512011-07-09T19:42:00.000-04:002011-07-09T19:42:19.312-04:00Back In The Shop, Etc.Where have I been and what have I been doing for the last month and a half? I have been to Victoria and to Edmonton for conferences; I have turned thirty and celebrated Canada Day; and I have defended my thesis. (<b>DR</b>.A.HAMMOND cycles now, my friends.) I have <i>not</i> been riding my bike very much, I'm afraid, and I haven't been in to the shop at all.<br />
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Until today, that is. It's been <i>months</i> since I've done any brazing—but apparently making bicycles is like riding them. It all went perfectly well. My friend Cory has a Surly that he wants to convert into a fendered city bike. I thought adding a bunch of braze-ons would be a good way to reacquaint myself with the torch. Here are some photos. (Cory is my kind of guy: he drilled all the holes for me, and outlined all the positions with a Sharpie, and wrote exactly what braze-on he wanted where.)<br />
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The above photo is the only one that warrants commentary. That's one of those brake-retainer-things for the Nexus front drum brake Cory's going to use. Normally it clamps on; but I've chopped it up, given it a shape (more shaping to follow) and turned it onto a braze-on, which I will braze on when I'm in the shop again, next week. (One comment about the other photos: I used brass for everything except the internal brake cable housing entries/exits. And no flux has yet been removed, and nothing cleaned up.)<br />
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I'll be out on another Zoo ride on the Curnoe bike tomorrow. My love of routine and habit means there is a limit to how many ride reports I can make. But I will soon post photos of Curnoe bike, two months into his life. And I do hope to ride to London soon, to visit Curnoe's former studio.AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-76855076674339362722011-05-21T21:15:00.002-04:002011-05-21T22:22:23.085-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Does the Zoo Ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiu7FMtbM-3m__ajsCBGMyJ_cio5tgKqRBiO0p1FqJthB_-pvql99d7PlGh89Tkn5MahklVdqsBBER2WVa-tPpmO83NoZvF5FHWr74X00SY7vIK2R-R6xd8NZOh3H8LXC4hA2dwW2PiY/s1600/P1010043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYiu7FMtbM-3m__ajsCBGMyJ_cio5tgKqRBiO0p1FqJthB_-pvql99d7PlGh89Tkn5MahklVdqsBBER2WVa-tPpmO83NoZvF5FHWr74X00SY7vIK2R-R6xd8NZOh3H8LXC4hA2dwW2PiY/s640/P1010043.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The weather has been awful in Toronto for the past week. The day after <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.com/2011/05/greg-curnoe-bike-rides-to-acton.html">my last ride</a>, it started raining; it has hardly stopped since. But today was beautiful, at last, and I made the most of it. As you can see from the above pictured, I lived dangerously. <i>The road was broken, but I risked it.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Curnoe Bike waiting for the Go train at exhibition station. The CN Tower looks on. If you look closely, you will see my new Spécialités TA-made Cinelli water bottle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwD0HISm99jvV6-3v0Gh6VVm-uwo5m6K5-y4rlGqpmBUr0I3sDRMvTpuFpSFDNK_tthu5i7v_bWZ0ZUpgjwiOecSORf6XiynmWkFfIbxbqIZSyUBVRLjKnoXsHRXgWL_u7PRQjiXx3YEc/s1600/P1010027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwD0HISm99jvV6-3v0Gh6VVm-uwo5m6K5-y4rlGqpmBUr0I3sDRMvTpuFpSFDNK_tthu5i7v_bWZ0ZUpgjwiOecSORf6XiynmWkFfIbxbqIZSyUBVRLjKnoXsHRXgWL_u7PRQjiXx3YEc/s640/P1010027.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you were looking extremely closely, you would have noticed that I had my tubular wheelset in place. Here is my spare Czech-made Tufo tire, which I bought while on vacation in the Czech Republic in 2007. (I tried to visit the factory, for some reason, but the day I planned by trip, a wild storm blew in. I took this as a sign and walked around Olomouc.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPG1ZkwH7RntjfcUMmwidM1QynuiJI2hAAGgaLqAyVDfkDlwi9IxmY6zuNIGGVfRZlducGGI5NEoZ7sHuZh-fVPGFPCZJy2sYWiU4MfZrZqcCAgiEoKCDb5smob6t9PvIGeh7BA1zqEdA/s1600/P1010030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPG1ZkwH7RntjfcUMmwidM1QynuiJI2hAAGgaLqAyVDfkDlwi9IxmY6zuNIGGVfRZlducGGI5NEoZ7sHuZh-fVPGFPCZJy2sYWiU4MfZrZqcCAgiEoKCDb5smob6t9PvIGeh7BA1zqEdA/s640/P1010030.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">God bless the Go train. This one took me to Rouge Hill station, in about 40 minutes—enough time to read every section of the Saturday <i>Star</i> that interested me. Then off I went.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg_IqFJ4-NjJJA1hnbyCtoU-hylhWsnBQYXDc9pOXbbQeB2sR9HY8x_yE-V7_IAWjfuJOxAW9N7JoywAahi3yBirUU_QxjHz7TZVOU2loaZWZ9TfjjivZLNHjeIx0gHNbIpK1Akyjq9w/s1600/P1010055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqg_IqFJ4-NjJJA1hnbyCtoU-hylhWsnBQYXDc9pOXbbQeB2sR9HY8x_yE-V7_IAWjfuJOxAW9N7JoywAahi3yBirUU_QxjHz7TZVOU2loaZWZ9TfjjivZLNHjeIx0gHNbIpK1Akyjq9w/s640/P1010055.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The<a href="http://bicyclespecialties.blogspot.com/2008/01/back-to-winter.html"> eponymous Zoo</a>, which is on the very margins of the Greater Toronto Area. Ride a few more minutes and you see...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRCO2BVSNz8ym0Z4DcmVbJQ6G75pTSe32HZgVYNoTX94k2lvM6dyhIV6-ZFhbHSvhxqbj6F7J-MBsfZ0AoJ_jY2XPiSggd8BMVDvJc475ZqvWatF4V4-aJOkgnR1mtT4CKvTA97XXCxU/s1600/P1010032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRCO2BVSNz8ym0Z4DcmVbJQ6G75pTSe32HZgVYNoTX94k2lvM6dyhIV6-ZFhbHSvhxqbj6F7J-MBsfZ0AoJ_jY2XPiSggd8BMVDvJc475ZqvWatF4V4-aJOkgnR1mtT4CKvTA97XXCxU/s640/P1010032.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... beautiful sights like these. (Did I mention it has been raining a lot?) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVgmX9Nkpj6o_UBkFsEIcFm3biC4IrTZdRSVrp9RsCN2nVmPtpMFzeGRb4xsa0C8evQH10ezW3Z8J_Rg0Eg3hpIHAZzvnNmjRQ9iUF6VSTjGLKn0jKacUQGCU8LganV2ZnQ6eOp5yEAA/s1600/P1010037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitVgmX9Nkpj6o_UBkFsEIcFm3biC4IrTZdRSVrp9RsCN2nVmPtpMFzeGRb4xsa0C8evQH10ezW3Z8J_Rg0Eg3hpIHAZzvnNmjRQ9iUF6VSTjGLKn0jKacUQGCU8LganV2ZnQ6eOp5yEAA/s640/P1010037.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But the fun doesn't really start until you hit the gravel—which happened about two seconds after I took this photo. (This ride was about 85km, and I would guess about 35 of them were on gravel.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00M7Xd57koJ22jHWzjUwJ44NRe5VgnZlYHjmVAKGiB6lecBLZV7XBq_qaMZcKPn6U-d3OeJlvxWy6FXi-dWmdlvFIJBKgFlHC0J_vc_xmFoDJag-YlgcYXoumwyABVDz9h409H6ySxI8/s1600/P1010038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00M7Xd57koJ22jHWzjUwJ44NRe5VgnZlYHjmVAKGiB6lecBLZV7XBq_qaMZcKPn6U-d3OeJlvxWy6FXi-dWmdlvFIJBKgFlHC0J_vc_xmFoDJag-YlgcYXoumwyABVDz9h409H6ySxI8/s640/P1010038.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah, the gravel. Empty of cars, and smooth-yet-rutty, so you're kept on your toes. I made Greg Curnoe Bike to ride over roads like this one. His big fat tubulars are designed to soak up the gravel-bumps, and his big orange fenders are designed to deposit stray pellets safely back on the road.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhH8HIpw0BwOumqoNt0Ah3Mfsc4w307Brlizqc4WSfAJaAHLaLs0A2DVwMp1D6q5k84JsiySAn2zvKEs1dk_e19-UIBfz7-wMOs3Wy0lS2RMZBCy7fwMilmBrzdfsgO4YFRuJUe4E7Ls/s1600/P1010040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhH8HIpw0BwOumqoNt0Ah3Mfsc4w307Brlizqc4WSfAJaAHLaLs0A2DVwMp1D6q5k84JsiySAn2zvKEs1dk_e19-UIBfz7-wMOs3Wy0lS2RMZBCy7fwMilmBrzdfsgO4YFRuJUe4E7Ls/s640/P1010040.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Curnoe Bike doing what he was designed to do.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHfXha4EfQUfNhhs1eAyyraGfnh2Ge-BvvqHUU5W-lwhGN7FiU4fJYlYBxzHuYkb57gBP6zcm9SUf5jRmPPyFbewWRaR__C2drmOfiCDTy-PvTKp_P0YsJ_6N2RNswLT7Dtrkv807wkg/s1600/P1010041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaHfXha4EfQUfNhhs1eAyyraGfnh2Ge-BvvqHUU5W-lwhGN7FiU4fJYlYBxzHuYkb57gBP6zcm9SUf5jRmPPyFbewWRaR__C2drmOfiCDTy-PvTKp_P0YsJ_6N2RNswLT7Dtrkv807wkg/s640/P1010041.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picturesque gravel crossroads. (No souls transacted.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqZ1HST04S7kkOlUK9JbB-mU-NTT5m0sxICkBiY9aGbdbnGV1klgm7Qpj0gRBrmdj6CFbZk0aK65DzAqZ8j3_4hOGg7ibsLBhpcQjn6kqwo_qyAUKoO5pkBZlR_WrprO7S18mOoLBgm0/s1600/P1010045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqZ1HST04S7kkOlUK9JbB-mU-NTT5m0sxICkBiY9aGbdbnGV1klgm7Qpj0gRBrmdj6CFbZk0aK65DzAqZ8j3_4hOGg7ibsLBhpcQjn6kqwo_qyAUKoO5pkBZlR_WrprO7S18mOoLBgm0/s640/P1010045.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding flat on gravel is fun, but climbing steep gravel hills is <i>more</i> fun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4XxDWsC-_5K8Endelz6zkt9tsL9Z_NMUy_4tc-VZjTdLPedyfmpnnOtLmcmlnAuXVJxmuQkUKSz80OS8Rw2D2xJG4kgrYft2PSvOfzkMER4CA6von5Q_COPdKFc8WgxXJDdXEOMl4rg/s1600/P1010046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4XxDWsC-_5K8Endelz6zkt9tsL9Z_NMUy_4tc-VZjTdLPedyfmpnnOtLmcmlnAuXVJxmuQkUKSz80OS8Rw2D2xJG4kgrYft2PSvOfzkMER4CA6von5Q_COPdKFc8WgxXJDdXEOMl4rg/s640/P1010046.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What my ride companions (none of whom could make it today, alas) call The Roman Aqueduct.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxzLJbr510256vVVUxt-vM6sa5uJF58GD73YDi7g78NmFiXpoP2UVkRZPR-mn4bbQ9qLdpqRvAYkPFdpjyyFQIWqGCJjXfk0jawtbDg_w-cfXADhxEtqIWt_-ptYtA3T6wwB_rpocLnM/s1600/P1010049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxzLJbr510256vVVUxt-vM6sa5uJF58GD73YDi7g78NmFiXpoP2UVkRZPR-mn4bbQ9qLdpqRvAYkPFdpjyyFQIWqGCJjXfk0jawtbDg_w-cfXADhxEtqIWt_-ptYtA3T6wwB_rpocLnM/s640/P1010049.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shortly after the Aqueduct, there is a really windy, hilly section. I needed a break at the top of the steepest of the climbs. (Note spare tubular hanging somewhat perilously, and the aforementioned Cinelli water bottle [my lugs, remember, are Cinelli CSes].)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDhqB2lldjFJM2D-rFkzefPBAAO9mCbuf7x3wkwS-roiZ4urtcjZmA6BHEN7-I20BUWi-z9f7IE9ALCs_GFdnIQI-aDzWMKMbr1m55oB-ZqUHO35Ej22EG9WwhoXaa1k3SBSWMIVeocw/s1600/P1010050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDhqB2lldjFJM2D-rFkzefPBAAO9mCbuf7x3wkwS-roiZ4urtcjZmA6BHEN7-I20BUWi-z9f7IE9ALCs_GFdnIQI-aDzWMKMbr1m55oB-ZqUHO35Ej22EG9WwhoXaa1k3SBSWMIVeocw/s640/P1010050.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A particularly glorious, rolling, quiet, wooded stretch. The Italians can have their <i>strade bianche.</i> We'll keep our <i>strade marrone.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvq24zbIf0sIG7_BAecr7h2LRzoGxPBYKJvnKINmMKHxEk1oczSeCn0CpbRqSnYoQu4bon3I_f6VMsYp_jve0Heb5vU7jqIJg8ciGEis0D7bYBbSa022z9408yLRCDCIHi2GUwiuBBd8/s1600/P1010051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvq24zbIf0sIG7_BAecr7h2LRzoGxPBYKJvnKINmMKHxEk1oczSeCn0CpbRqSnYoQu4bon3I_f6VMsYp_jve0Heb5vU7jqIJg8ciGEis0D7bYBbSa022z9408yLRCDCIHi2GUwiuBBd8/s640/P1010051.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And so to Goodwood, the traditional resting place. Normally there is a hotly contested sprint for this sign, but today, being alone, I rode by slowly and took this photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFTNeEKE3NMgtE-Ar-BHQCCRziOA5QT0mS2jKUCdZzOXifIL4EfC_neN2B9zehOz7qx7eIzzbKPOre3TAU4LULKj8yejqHwXkpDN6H0c2ggCUbeATtvgbeVMApwPKoc-NsTtXucked7M/s1600/P1010052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFTNeEKE3NMgtE-Ar-BHQCCRziOA5QT0mS2jKUCdZzOXifIL4EfC_neN2B9zehOz7qx7eIzzbKPOre3TAU4LULKj8yejqHwXkpDN6H0c2ggCUbeATtvgbeVMApwPKoc-NsTtXucked7M/s640/P1010052.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wonderful bakery in Goodwood, which provides all necessary motivation when you're struggling on the gravel roads.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazvk2QR3-rubXEYjmu-Omqax1emUnMuLP3hlFvKssata0mhgLZX8JVIaEAMRBi_YlAKYGqofgcvWA1eUqLZND7JCNf5fevYe1AtiFbwDRF_xNI1ituxdnXnsa-NKTLEPuAdqKJYjDgzg/s1600/P1010053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiazvk2QR3-rubXEYjmu-Omqax1emUnMuLP3hlFvKssata0mhgLZX8JVIaEAMRBi_YlAKYGqofgcvWA1eUqLZND7JCNf5fevYe1AtiFbwDRF_xNI1ituxdnXnsa-NKTLEPuAdqKJYjDgzg/s640/P1010053.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More gravel on the ride back to the Go station.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKqxrKGWkT_5T8aEWNkbuI8-KnHRMVQLYALgWkMjJGTNr8CCsFBeecFhjBTn-cNss8hlkaP__aqP682bi1Gtl4QZJdFgIZuNppBfNgljsnP02OD-bUgnT1ozqwKnGalqAFOSysSplXAI/s1600/P1010056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuKqxrKGWkT_5T8aEWNkbuI8-KnHRMVQLYALgWkMjJGTNr8CCsFBeecFhjBTn-cNss8hlkaP__aqP682bi1Gtl4QZJdFgIZuNppBfNgljsnP02OD-bUgnT1ozqwKnGalqAFOSysSplXAI/s640/P1010056.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the train near surprisingly scenic Rouge Hill Station.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Today was an excellent test for Greg Curnoe Bike. Lots of rough road, lots of shaking, lots of climbs. He felt very comfortable, no bolts loosened, I rode quickly—and the rear brake finally stopped squealing. He is very good at his job. (And, yes, more teenagers said nice things about him on the Go ride home.)AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-36160775293557611232011-05-11T16:25:00.001-04:002011-05-11T16:31:43.043-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Rides to Acton<b>First things first: </b>Adam of <a href="http://www.cycleexif.com/">Cycle EXIF</a> gave Greg Curnoe Bike <a href="http://www.cycleexif.com/greg-curnoe-bike#more-4797">an incredible writeup</a> today. <i>Thank you!</i><br />
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Buoyed by this report, naturally he wanted to go for a ride. The weather reports are suggesting rain for this weekend. Since I am working on a research contract this month that stipulates I work 40 hours per week, but does not specify exactly when those 40 hours should be, I decided to give myself the day off and make up the hours on the weekend. I took the Go train from Exhibition to Oakville (happening to meet up with some friendly cycling acquaintances of mine, who were themselves off on a tour to Niagara) and from there rode to Acton. It's one of my favourite rides, and one <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-favourite-ride-oakville-acton.html">I've written about before</a>. Here follows a photo summary of my journey.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV67ma04QZOpK09Li8hGUZalUX08k6uzMBP-GsD7jmXvY1DVCJyxvupGp__ZvDEo3COQFqvsvay3P_m314SuAyCL6hWPNl1GHCvkvZ-6oOoHUOCQtGQIK5Ld07Q7QsiwyHWiS30xp4sjY/s1600/P1010001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV67ma04QZOpK09Li8hGUZalUX08k6uzMBP-GsD7jmXvY1DVCJyxvupGp__ZvDEo3COQFqvsvay3P_m314SuAyCL6hWPNl1GHCvkvZ-6oOoHUOCQtGQIK5Ld07Q7QsiwyHWiS30xp4sjY/s640/P1010001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything a cyclist needs: shoes; gloves; a zip-loc bag filled with Fig Newtons; a bidon; and an Arizona iced tea (stuck in jersey pocket) and newspaper (stuck in front of jersey, à la chilly mountain descent) for the train ride.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZzgeLAZK9HKDmjseQ4LAABYmPq82ZkDUCMty7T9ga4AnzfdM_hWrFIVOXTL1WxMJRI7OKxc4DmZWF0uovRuyV3fz-e1ydTGMN9gALbl7MYXlTyN70nYH_Xm2N1dPhaeLwo17Pbt4Mck/s1600/P1010004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZzgeLAZK9HKDmjseQ4LAABYmPq82ZkDUCMty7T9ga4AnzfdM_hWrFIVOXTL1WxMJRI7OKxc4DmZWF0uovRuyV3fz-e1ydTGMN9gALbl7MYXlTyN70nYH_Xm2N1dPhaeLwo17Pbt4Mck/s640/P1010004.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was an incredibly strong east wind (an unusual one) today, and it pushed me quickly west along Britannia Road toward southern Ontario's diminutive "mountain range," the Niagara Escarpment, slightly visible in the distance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNSKAZI4xsBGLs8FuzXq-SuKGtuNECrWtPi51tRIRQGdxCnWqaNv_QpzSnCZG0QfhjLttQYYKxjOqQyDLRMU27e-Tr9QUEtkphMqKl0iaCDeCT8XG_tyusL8YVfa36heQgxqUOOFsGz0/s1600/P1010005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguNSKAZI4xsBGLs8FuzXq-SuKGtuNECrWtPi51tRIRQGdxCnWqaNv_QpzSnCZG0QfhjLttQYYKxjOqQyDLRMU27e-Tr9QUEtkphMqKl0iaCDeCT8XG_tyusL8YVfa36heQgxqUOOFsGz0/s640/P1010005.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rattlesnake point climb, which is deadly (pun) to ride up, but which looks quite tame when photographed. It's <i>Valkenburgy</i>, I swear.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jxb625_wDqK4dOULz604oy1uhTsYewgpSfzHpPw9begqHCksmXDJ3PqQIDqDOWGv6zPGD0VVb9T3OyN2cvHz6Jn_OYthygpsDZAyqOpAnMljyYZ2QEDxw7xvguexUXyhqTqlGcdGHKk/s1600/P1010007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jxb625_wDqK4dOULz604oy1uhTsYewgpSfzHpPw9begqHCksmXDJ3PqQIDqDOWGv6zPGD0VVb9T3OyN2cvHz6Jn_OYthygpsDZAyqOpAnMljyYZ2QEDxw7xvguexUXyhqTqlGcdGHKk/s640/P1010007.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On top of the Escarpment, having recovered enough strength to fetch my sweaty Olympus point-and-shoot from my jersey pocket.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJz7rh_iMI2bbZdKPeHNV3vwYSe1Py1YPwI7iRqCSrP1Ufhr4VF4Kwg0ibHLLRwxJzpN0klYj7oTGNyD-fNAimOYBRtUdCpXe7ddfrUWU3jZipXhR9VquxVxN5d1OGfC07i4nDIsYQs58/s1600/P1010010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJz7rh_iMI2bbZdKPeHNV3vwYSe1Py1YPwI7iRqCSrP1Ufhr4VF4Kwg0ibHLLRwxJzpN0klYj7oTGNyD-fNAimOYBRtUdCpXe7ddfrUWU3jZipXhR9VquxVxN5d1OGfC07i4nDIsYQs58/s640/P1010010.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Escarpment looks a bit more impressive from the other side. Residents of mountainous regions will be amused that we employ bumps like these as pretexts for ski hills. In the foreground, idyllic Highway 401.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjqJfZIkF2aoTXi0Cml9Jyzy3Qoj2mGBE0hO3lYM_EKKQkVqF9OdYncUkInkuGVu8Xh58Ketu7tG2Cb5V5KqLQt-FvR6DVn-4DyMXMGQURcGibpATQh8oYDsG-PKuQUUIOWyydlrLQEg/s1600/P1010011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjqJfZIkF2aoTXi0Cml9Jyzy3Qoj2mGBE0hO3lYM_EKKQkVqF9OdYncUkInkuGVu8Xh58Ketu7tG2Cb5V5KqLQt-FvR6DVn-4DyMXMGQURcGibpATQh8oYDsG-PKuQUUIOWyydlrLQEg/s640/P1010011.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having climbed the Escarpment a second time, Greg Curnoe Bike leans himself a pole and waits as I relieve myself.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcWFZ3N8-ehhe6-MLyaAL4UOTqBm5osrMC3oxH9jJYmbRGbyCBbwPlZ5XUBypfX1174uTmr-xOT8o5BO-gXUP6SjSNUEz3_bvsUAPmd_KoOnReBN5vKHiJES_wrNQ7qU4smTliEuUXpg/s1600/P1010012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcWFZ3N8-ehhe6-MLyaAL4UOTqBm5osrMC3oxH9jJYmbRGbyCBbwPlZ5XUBypfX1174uTmr-xOT8o5BO-gXUP6SjSNUEz3_bvsUAPmd_KoOnReBN5vKHiJES_wrNQ7qU4smTliEuUXpg/s640/P1010012.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picturesque swamp that sits atop the Escarpment.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTw2R9icW_eck_HV6pZA7uz3A_nBkVzf3pVweWfGxWk6iGTZxx1faKuuq9EFdQ4YsF9zu-wJKdqkfHwJ_oDO7EE6oFC7BUrrV-bvwkudJGY23ZhD-RPPsNRYcsjnfTZJ7gu5vSfEDE26Y/s1600/P1010013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTw2R9icW_eck_HV6pZA7uz3A_nBkVzf3pVweWfGxWk6iGTZxx1faKuuq9EFdQ4YsF9zu-wJKdqkfHwJ_oDO7EE6oFC7BUrrV-bvwkudJGY23ZhD-RPPsNRYcsjnfTZJ7gu5vSfEDE26Y/s640/P1010013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the day that the Giro peloton dealt with the <i>strade bianche</i>, I rode this one <i>strada bianca</i> and wished for more...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJP-mNLUZPKUDakagOGdC2Z56SA1oHPZo5CB1VWRlvjCHahspADB8PTHQe4emKWNtEVtEqmtXw7qIRAiXLGHCBkORdE6kVSOqsz5pHk9uRPf8Y0trwbhlpsnFsMJgfmjd8wEUiCVMskA/s1600/P1010018_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJP-mNLUZPKUDakagOGdC2Z56SA1oHPZo5CB1VWRlvjCHahspADB8PTHQe4emKWNtEVtEqmtXw7qIRAiXLGHCBkORdE6kVSOqsz5pHk9uRPf8Y0trwbhlpsnFsMJgfmjd8wEUiCVMskA/s640/P1010018_2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed a Cherry Coke on a bench opposite one of Acton's principal attractions, The Needle Gnome (apartment for rent!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistNT4NCo_6CpImzrz13DK4bJBL2Bld4i3PIXahIXblwNXvjexEo1HZjtLXFntnSwGGZ0oGUSy0rrPUQ0CxWkDVPjJTx5tAxRQuQOmzz-PsgrX7JV5XxEsHZ6TrYuvANlLB4SAajIZEVY/s1600/P1010019_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistNT4NCo_6CpImzrz13DK4bJBL2Bld4i3PIXahIXblwNXvjexEo1HZjtLXFntnSwGGZ0oGUSy0rrPUQ0CxWkDVPjJTx5tAxRQuQOmzz-PsgrX7JV5XxEsHZ6TrYuvANlLB4SAajIZEVY/s640/P1010019_2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And so I began the somewhat less interesting return journey, fighting the wind, and spending lots of time looking down at all the pleasant triangles visible from the "cockpit."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA387T8M6cPMcIWLAU4_ZCTxMhVVDxhG-UphDqfoNGdErBWM9_x1gO4VhueYm29dCMfohgIArrediQdVC-YIizyh-kdrDb_44Zm76tuzYwiyMiOjq5J6HwXXDRclfje73r6oZekRfcBdY/s1600/P1010020_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA387T8M6cPMcIWLAU4_ZCTxMhVVDxhG-UphDqfoNGdErBWM9_x1gO4VhueYm29dCMfohgIArrediQdVC-YIizyh-kdrDb_44Zm76tuzYwiyMiOjq5J6HwXXDRclfje73r6oZekRfcBdY/s640/P1010020_2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upon my return to Oakville, I was dismayed to see that my favourite Tim Horton's was under construction—but most relieved to see this "Mobile Store" parked nearby. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFyYjEw0cqlPHnGXsWbQizkZijIwoW18jEwvRb9xVwzGfMPNlkFf3d9PL-c73LJyRR1Ctktw5vlbTeyuUVxaVPr0RstQubY7MNadU6TK371wlRbt9n26einMpdEa1qYXk9P86AbhyphenhyphenJ1o/s1600/P1010021_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFyYjEw0cqlPHnGXsWbQizkZijIwoW18jEwvRb9xVwzGfMPNlkFf3d9PL-c73LJyRR1Ctktw5vlbTeyuUVxaVPr0RstQubY7MNadU6TK371wlRbt9n26einMpdEa1qYXk9P86AbhyphenhyphenJ1o/s640/P1010021_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I parked Greg Curnoe Bike against a Tim Horton's garbage bin, with his front wheel held in place by a construction beacon. In this art vs. life battle, life is presenting a formidable challenge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Thus ended the ride. I had no mechanical issues this time—Greg Curnoe Bike rode like the oft-mentioned "dream." I'm not in great shape, so I didn't whizz up the climbs, but I certainly did no worse than usual. I think the most important mechanical determinants of a good or bad ride are: the gears you use (the 40-24 small gear was fine, so that worked); your saddle (I like the Flite); your pedals and shoes (thank you Ultegra pedals and older Sidi road shoes); your brakes (the brazed-on Mafacs work exceptionally... though still a bit of squeal from the rear brake); the position of the handlebars relative to the saddle (6cm below, check, and I like that the hoods sit lower with non-aero levers—one more position.) Few of these things depend on the actual frame, though some do. As a "whole," Greg Curnoe Bike is ideally adapted to sort of fast, rolling, approximately 100km rides that I prefer.<br />
<br />
I thought often of Wouter Weylandt today. I really liked him as a cyclist. It's awful when things like this happen. My thoughts to his family, friends, and teammates.AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-74236694860310066462011-05-08T13:37:00.006-04:002011-05-10T13:00:01.686-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike vs. the Real World: The First Five Days<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdI1VouwVCx_irbyqxVb0W5T_-vDPLapzffY7zN8AuuvV0c4qzXvZGxMHh1qYP1Yzs9BeJiQkA-BP9_6zHXFLiLVBgICXU9vLvSwqO4ZMW9yV_rnFL0X0MZ5oRQO8CqrTYr_3S_4Z4AUU/s1600/IMG_7619.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdI1VouwVCx_irbyqxVb0W5T_-vDPLapzffY7zN8AuuvV0c4qzXvZGxMHh1qYP1Yzs9BeJiQkA-BP9_6zHXFLiLVBgICXU9vLvSwqO4ZMW9yV_rnFL0X0MZ5oRQO8CqrTYr_3S_4Z4AUU/s640/IMG_7619.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>You have all been extremely patient with me and my logorrheic, overly theoretical tendencies in the last five days. Remember that I have just submitted a PhD dissertation in English Literature, and I have all sorts of garbage stored away in the darkest corners of my mind. This needs to be dealt with one way or another. In any case, I will reward you here with lots of photos and some amusing stories. First the stories, which I encourage you to scroll past if you're not in the mood, and then the photos.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>DAY 1: THE FIRST PHOTO SHOOT</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>My attempt to take nice photos of Greg Curnoe Bike perfectly illustrate the rivalry I described between ordered, harmonious art and chaotic, unpredictable life.<br />
<br />
I woke up early on Wednesday morning and headed immediately for Vistek, a big photo supply store on Queen East, quite far away from my house. I went there to buy a 107"-wide white backdrop, which I intended to use to create a studio-esque effect for my pictures. What I had not counted on what just how long 107 inches are. When the salesperson brought out the massive cardboard box I immediately saw what a bind I was in. I had planned on taking it home via streetcar and two subways. I wasn't sure it would fit in the doors; and if it did, I wasn't sure the drivers would let me in. The saleswoman told me, "Don't even think of taking it in the subway. As for streetcars, you know the TTC. Depends on their mood." I hoped I'd find someone in a good mood. A two hour walk home, with an object similar in size and shape to one half of a cross borne over my shoulder, was not at all appealing.<br />
<br />
The driver of the Queen streetcar was not in a good mood. He said "No way" when I approached the door and before I said a word. I waited for the next streetcar and met a similar response. I decided I might have better luck a block south on King Street, whose streetcars are less busy. The kind driver said, "Sure, just don't hurt anyone," which I did not, since the streetcar was completely empty. I laid the nine-foot-long box along the floor.<br />
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I was lucky with the driver of the Bathurst car also—the car that would take me north to my street. It too was empty at King Street, and I was again told just not to hurt anyone. I laid it along the floor again. Unfortunately, at the next stop, about fifty people got on. Old women were tripping over the box; a teenager stepped on it deiantly; I had to help a woman lift her baby carriage over top of it. After a few more stops, the streetcar was completely packed. By the time I got to Bloor I had made many enemies and just about destroyed the box. But I was home.<br />
<br />
It was now 11 o'clock. The forecast had called for partial cloudiness, and after a sunny morning, the clouds had rolled in. The lighting was perfect and I wanted to get my photos while it lasted. I told my roommate, who was slated to be my photographic assistant, to get ready ready ASAP. I could see blue sky in the distance.<br />
<br />
In a hurry we walked the half block to the schoolyard whose tennis court I intended to use as a makeshift studio. I tacked the massive piece of paper to the backboard as quickly as I could, rolled it out, and frantically set up my new tripod (purchased that morning.) I wanted to move it as far back as possible, to get the odd collapsed perspective of Curnoe's print. But before I could do that, the wind—which had not introduced itself at all to that point—started blowing. The wind is a familiar enemy to any cyclist, and it reared its ugly head here. I chose my logo—the one from BLAST—partly because it's derived from a nautical symbol meaning "a gale from the north" (for Wyndham Lewis and the Vorticists, a BLAST of creative energy from Northern Europe). This seemed like an appropriate image for a northern cyclist who struggles with northern wind, and who proposed to send most of his creativity southwards. Appropriately, the gale that was disturbing my photo shoot was coming from the north.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGPpOXmj42DxAdGqatHA6oQvOu1ILHjRl9IG-9HOsKcI_lrjw6J-JhGFqFjl6zRXV6U29bopL-eIj5JYlldTftQFtkFt2qQkdsHlyH16kAt6ylZDGdXipXRmP8mvTMUvgnUpy5i_oCZY/s1600/IMG_7542.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGPpOXmj42DxAdGqatHA6oQvOu1ILHjRl9IG-9HOsKcI_lrjw6J-JhGFqFjl6zRXV6U29bopL-eIj5JYlldTftQFtkFt2qQkdsHlyH16kAt6ylZDGdXipXRmP8mvTMUvgnUpy5i_oCZY/s640/IMG_7542.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>It was a man vs. nature ordeal, and nature won. There was no use trying to get the valve stems in the Curnoe position, the cranks in the Curnoe position, the Mariposa butterfly at the right angle, the front wheel perfectly in plane—because the wind, via the sail/backdrop, was threatening to lift the bike off the ground and send it to Kansas. (This wind, as it happens, was a leftover from the storms that ravaged the American South in the form of tornadoes earlier in the week). My roommate, whose job it was to hold the bike upright with one easily Photoshoppable finger, was getting frantic, and feared for the bike's life as well as his own. In a despairing and outraged gesture, I tore down the backdrop, crumpled it up in a gigantic ball, and sent it home with my concerned roommate.<br />
<br />
I was alone now in the tennis court and decided to improvise. Instead of using the tennis backboard to suspend my backdrop on, I thought I would use it as the backdrop itself. I set everything up, moved my camera far away, got the tripod in the right position, set the angles right so as to collapse the perspective, set the focus, maxed the f-stop, and pressed the button on my (newly purchased) remote. Thus I got the main photo from my previous post, which I'm extremely happy with. I now like that it doesn't have a white background. The "real life" effect of hardcourt (which bikes ride on, anyway) and the grey wood makes more sense given the "translation back into life" basis of the project. I also like it aesthetically, and I like the way the bottom bracket lines up with the bottom of backstop. You could measure the BB drop, a crucial framebuilding measurement, quite easily from this photo.<br />
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So I had my most important photo. But, for <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.com/2011/05/close-artlife-split-etc-statement-of.html">my "manifesto,"</a> I also needed a photo of the handlebars, the top tube, the fenders, the seat cluster, and the decals. I started setting up the tripod for these next photos. But after half an hour or so, and after only two of the five required photos were taken, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was a pleasant-looking young man of fifteen years or so, with an innocent expression and curly brown hair.<br />
<br />
"Excuse me, sir," he said, respectfully. "Me and my friends usually play soccer here at lunch."<br />
<br />
Alas, it was lunch hour at the high school. I looked to the entrance of the tennis court and saw twenty students waiting politely to get in to the tennis court I'd been using as my makeshift studio. They had no doubt been waiting for half an hour, and I'd been too absorbed to notice.<br />
<br />
"Can't you play in the other court?" I asked. I noticed it was empty. I didn't want to go there myself because it didn't have the grey wooden backstop I'd beed using as my background.<br />
<br />
He thought for a moment and replied, "It's just that we usually play <i>here</i>."<br />
<br />
I could see that this "usually" argument was more powerful than anything I could produce. And he seemed so nice. With some annoyance, I began to pack up my stuff. The curly-haired young man, who had begun to turn back to his friends, turned back again toward me and said, "Oh, but nice bike, by the way."<br />
<br />
So I moved over to the other court and took the remaining photos, with which I was not very satisfied. Thankfully while I was taking these (which took probably another half hour) three separate groups of lunching high school girls came up and said some variation of "Nice bike man" before giggling and running away. <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.com/2011/04/jocelyn-lovell-bike.html">My bikes are very popular with high school kids</a>. It made me feel better—but I still didn't have the photos I wanted. I decided to go home and wait out the lunch break.<br />
<br />
The real world was not through with me yet. When I came back, carrying all my photo gear as well as the bike, an old woman was hitting tennis balls against the backstop (into which my tacks were still sticking, since I hadn't had a chance to remove them.) There was nothing to do but come back later. I came back in 45 minutes, and she was still there. I asked her if she would be much longer. "Why?," she asked. Because I wanted to use the tennis backstop as a photo background. "Oh yes, I'm going to be here for at least another hour. I need to work on my serve." It needed even more work than two hours of practice could provide. I decided to give up. The last of the clouds was about to blow away over Lake Ontario. The photos I had would have to do.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>DAY 1, LATER: THE FIRST RIDE</b></span><br />
<br />
I came home, played with the photos in Aperture, and posted the "manifesto." Feeling liberated, I decided to follow the advice of the last lines of this manifesto and take Greg Curnoe Bike for a ride. The sun, which had previously been my enemy, was now my friend. This would be the first time this year I could ride in shorts and a short-sleeved jersey. Dressed in my most colourful cycling gear, I headed out.<br />
<br />
I went down to Lakeshore, up along the Humber, and around the hilly areas near High Park. There were two problems with the bike: the rear brake squealed like a petulant child, and the SKF bottom bracket interfered with the crank spider when I was really pushing uphill. The rest was great. The huge tubulars felt incredible. I came back home via Dundas Street, to introduce my patron, Martin of <a href="http://hoopdriver.ca/">Hoopdriver Bicycles</a>, to my new bike. He described it in exultant tones, which, coming from him, meant a lot. He took it out into the dusky day light and got extremely enthusiastic about the paint job. He repeatedly commented on how the colours "popped out." It was just the reaction I was hoping for. I rode home.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>DAY 2: CHANGING COMPONENTS, AND ANOTHER SHORT RIDE.</b></span><br />
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I needed to change the bottom bracket, and thankfully I had a 116mm TA AXIX BB in my closet. I'm not at all convinced it's a great design, but I decided to give it a try. The chainline is right, the tread is very narrow, and I even like the way the silver "adjustable cup" looks. I also adjusted the toe-in on the rear brake by further filing the washers on the Mafac draw bolts. They now seemed just right. I also decided to try out my clincher wheelset, built on Mavic MA2 rims (with perfect green/yellow labels), Shimano Sante hubs, and Grand Bois Cerf tires (also with perfect green/yellow labels.) Its 28mm tires are quite a bit narrower than the 27mm tubulars, so the fender lines looked different, but everything seemed okay.<br />
<br />
I went for a second ride. The BB presented no problems this time. The rear brake continued to squeal (I'm not at all sure why) though it quieted down significantly by the end if the ride. The clinchers weren't quite as soft as the tubulars, but were nice also.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>DAY 4: ZOO RIDE</b></span><br />
<br />
I didn't ride at all on Friday (I was busy, and it was raining), but I planned a long ride ride for Saturday. Since I'm waiting on my "spare" tubulars, I decided to go with the clincher wheelset. After making sure everything was all set on Friday evening, I got up early Saturday to take the Go train to Rouge Hill for the 9am start of the ride. I forgot two important things: my newspaper for the 40 minute train ride, and my camera for shots of the ride. Thus the lack of photos in this section.<br />
<br />
Two people showed up for the ride: Noah, the painter of the bike, and Brian, who had been a friend of Greg Curnoe's and ridden with him in the 70s and 80s. The weather was perfect and it was a nice ride (though we didn't go on my preferred dirt roads). My legs weren't their best over the 100km ride, but it was nice to test them, and to show them what I'll need from them in the coming months. The bike performed perfectly, although I apparently forgot to fully tighten the 40-tooth inner chainring to the 52-tooth outer, and near the end of the ride I heard some rattling, and realized I was about to lose some very precious TA bolts. At our stop at the bakery in Goodwood, several people wanted to talk about the bike. On the Go ride home to Exhibition station, a few groups of Ajax teenagers approached me to express their approval.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>DAY 5: THE SECOND PHOTO SHOOT</b></span><br />
<br />
Inspired by Martin's ecstatic reaction to the bike in the sunlight, I decided to take some more photos this morning. I prefer these photos to the first ones, though they serve a different purpose—they are not there to illustrate an artistic programme but just show whatever I thought looked nice. The direct sunlight creates more variation in the shade of green especially, which creates a Curnoe-ian effect. Also, the bike now has the showy confidence of a machine that has successfully endured a hard, long ride. I didn't clean the bike, so it has some Goodwood dust on it. I left the clinchers on. I left on the chromed Silca pump and the saddle bag, made by <a href="http://www.pokacycle.com/">Poka Cycle Accessories</a>.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, the tennis courts were empty this morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDZZrjoMqEkZq9zx9UM_19nMKkQEYzqe8eo8j-f6_43m4kCblm6KXuVCeiG9i60-PJmWlp57pFMCsqu8bWeCVfnOXBIVS07h7Yr7dl0_X1EVeZXa3xeV6SjsVUwkzyWKn73m6gO4MCRg/s1600/IMG_7631.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDZZrjoMqEkZq9zx9UM_19nMKkQEYzqe8eo8j-f6_43m4kCblm6KXuVCeiG9i60-PJmWlp57pFMCsqu8bWeCVfnOXBIVS07h7Yr7dl0_X1EVeZXa3xeV6SjsVUwkzyWKn73m6gO4MCRg/s640/IMG_7631.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Framebuilding detail: I love the way the French dropout attachment looks. This will be my go-to style in the future.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOMvtGHjDXHHgn8iprPMmDAumPectTahrevo4Y7tHUdqK2DiRY3KV3qFfwntmN7m0Z8C_t8-jYFh4XssMxepCkJaJIM00wnH62mth2HhsnR71f7pHSDUVAH4Nk_QuPMP4ovpmMfb-toQ/s1600/IMG_7632.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaOMvtGHjDXHHgn8iprPMmDAumPectTahrevo4Y7tHUdqK2DiRY3KV3qFfwntmN7m0Z8C_t8-jYFh4XssMxepCkJaJIM00wnH62mth2HhsnR71f7pHSDUVAH4Nk_QuPMP4ovpmMfb-toQ/s640/IMG_7632.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9wNBNK2r95bsRjU7gQ6ZVsGrCiMJCNK92_g886G1JYg3EDt-96vHd0zB30RDoinTecFTQMAEb-4caIITA1m47c-u4UJOhsf3AKEBgH-I4q33HudS6YQN7VYzQ77EarArJj-REyeOM8Y/s1600/IMG_7639.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9wNBNK2r95bsRjU7gQ6ZVsGrCiMJCNK92_g886G1JYg3EDt-96vHd0zB30RDoinTecFTQMAEb-4caIITA1m47c-u4UJOhsf3AKEBgH-I4q33HudS6YQN7VYzQ77EarArJj-REyeOM8Y/s640/IMG_7639.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXxx84cjR0GzaJ2u-qCR6dtdgDTF3FIjh89fcXAQWooF7YSaatHuG7b7mUmSnq3SL1JUAlCWP478JfFO2NFUPgqRDHPdtzfUP_Vevr0xYUR19xTvBIWvTaalb-_dM5hLDprSEQA-utWM/s1600/IMG_7641.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkXxx84cjR0GzaJ2u-qCR6dtdgDTF3FIjh89fcXAQWooF7YSaatHuG7b7mUmSnq3SL1JUAlCWP478JfFO2NFUPgqRDHPdtzfUP_Vevr0xYUR19xTvBIWvTaalb-_dM5hLDprSEQA-utWM/s640/IMG_7641.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Framebuilding detail: again, nice French dropout attachment, although I followed the painting and used the Italian style for the seatstay attachment. And notice LIFE biting into the dropout faces. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-21315149922537242962011-05-04T16:55:00.002-04:002011-05-06T10:39:29.205-04:00"CLOSE THE ART/LIFE SPLIT ETC." A Statement of Artist Intent for Greg Curnoe Bike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJPGn2c97FqQ3wcgY5xJIha4NHW29Zs3M4Wbn1mx2pDldGC8nDajIhlukeV1v0Cd8xBKYtDluP9e-6zgLVZovhL87M4R1XS-R35-G_m2a1B9eoHduqh9Evf546fWk6vHXnZnB5_TgzSU/s1600/closetheartlifesplit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaJPGn2c97FqQ3wcgY5xJIha4NHW29Zs3M4Wbn1mx2pDldGC8nDajIhlukeV1v0Cd8xBKYtDluP9e-6zgLVZovhL87M4R1XS-R35-G_m2a1B9eoHduqh9Evf546fWk6vHXnZnB5_TgzSU/s640/closetheartlifesplit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Greg Curnoe was famous for his manifesto-like declarations. My logo is taken from Wyndham Lewis's BLAST, itself <a href="http://dl.lib.brown.edu/repository2/repoman.php?verb=render&id=1143209523824844&view=pageturner&pageno=11">filled with manifestos</a>. So a manifesto-like declaration of artistic intent for Greg Curnoe Bike.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. ART AND LIFE AND STUFF</b></span><br />
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Greg Curnoe's retrospective at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2001 was called "Life and Stuff."<br />
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It was called this not only because Curnoe's art was ABOUT life (mostly his own life), but also because it questioned the borders separating art from life. This work, for example, is a collage of bus transfers, arranged to tell the story of an everyday trip in ordinary London, Ontario:<br />
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The <i>Mariposa T.T.</i> print is a good example of Curnoe questioning the borders separating art from life. Its subject, for one thing, is not traditionally artistic: although it is a very NICE bicycle, it is a bicycle. To emphasize the "real-life-ness" of the subject, it is reproduced in exacting and pedantic detail: it is represented in 1:1 scale, with no transformation of size; its wheels are laced exactly like the originals, with the right crosses and spoke holes in the right places; all the logos and decals and advertising ephemera are reproduced; facts and historical details are recorded in a comprehensive list of every part on the bike and where it was purchased. Despite all this real-ness, it's a beautiful print. One of Curnoe's intentions was no doubt to deny that bicycles are just life: that they are already, even before they are painted, <a href="http://www.bikespecialties.com/site/peloton.html">in some sense works of art</a>. Maybe this is why he painted it from the non-drive side, where the normal way of photographing a bicycle is from the side with the cranks, the gears, the derailleurs. Look at a bicycle from the other side, even though it is the same thing, and maybe you'll see it in a different way—as ART.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoo4JGtokQFkQ-hCyN9o91WOOxFZ8jSNB5gf-cemxY-TujHHDaNfnMF1O1-kQlAFe5nAx6_YO94W665dUVh2yPZqUT7TOSqrm6aO2TLXCbBDI6TB6wj0IuMvCHBYsDrTn9_WDiSfZM6ak/s1600/Curnoe+1-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoo4JGtokQFkQ-hCyN9o91WOOxFZ8jSNB5gf-cemxY-TujHHDaNfnMF1O1-kQlAFe5nAx6_YO94W665dUVh2yPZqUT7TOSqrm6aO2TLXCbBDI6TB6wj0IuMvCHBYsDrTn9_WDiSfZM6ak/s640/Curnoe+1-1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Indeed, <i>Mariposa T.T.</i>, for all its real-ness, is not a bike. You can't RIDE it, for example. The most obvious real-life characteristic of a bicycle is its USE: with help from your legs, it transports you (more efficiently than any other device on earth) from one place in the real world to another place in the real world. The print can't do any of this. In this sense it is USELESS.<br />
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<a href="http://fleursdumal.org/poem/200">Baudelaire compares the poet to an albatross</a>: in flight, in the realm of the ideal, he is an elegant "prince of cloud and sky"; but landed on the deck of a ship, in the real world, he is awkward, "weak and gauche." "His giant wings," Baudelaire says, "prevent him from walking."<br />
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The bicycle in Curnoe's print looks anything but awkward. But try to mount it, try to ride it down the street. It is at home in the ideal. It is a prince of cloud and sky. Its bright colours prevent you from riding it.<br />
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I think of <i>Mariposa T. T.</i> as a TRANSLATION. In translating Baudelaire's poem "L'Albatros" into English, you would want to be as accurate as possible—to get both the poem's "message" and Baudelaire's way of conveying it across to the English reader. But you would not ever be able to get all the nineteenth century French effects across in the very different medium of twenty-first century English. <i>Mariposa T.T.</i> is a translation of a 3D bike into a 2D bike. It is very faithful to the original, and it shows immense respect for the inherent artfulness of the original. But it is also very different—primarily because it is, after all, a work in a very different medium than the original: because it is a translation of life into art. Some things, such as the bicycle's USE, are lost in this translation.<br />
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What is the difference between life and art? In Wyndham Lewis's novel <i>Tarr</i>, one character describes art as "Life with all the humbug of living taken out of it." Life is accident, contingency, randomness, the practical, the necessary, the given, the real. Art is order, pattern, harmony, the possible, the imagined.<br />
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These differences come out clearly in a brilliant photograph of the <i>Mariposa T.T.</i> print standing in front of some real-life bikes, one of which (the green bike on the left) is its model:<br />
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In a photograph, all bikes are reduced to 2D. But though it is the same size as the other bikes and has the same parts as the other bikes, the <i>Mariposa T.T.</i> print sticks out like a sore thumb. If it's an albatross, it's one that has swooped down but not landed. It makes the <i>other</i> bikes look awkward and gauche. Hanging up like pieces of meat, they belong clearly to LIFE: they are dirty, worn, USEFUL, <i>yes</i>, but dull in colour, leaning at random angles, hung with worn tubulars, some are missing wheels, etc. The ART-ness of the radiant, perfect, useless print is clearer than ever when it stands next to its original. The mutations Curnoe made in translating the LIFE-BIKE into the ART-BIKE are clearer too. The original dull grey cable housing is turned red; a black saddle becomes rainbow-coloured; brown tires turn vibrant orange; dark grey brake lever bodies become purple; a grey chain turns red. And a plain green paint job turns three shades of green, two shades of yellow, orange and red. To some extent this is to replicate the real-life way that light falls on a painted tube—to some extent this is a naturalistic, REALISTIC effect—but the effect is so exaggerated that it passes right through the REAL world and into the impossible world of ART.<br />
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Curnoe wanted to deny—did deny—the ART/LIFE SPLIT. But still he could not help himself as an artist. He would not be fully confined by the given, the actual, the factual. Using his imagination and his aesthetic sense, he translated life into art.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. A TRANSLATION OF RETURN IN THREE DIMENSIONS</b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuH1AWhI1Yc_zS8n0ypUL8RjhfN9THEr-dQ08cZBFToAWkKf6FUngXVdjHQm96EIuSPk5MmHj7VJgrwtv5nHdInmMmVtDv-AES8vQzaokAg4QPa_hf3cwlH91YA8fZPKXguJ8-A_WHolg/s1600/IMG_7556.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuH1AWhI1Yc_zS8n0ypUL8RjhfN9THEr-dQ08cZBFToAWkKf6FUngXVdjHQm96EIuSPk5MmHj7VJgrwtv5nHdInmMmVtDv-AES8vQzaokAg4QPa_hf3cwlH91YA8fZPKXguJ8-A_WHolg/s640/IMG_7556.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Greg Curnoe Bike is a translation of this work of art back into life. It is "The Albatross" translated back into French from the English translation.<br />
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When you translate something out of one medium and then, ignoring the original, translate the translation back into the original medium, there are bound to be numerous ARTEFACTS. For example, consider this translation:<br />
<blockquote><b>Original:</b> Greg Curnoe Bike is a translation back into three dimensions of a two-dimensional work of art that is itself a translation into two dimensions of a three-dimensional bicycle. </blockquote><blockquote><b>Translated into French (Google Translate):</b> Greg Curnoe Bike est une traduction de retour en trois dimensions d'une œuvre à deux dimensions de l'art qui est elle-même une traduction en deux dimensions d'un vélo à trois dimensions. </blockquote><blockquote><b>Translated back into English (Yahoo Babel Fish):</b> Greg Curnoe Bike is a translation of return in three dimensions d' a work with two dimensions of l' art which is itself a translation in two dimensions d' a bicycle with three dimensions.</blockquote>It's similar—it's made up of the same words as the original, and is in the same medium, though non-English artefacts like <i>d'</i> and <i>l'</i> survive—but it's different. It no longer makes any sense, for example.<br />
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In translating <i>Mariposa T.T.</i> back in to three dimensions, I have preserved as many of the <u>ART</u>EFACTS—dangling Ds, lumbering Ls—of Curnoe's translation as possible. I wanted it to be quite clear that this is <i>similar</i> to the original Mariposa, but that it is <i>different—</i>that it no longer really MAKES SENSE as a bicycle—that it is obviously something doubly translated, and not mistakable for an original.<br />
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I want Greg Curnoe Bike to CLOSE THE ART/LIFE SPLIT: to be LIFE (3D, subject to aging, accident, chips, cracks, crashes; rideable, fast, comfortable, properly-geared; straight, properly-aligned, well-brazed) and to be ART (unreal and impractical in its colourfulness, stylized, odd, and unnatural in appearance). I want it to stick out like a sore thumb in a room of dirty bikes; and I want for it to be possible to then ride it out of this room full of dirty bikes.<br />
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It is LIKE the original bike and LIKE the Curnoe print but MISTAKABLE for neither. While Curnoe translated the LIFE-bike into an ART-bike, guided by his AESTHETIC sense, I have translated the art-bike into an ART-LIFE-BIKE guided both by my AESTHETIC SENSE and my ATHLETIC NEEDS.<br />
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</div>For example, the handlebars. Curnoe preserved many features of the LIFE-bike: the brake levers have no hoods, because this is a time trial bike and you are always riding in the drops, and since brake lever hoods add weight, and you want your time trial bike to be as light as possible. The handlebars are only wrapped on the drops, for the same reason. But he added a few things in the translation into an ART-bike: red housing emerges from the brake levers, and the lever bodies are purple.<br />
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In my translation I wanted to preserve as many traces of the Curnoe translation as possible. I use red housing, since it is possible to get nice red housing that works well, for example. But mine is not a time trial bike—I don't want or need a time trial bike like the one Curnoe wanted or needed—so I've wrapped the bars all the way around, though I've left the clamps exposed, to preserve another trace. And since it's not a time trial bike, and I will ride in the drops, on the tops, in the hoods, and all over the place, I need a soft place on the brake levers to put my fleshy, real-life hands. So I get softness and preserve another artefact by using clear brake lever hoods.<br />
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</div>Then the split cable housing on the top tube. In the Curnoe painting, an uninterrupted length of cable housing runs along the top tube, clamped in place by Campagnolo clips. Aesthetically this is very nice: it makes a long solid red line, crossed by three nice top-down silver/black strokes. But mechanically it is not desirable: all that housing is heavy and introduces unnecessary friction; and the clamp-on clips add weight and dig in to the paint. So I've used brazed-on split cables, but located them at 12 o'clock on the top tube and used red cable donuts (three of them) to replicate as much as possible the look while maintaining function.<br />
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</div>Then there are the fenders. It would be impossible to preserve bright orange tires. Yes, you can buy orange tires—but LIFE will quickly relieve them of their brightness and their orangeness. They will become dull and dirty and brown. But fenders can be bright orange—and while the insides will get very dirty, the outsides will retain their lustre.<br />
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These FENDERS are in fact an almost perfect symbol of what I'm trying to do with Greg Curnoe Bike. On the one hand, because they are painted orange and are bright and shiny, they are ART. On the other hand, since they perform the very mundane function of keeping rainwater off my back, keeping dirt out of my drivetrain, and stopping rocks from hitting my paint job, they are LIFE. But they also protect ART from LIFE: dirt and water and rocks want to throw themselves into the bike and age it—my wheels throw up a constant ART-DESTROYING SPRAY—but my fenders keep it off, while at the same time being orange and ART-ish themselves. Riding with such fenders is a practical way of closing the art/life split.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqy-vbuMyDK7nYiHoYjSYEJ0sYRWbFH7qxN1Th9pXuDEzeps4RmSRx-mmy4B3GkCeBaA4mXlqkrBYgo4NtdUDP4NP779QN-7Sie2i5uIaldIzUaC6PTkWT9r8XaBN_vFk3FrPn6mSFtA/s1600/IMG_7571.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMqy-vbuMyDK7nYiHoYjSYEJ0sYRWbFH7qxN1Th9pXuDEzeps4RmSRx-mmy4B3GkCeBaA4mXlqkrBYgo4NtdUDP4NP779QN-7Sie2i5uIaldIzUaC6PTkWT9r8XaBN_vFk3FrPn6mSFtA/s640/IMG_7571.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>And of course the paint job. It is simplified from the Curnoe version, for practical reasons. (I can only afford to pay so much for the paint job, and Noah has only so much time to spend on it.) But it preserves as many traces as possible of the Curnoe translation. It is as far as possible a LITERAL translation of <i>Mariposa T.T.</i><br />
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And since it exists in three dimensions, and since it is covered with a glossy clear-coat, it reflects the LIFE and light around it, creating different effects all the time, reflecting the sunlight when outside, a book when it's in my living room, brick when it's leaned against a wall. It's an ART-screen onto which LIFE is projected.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2.1 ASIDE</span></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaOwp89Jrh-k88UCP8fLcDjYZcNBaJT5am21jo41k6NwRYbaKF5lk6hIAWCYfYJb4iiqdkjyOF3Yq4atFDSfuV1754-audBPN5iGCjcnQ0pQcpwLEJihmYZrt3srMEN7LoSJujODDacI/s1600/IMG_7570.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaOwp89Jrh-k88UCP8fLcDjYZcNBaJT5am21jo41k6NwRYbaKF5lk6hIAWCYfYJb4iiqdkjyOF3Yq4atFDSfuV1754-audBPN5iGCjcnQ0pQcpwLEJihmYZrt3srMEN7LoSJujODDacI/s640/IMG_7570.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The decals are among the few things that have survived more or less unchanged through all the translations. Curnoe kept them both because he wanted to emphasize the REAL-ness of the bike and because he appreciated them aesthetically—as decoration. Mike Barry also seems to have intended them primarily as decoration rather than as advertising: he put a Campagnolo decal on the seat tube, for example, even though the bike had Weinmann brakes, TA cranks, a no-name seatpost, etc. This decorative function is underscored on my bike since the products "advertised" (Reynolds 531, for example, or Campagnolo Nuovo/Super Record components) are no longer produced. Since there is no athletic downside to a dove on the fork blade or slanting seafoam numbers on the seat tube, they stay.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. PRODUCT, PROCESS, USE</b></span><br />
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I am no expert in art history, but I think I am justified in saying that a major focus of art in the twentieth century—particularly the second half of it, I believe—was shifting emphasis from PRODUCT to PROCESS. Artists have wanted us to look less at the finished object—the painting, the sculpture—and to concentrate more on how it was made. I remember seeing a work at the Tate Modern that was a map and notebook, showing where a particular sculptor went to gather the materials needed for a sculpture that was not itself displayed. Curnoe too was interested in PROCESS, as the bus transfers above (for a journey home and back to his studio) demonstrate.<br />
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A Toronto artist named <a href="http://www.theotherpaulbutler.com/">Paul Butler</a> recently <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.com/2010/09/mike-barrys-greg-curnoe-bike.html">commissioned</a> Mike Barry to produce three replicas of the bicycle Curnoe depicted in his <a href="http://bicyclespecialties.blogspot.com/2010/02/greg-curnoe-and-his-mariposas.html">famous "CLOSE THE 49TH PARALLEL" painting</a>. Paul Butler himself did not PRODUCE the object: Mike Barry made the bike, and Noah Rosen painted it and wrote CLOSE THE 49TH PARALLEL ETC. on the top tube. Since he did not produce it, he cannot strictly focus on the PROCESS, either, since Mike and Noah engaged in that process. Paul Butler (who describes himself as "a post-disciplinary artist") is instead going to USE the bike—to RIDE it, in the areas that Greg Curnoe rode the original. (An exhibition of some kind will take place at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the same place that hosted Curnoe's Life and Stuff retrospective, from the 17th of September to the 27th of November of this year.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3O2ODDFYEsCAsd-Qi4-QMnSg-p4ezaQeZncvvbqs-g4bebc1b_MBni5_RobHuurxG0oaX06qZqlTQvtGE_D9I7ZDIYhcguA3mwngN2LuJlUurRLTb9faVbBQ8GFdiuJMvTPiR5VQhTcU/s1600/1888+Still+Life+with+Basket+and+Six+Oranges.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3O2ODDFYEsCAsd-Qi4-QMnSg-p4ezaQeZncvvbqs-g4bebc1b_MBni5_RobHuurxG0oaX06qZqlTQvtGE_D9I7ZDIYhcguA3mwngN2LuJlUurRLTb9faVbBQ8GFdiuJMvTPiR5VQhTcU/s640/1888+Still+Life+with+Basket+and+Six+Oranges.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The following analogy illustrates the differences between these two apparently similar projects. A contemporary artist stumbles upon a document that leads to the discovery, in a field in southern France, of the precise orange tree from which the six oranges that modelled for Van Gogh's "Still Life with Basket and Six Oranges" were plucked. This tree is still alive, somehow, after 123 years, but has ceased to bear fruit. The artist consults with experts, fertilizes the soil, and when the tree produces an orange, he picks and eats it.<br />
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What I have tried to do is produce a new kind of orange that looks like the orange as painted by Van Gogh (a literal rendering: with sharp edges separating areas of light and shadow, with thick brushstrokes of colour) but that tastes like a normal orange and has all its nutritional properties. Then I have documented the creation of this new kind of orange. And soon I will eat it. My project encompasses PRODUCT, PROCESS, and USE.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_7WHQhQTPuVbv_8psMhpeyqfo6TVO8tCs7O_aHrDPSuiTdgZLPALMg3DSaILg_TuBXXIGWgZGh8v6PI3shYES6dXnx8Ffg_9Uv5JhjifsKBKgiHygtL8XfgjeusRkIAn7U6LhL4dpbU/s1600/IMG_7579.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_7WHQhQTPuVbv_8psMhpeyqfo6TVO8tCs7O_aHrDPSuiTdgZLPALMg3DSaILg_TuBXXIGWgZGh8v6PI3shYES6dXnx8Ffg_9Uv5JhjifsKBKgiHygtL8XfgjeusRkIAn7U6LhL4dpbU/s640/IMG_7579.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I have PRODUCED Greg Curnoe Bike, along with <a href="http://www.velocolour.com/">Noah Rosen</a>, who has painted it. I have meticulously documented the PROCESS of its creation on this blog (this post participates in that process). I tend to regard the PRODUCT as more interesting than the PROCESS, but I acknowledge that the latter holds some interest, and has aesthetic significance of its own. I would go so far as to say that the popularity of handmade steel bicycles at the present moment is due largely to the aesthetically pleasing process of their creation, lovingly documented by framebuilders on their blogs and flickr pages.<br />
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I will also USE and RIDE Greg Curnoe Bike. And while I doubt this will be the most interesting part of the project to my readers, it will undoubtedly be the most interesting to ME. As much as I like making bikes, as much as I have enjoyed planning this one and writing about it on this blog, I much prefer RIDING them. (Paul Butler, in this sense, is on to something, and captured something that also seems to have been true of Greg Curnoe himself). Rolling down my street on my way to the library; coming out of a wooded section on the narrow path next to the Humber; feeling spent after pushing myself to up the Rattlesnake Point climb; listening to gravel rattle in my fenders on a zoo ride; lying in bed and, as I close my eyes, seeing some phantom apparition of a road rushing toward me—THAT is what I like most about bikes, if I have to choose only only aspect.<br />
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I made this bike to look at, yes, and to write about—but also to ride. I have given it generous clearances so that I can use big fat tubulars and ride on the kinds of roads I like; I have given it big gears so that I can go quickly down these roads and keep up with my riding partners (one of whom—the fastest of whom—is my collaborator Noah Rosen); I have given it a saddle I find comfortable, pedals I find comfortable, brakes I like.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZBEhyIRir_ms40xhFE84Az3FnJ4qdbsJYL7Z2Eg66WJYgjkQ0arY8B99x5SKgq6KAUrwLWBIcFf7DcdX0umv2pN3iwYivQ-Vg30oxE3U-f2c_mIHZ9pZtmoomSaTH51-LGkySDGZnIg/s1600/IMG_7580.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsZBEhyIRir_ms40xhFE84Az3FnJ4qdbsJYL7Z2Eg66WJYgjkQ0arY8B99x5SKgq6KAUrwLWBIcFf7DcdX0umv2pN3iwYivQ-Vg30oxE3U-f2c_mIHZ9pZtmoomSaTH51-LGkySDGZnIg/s640/IMG_7580.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>PHASE ONE—the CLOSE THE ART/LIFE SPLIT phase—is done. PHASE TWO begins now. Now it's not so much about COLLAPSING the distinction between art and life as it is about observing the struggle of art and life. It's DRAMATIZE THE ART VS. LIFE ANTIPATHY, ANIMATE THE ART/LIFE AGON, or something along those lines. I'll document this too, by writing about the rides I take and taking pictures of the bike in the places it carries me. I'll show how ART struggles against LIFE as I go on these rides—I'll show how the bike gets scratched, where the rust begins to form—and I'll fight life with cover-up paint, with nail polish, with soap, with grease.<br />
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Greg Curnoe Bike is preserved in the above photo—seen from his more USEFUL drive side, but still looking like an albatross—at the cusp of the transition from PHASE ONE to PHASE TWO. TIME NOW TO RIDE HIM (to London, soon, to visit Greg Curnoe's former studio, hopefully), and set the PHASE TWO contest in motion.AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-30650126009170360702011-05-04T14:36:00.001-04:002011-05-04T19:06:05.195-04:00Attempted Photoshoot<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGPpOXmj42DxAdGqatHA6oQvOu1ILHjRl9IG-9HOsKcI_lrjw6J-JhGFqFjl6zRXV6U29bopL-eIj5JYlldTftQFtkFt2qQkdsHlyH16kAt6ylZDGdXipXRmP8mvTMUvgnUpy5i_oCZY/s1600/IMG_7542.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGPpOXmj42DxAdGqatHA6oQvOu1ILHjRl9IG-9HOsKcI_lrjw6J-JhGFqFjl6zRXV6U29bopL-eIj5JYlldTftQFtkFt2qQkdsHlyH16kAt6ylZDGdXipXRmP8mvTMUvgnUpy5i_oCZY/s640/IMG_7542.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Today's attempt at a photoshoot was an utter failure. I thought that, to save myself some money, it would be a clever idea to just buy a huge piece of background paper ($60), tack it to the tennis backboard in the court around from my house, and thus get a "studio look" from natural lighting, and not have to lug the bike or the 9' roll of paper across the city.<br />
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There was one thing I was not counting on: WIND. Even the slightest gust was enough to nearly set the tennis backboard sailing. We got a couple of awful photographs before the gigantic piece of paper was ripped off the tacks. I have learnt my lesson.<br />
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(You will notice that I (on the left) am dressed up like Greg Curnoe. I did take a self-portrait with the bike later...)<br />
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So I just took the pictures with a normal, "real life" background. I think this probably makes more sense for my "project" anyway. The pictures are fairly decent. I'll post my full (now very lengthy) artistic statement later (tonight?), and the photos will accompany it. If anyone is sufficiently impressed by my artistic statement and/or the bike to want to take proper studio photographs, I will allow them to do so at their own expense. And if you need a tattered, dirty, ripped, gigantic white backdrop for the shoot, I have one to donate.<br />
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This, by the way, is the closest we got to a "usable" shot. Not great.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFp8mOH2UfL9U5V-ywRGvHjngtQfgWIE4a36w8jRv2b4zXq5f0gowCjb1K5kVzVfMVEwl9lXgPL6r60tKOb5ME-jUolSOiggJwLzpSZQFfKfk5TzHZmhAKrDTL0pvBJES3_OQ2iVlt-Y/s1600/studioesque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFp8mOH2UfL9U5V-ywRGvHjngtQfgWIE4a36w8jRv2b4zXq5f0gowCjb1K5kVzVfMVEwl9lXgPL6r60tKOb5ME-jUolSOiggJwLzpSZQFfKfk5TzHZmhAKrDTL0pvBJES3_OQ2iVlt-Y/s640/studioesque.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-35448554156197840412011-05-02T15:44:00.000-04:002011-05-02T15:44:53.293-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike is Ready for PhotosAll right—all the details are in place and GC Bike is ready for his photos. I might end up doing them myself to save some money... and it would be fun, too. So here are some more poor photographs of the bike, with good ones (proper lighting! un-busy backgrounds!) to follow in a few days, if all goes well.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkyavlH6-0U5xCVkYwIxQJreC7rOD5pPeOVJHPMskv7PDUPYg2v9F6UMcTNwkNIBo118v-hNmcar-3Jdp6rFj5DQ0MO-nw7_JJe_1wf_5r5NOw_zZFYOmmPdtAc5jwJ4xO0XybOHiy40/s1600/IMG_7517.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkyavlH6-0U5xCVkYwIxQJreC7rOD5pPeOVJHPMskv7PDUPYg2v9F6UMcTNwkNIBo118v-hNmcar-3Jdp6rFj5DQ0MO-nw7_JJe_1wf_5r5NOw_zZFYOmmPdtAc5jwJ4xO0XybOHiy40/s640/IMG_7517.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wmhU-spq25E5iFuu17y8-HvNRi4p642_oCv8U5kNq30ARVMnzQGaO1z1GJnksdZtDH5h28EG1RECXb5cpmmRT2EpZQOUPhej0f8rIP0b2OpE3UqFZOdK4HldoHrPTTuFQksuX0JyluQ/s1600/IMG_7524.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wmhU-spq25E5iFuu17y8-HvNRi4p642_oCv8U5kNq30ARVMnzQGaO1z1GJnksdZtDH5h28EG1RECXb5cpmmRT2EpZQOUPhej0f8rIP0b2OpE3UqFZOdK4HldoHrPTTuFQksuX0JyluQ/s640/IMG_7524.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0peyPcwEnHT1v3fS0PIGhP93rQ9sXNxZXyNKhj8FiYyAcL2WQMbFKFZqnPQeV57ge3GSQytJr_cFn6Bj_MlO1uAQtFzqGe8g1vb8UJgvmSBlaAG49Z6VKs6NcJjVwK0RIu0cnCQx7VIU/s1600/IMG_7523.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0peyPcwEnHT1v3fS0PIGhP93rQ9sXNxZXyNKhj8FiYyAcL2WQMbFKFZqnPQeV57ge3GSQytJr_cFn6Bj_MlO1uAQtFzqGe8g1vb8UJgvmSBlaAG49Z6VKs6NcJjVwK0RIu0cnCQx7VIU/s640/IMG_7523.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-42817676627334380022011-04-30T12:19:00.002-04:002011-04-30T12:19:56.190-04:00Better photoThe bike looked awful with that brick background. It looks better here, though the yellow sort of hides the yellow in the frame. Remaining question: are the housing loops too long coming out of the brake levers? The Nitto cage looks better but still a bit off.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKTEIV9DRAECQ0Pz9F7I8S9yQ3i3wnloIuxrspUAvKVShBNEw1blMTgHjETwkQz0g0aqZAA_uBNrw83P6ErDmZyxPiRzBpaRAT95UrV7MR8AE_tVQnpVvF1i3z_iaJ8JfA3Qcjxw67lk/s1600/IMG_7509.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKTEIV9DRAECQ0Pz9F7I8S9yQ3i3wnloIuxrspUAvKVShBNEw1blMTgHjETwkQz0g0aqZAA_uBNrw83P6ErDmZyxPiRzBpaRAT95UrV7MR8AE_tVQnpVvF1i3z_iaJ8JfA3Qcjxw67lk/s640/IMG_7509.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-34773186049904472252011-04-29T17:53:00.007-04:002011-05-02T10:48:35.686-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Build, Day 3Well, it's all it one piece. Here are some photos, with an entirely inappropriate brick background (first photo replaced—it made the colours look all wrong). Proper photos will follow next week.<br />
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I'm very happy with almost everything. The fender lines are almost perfect (any imperfections here are due to the angle more than anything.) All the important things are right.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6o7GRozbimYO6AOO3EsY_gNqY7p9X_6F7DSsnYB-xFHjZ47Naq0uatqoEyl2-qceD9VaWj96ItwpdBDunW2Kw-ge0ezgD0ZFJ5hUnb7K9-8yTwsGq7PmJpyJCapZ8byajJ024AjbmF0/s1600/IMG_7509.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6o7GRozbimYO6AOO3EsY_gNqY7p9X_6F7DSsnYB-xFHjZ47Naq0uatqoEyl2-qceD9VaWj96ItwpdBDunW2Kw-ge0ezgD0ZFJ5hUnb7K9-8yTwsGq7PmJpyJCapZ8byajJ024AjbmF0/s640/IMG_7509.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Pretty close:<br />
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<br />
Here's the seat cluster—one of my favourite areas, with lots of decals, good reflections, lots of colour... (Curnoe routed the cable on the other side, but I decided to go <i>left</i>, for a number of not particularly interesting reasons...)<br />
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The rear brake (which works well) and the fender reinforcer.<br />
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The day's best view. Lots of triangles, and all the main colours...<br />
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The bottom bracket area looks nice. But, unfortunately, I'll probably need to swap the actual bottom bracket. This SKF 116mm JIS taper BB is too narrow by about a micrometer. With the driveside arm tightened <i>almost </i>enough, it's about to touch the overly-large driveside cup on the SKF BB. Another quarter turn and there would be creaking. I'm sure they're very nice BBs, but they're just not practical for use with TA cranks. I'll swap in a Shimano—<i>after</i> photos, for this red cup looks too good! (Maybe the red cup with fit on to a Shimano BB?) The good news is that all the clearances are right with a 116mm BB, and the chainline works...<br />
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RED CHAIN! Silly, perhaps—but one of the best details, I think. Note that the Chorus derailleur had no trouble shifting on to the large cog (24). We'll see if the reduced chain gap has any effect on shifting.<br />
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View from the front. The Nuovo Record headset was the right decision... Note also the red donuts, which look good. I'll lower the stem a bit.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5SV_efsU99Rounj2m4tF04Sb1l4swRR3yaUaO8uLtHgzGLMZYKd5lL7aDQuWAqsWU6dW-IwsvEcMaUAGzXU9wMzwFsrKOkphbPlXJjxLlwEhu6UElducgAOzgdGA9csKnVJ9w9eDMls/s1600/IMG_7503.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB5SV_efsU99Rounj2m4tF04Sb1l4swRR3yaUaO8uLtHgzGLMZYKd5lL7aDQuWAqsWU6dW-IwsvEcMaUAGzXU9wMzwFsrKOkphbPlXJjxLlwEhu6UElducgAOzgdGA9csKnVJ9w9eDMls/s640/IMG_7503.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So now I need a proper studio shot of Greg Curnoe Bike with a white background. Once I have that photo, from the same angle as the painting, Phase One of the project will be complete. </div>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-87843010956726794272011-04-28T21:04:00.002-04:002011-04-28T21:05:54.691-04:00Where Are You Little Shakespeare?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYGRXry3Y7onAWwjLDh8aN2xNPfrDlu1ItW7GpT1e8U-xc6HQLF24HkGE3aJ0IdEkk_pzD_y0Vq9jMp5sHjDxpxwETzuKzwEduuswhSbyCaUulTWp6IWmhx2WkrlLawalzGmgrksgdcs/s1600/P3130831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmYGRXry3Y7onAWwjLDh8aN2xNPfrDlu1ItW7GpT1e8U-xc6HQLF24HkGE3aJ0IdEkk_pzD_y0Vq9jMp5sHjDxpxwETzuKzwEduuswhSbyCaUulTWp6IWmhx2WkrlLawalzGmgrksgdcs/s640/P3130831.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I spent the day looking in ditches and behind sheds in Port Credit for my girlfriend's lost 20-year-old cat. If you see her, let me know! Back to work tomorrow.AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-52459176186205415422011-04-27T18:35:00.005-04:002011-04-27T18:48:53.719-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Build, Day 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRt5gMyZocl54gxUeQzhcuR31UVKK2Vw5OI8wQ0vixBSWC5xfrZQJ_Pzdy-34WXI5qzeKH_JKQ6CymXYuBHx2YEWwjAzGzCKDzY2yXdgOagbqjpcRUtbTpHcSCSl-0Vg3maidBWmn0Sqk/s1600/IMG_7486.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRt5gMyZocl54gxUeQzhcuR31UVKK2Vw5OI8wQ0vixBSWC5xfrZQJ_Pzdy-34WXI5qzeKH_JKQ6CymXYuBHx2YEWwjAzGzCKDzY2yXdgOagbqjpcRUtbTpHcSCSl-0Vg3maidBWmn0Sqk/s640/IMG_7486.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today was all about fenders. And any day spent with fenders is bound to be a pain. Indeed, even though I had pre-shaped these fenders, drilled all the holes, bent the stays, etc., it took a long time just to install them. (Getting the eyebolts centred was the main thing.) But they are now on—and they not only do they fit well around the wheel, but they look incredible colour-wise.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first thing I did was put on the reinforcer for the rear fender, which Noah was kind enough to prime and paint. Here it is from the inside...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr7sR696Il5kHeJaz_Y2yxHkcpkYqElbHJ37BF3FIWbuS0niLjPWIhn-eotGBzEMKK4RV0a4_cfA0ixVUIJgNEcdh9LiUsxTeY16NdKhVIN5Fq0lezZ-mLy6CtXURKVHhdkL_Th6eBRk/s1600/IMG_7472.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr7sR696Il5kHeJaz_Y2yxHkcpkYqElbHJ37BF3FIWbuS0niLjPWIhn-eotGBzEMKK4RV0a4_cfA0ixVUIJgNEcdh9LiUsxTeY16NdKhVIN5Fq0lezZ-mLy6CtXURKVHhdkL_Th6eBRk/s320/IMG_7472.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
From the outside...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And on the bike.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsqm7QtHWw9HYRvFUXoY4ybdekHXZvMJy67AIM87Vo6UX2DpO_5RyaoenktbekE-AvaiTk1PZT6WB1-HCoaWn6ivb4uocbMQeRL32sJSP2tbBA4g3HOPuGMz48Uj-fMLzM1vVS93Li6c/s1600/IMG_7481.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsqm7QtHWw9HYRvFUXoY4ybdekHXZvMJy67AIM87Vo6UX2DpO_5RyaoenktbekE-AvaiTk1PZT6WB1-HCoaWn6ivb4uocbMQeRL32sJSP2tbBA4g3HOPuGMz48Uj-fMLzM1vVS93Li6c/s640/IMG_7481.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>The front fender was a lot more difficult to install. On the rear fender, you have two fixed points—but on the front only one. It took me at least an hour to get the front fender all ready. But here it is. (Look at how the Columbus [Italian for dove] decal lines up with the fender...)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUP2YStIub0TBZEtBspsB7MPeZGap5s4kmqhc38joPFJ4csOLLkrpd75B7wJbXeKSN3uvN1cLoWrH4CWd_dHmP9EdOlbQJo1vtHHqBfAxvbZ5-GljMB8pSoH6Bp0kPqhaxLJ_ZOB9H4xY/s1600/IMG_7479.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUP2YStIub0TBZEtBspsB7MPeZGap5s4kmqhc38joPFJ4csOLLkrpd75B7wJbXeKSN3uvN1cLoWrH4CWd_dHmP9EdOlbQJo1vtHHqBfAxvbZ5-GljMB8pSoH6Bp0kPqhaxLJ_ZOB9H4xY/s640/IMG_7479.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>After this I put on the brakes, without actually setting them up. Here is a photo from the same angle as yesterday's. Do the fenders not look like tires? Admittedly, more like fat Hetres than orange time trial tubulars...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVREIi8DtfPFRyT9-KfYS6vaoX95fhGTz8BYjJRm_P0GYaT9O9qSstJB2j_syqumIgjM-CoRgJDNIomILStBIuCkK2ZUQeD4ui16TN3yff6e1pDW-ZAeQ9L3cS8NdCUqIFsF960cbtbY/s1600/IMG_7484.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVREIi8DtfPFRyT9-KfYS6vaoX95fhGTz8BYjJRm_P0GYaT9O9qSstJB2j_syqumIgjM-CoRgJDNIomILStBIuCkK2ZUQeD4ui16TN3yff6e1pDW-ZAeQ9L3cS8NdCUqIFsF960cbtbY/s640/IMG_7484.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally: I took some flak for insisting that Noah paint my cable guide orange, but this photo FULLY justifies my insistence!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90qi0q14m7NXMs9MKhwomzGXnkPFB2obKhGQjQ24V8G1aAbCg-gWIyEu07Q4jVNnSc-4Z5e7hRZzmbHq5e64N7spiYCNAOA1E-H9yjTDkuehRxY2LmNtSMczeTq0aPv16mRzlNARCEJQ/s1600/IMG_7491.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90qi0q14m7NXMs9MKhwomzGXnkPFB2obKhGQjQ24V8G1aAbCg-gWIyEu07Q4jVNnSc-4Z5e7hRZzmbHq5e64N7spiYCNAOA1E-H9yjTDkuehRxY2LmNtSMczeTq0aPv16mRzlNARCEJQ/s640/IMG_7491.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Tomorrow I'll set up the brakes, install the bottom bracket and cranks, set up the drivetrain, etc. It should be more or less done by tomorrow night...AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-55859730485368450962011-04-26T17:12:00.003-04:002011-04-26T17:49:33.674-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Build, Day 1I picked Greg Curnoe Bike up from Noah yesterday. He looks spectacular in person—the colours are really luminous, but less "neon" than they appear in photos. Of course it's been very rainy and dull in Toronto for the last few days, so that may account for GC's more subdued look. The paint job is really excellent—the only hitch is that, with all the layers of paint, it is a bit on the thick side, and some of the crispness of the lug edges is lost. Since the lugs are all masked, though, this is sort of a non-issue: it's pretty clear where they begin and end. As you can see below, I did decide to ask Noah to put on those Columbus decals on the fork blades.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvekzRXv5D3egdInOfl-iFmGUJG4KfR7FnA5iS5yGep4NzcDMyYeZqxGzx1jkcUb9sWEoq0hj9lYfUDbkH9P47ltrXhouXtVYaequSOwzIw4t-tkD2mjC8wKDqJoB_9-_RzBz7heFHKLQ/s1600/IMG_7461.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvekzRXv5D3egdInOfl-iFmGUJG4KfR7FnA5iS5yGep4NzcDMyYeZqxGzx1jkcUb9sWEoq0hj9lYfUDbkH9P47ltrXhouXtVYaequSOwzIw4t-tkD2mjC8wKDqJoB_9-_RzBz7heFHKLQ/s640/IMG_7461.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>I spent the day in the shop today getting paint out of places I didn't want it to be, which meant facing and reaming the head tube and crown race, filing out the binder slot, and sanding the Mafac bosses. After doing that I installed the gorgeous Nuovo Record headset and shortened the steerer to the proper length. Once I got home I glued the Dugast tubulars (which I sincerely hope I did correctly) and finished things off by using a bit of left-over tubular cement to glue an aluminum chainstay protector (it's wrapped in yellow electrical tape to hold it in place while the glue dries). Tomorrow I'll install the fenders (which are orange and incredible) and attach all the other parts. Then I'll take Thursday to cut housing, set up the brakes, etc. So the build should be complete by Friday, which, weather permitting, will be a photo day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippFdE6v2EExbuAN2YKfcWFg6pHuzsNk-mVBBdtxsq8hI7q9kpDLgZmaYrtO_LVwjrNgX2Vb_DJlD_HdjKJxzOnd_hofVRQcIveBgEunFckhg9aZwNbwYKkSl9B1gRcGI5Htk9VkgLxVs/s1600/IMG_7462.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEippFdE6v2EExbuAN2YKfcWFg6pHuzsNk-mVBBdtxsq8hI7q9kpDLgZmaYrtO_LVwjrNgX2Vb_DJlD_HdjKJxzOnd_hofVRQcIveBgEunFckhg9aZwNbwYKkSl9B1gRcGI5Htk9VkgLxVs/s640/IMG_7462.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>The weather <i>has</i> been awful, and I wasn't about to take photos of this bike in the rain, so I took these shots inside and with a flash, for which I apologize.<br />
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<b>Update: </b>By steadying my camera against the wall, I was able to get this excellent (though grainy) shot, from an interesting angle...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuGX1uVJ8OUsb2G2Rs6hptaE8cqqS0WKFuMsUsWFt81vhyphenhyphenqInHSo3VXyUztzrlynsUcCiQkDBIX8T8kH9ITsaQIDh1ZHCn4HCqLbDU-nPGgOxaY6S4O093xgzuueNhPeKz94pyVwTOUY/s1600/IMG_7470.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuGX1uVJ8OUsb2G2Rs6hptaE8cqqS0WKFuMsUsWFt81vhyphenhyphenqInHSo3VXyUztzrlynsUcCiQkDBIX8T8kH9ITsaQIDh1ZHCn4HCqLbDU-nPGgOxaY6S4O093xgzuueNhPeKz94pyVwTOUY/s640/IMG_7470.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-22134030742200031722011-04-21T07:52:00.001-04:002011-04-21T20:59:16.245-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Photo of the Day #6: From the FrontHere, in the last of our series, is Greg Curnoe Bike seen from the front, on the proper Curnoe-ian non-driveside. Over the weekend I'll glue the tubulars and get the rest ready. Then on Monday I'll pick up the frame and install the headset. Then I'll build everything up... I'm also hard at work on a lengthy, energetic, and theoretically thorough Statement of Artistic Intent that I will unleash on this blog when everything is ready. <u>I</u> can't wait.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7p4LleAsz4wzP7W-2hLaS1UfhHLlkeVDIUCFWRgqKqvCWGxBDtbZBQxd5B0vBvAM9mNbjqvoC9E-qAISpZQ03k0NBlzUxqVVMVnG8aAkXaYBFpxnOzIpDGcrR8d7G6DBAV3lOKLSgtUw/s1600/Hammond2+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7p4LleAsz4wzP7W-2hLaS1UfhHLlkeVDIUCFWRgqKqvCWGxBDtbZBQxd5B0vBvAM9mNbjqvoC9E-qAISpZQ03k0NBlzUxqVVMVnG8aAkXaYBFpxnOzIpDGcrR8d7G6DBAV3lOKLSgtUw/s640/Hammond2+small.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-45993276472011172052011-04-20T12:01:00.004-04:002011-04-20T12:37:27.760-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Photo of the Day #5: Drive Side<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here it is all together. I really couldn't be more pleased! I'll go pick it up from Velocolour soon, and then it's time for more fun. Remember that orange fenders are going on here. Things will only get more colourful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjum51XHLYSPjbbBkiFJRvfd2DP8n4SSDg8wHT2x1Wd7spmgnach1ENb1zTvRqDjh9XY9z65JdZ3fBGiPrnayDRti0BvM0ofXLeK74MTbCTu7fxXEo45ewLAzXUSShLvnMWGXidWJOPm04/s1600/Hammond1+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjum51XHLYSPjbbBkiFJRvfd2DP8n4SSDg8wHT2x1Wd7spmgnach1ENb1zTvRqDjh9XY9z65JdZ3fBGiPrnayDRti0BvM0ofXLeK74MTbCTu7fxXEo45ewLAzXUSShLvnMWGXidWJOPm04/s640/Hammond1+small.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">ps: for those of you just joining us, read about the idea behind the project <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.com/2010/06/greg-curnoe-bike.html">here</a>, more about it <a href="http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.com/2010/12/biography-and-autobiography-et-cetera.html">here</a>, and then skim at your leisure.</div>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-30355593886818636692011-04-19T14:20:00.002-04:002011-04-19T14:21:00.338-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Photo of the Day #4: DowntubeGood things do come in threes, apparently. In the last few days, I've handed in a big application for a fellowship, submitted my thesis, and gotten my first look at Greg Curnoe Bike's paint job. In the thesis vs. bike competition, I think the bike is winning. Here's a look at the downtube—with, again, incredible work by Noah.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNERUTlzuki5OSw_M-WJD3WzwJ97fPtVIftJjBqUDWAFENdGWJdeH90Uq-e1m57tfUgpKschItiYWR-G2cdj5XpsJn8oxkIwqGirj9kTLL-fWH5H1z0NJNSolqG91uJ8Xkepiaa6ru2_Q/s1600/Hammond+Logo+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNERUTlzuki5OSw_M-WJD3WzwJ97fPtVIftJjBqUDWAFENdGWJdeH90Uq-e1m57tfUgpKschItiYWR-G2cdj5XpsJn8oxkIwqGirj9kTLL-fWH5H1z0NJNSolqG91uJ8Xkepiaa6ru2_Q/s640/Hammond+Logo+small.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-52152335508573595442011-04-18T16:43:00.000-04:002011-04-18T16:43:26.304-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Photo of the Day #3: Front Drive SideAfter a Sunday rest, the series resumes. Allow me to summarize my thoughts about this photo with the following statement: Noah Rosen of <a href="http://www.velocolour.com/">Velocolour</a> is the greatest bicycle painter alive! Note the way the stripe on the headtube lines up with the edge of the logo, and the stripe on the downtube lines up with the top of the shifter braze-on.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGE3uITiwXj0ij6mDiIxmFd-6KEwk_iUiQLNb2c-4p-e2Tcyk7rGh0CwIPm0mQajd5bojShlF9jyGP-d7NaZI3aGxvop4d80vp2kmcY4OG6VbAkv15Uy3ELOfRG18QxJDB8SwM6dGIdg/s1600/Hammond+Head+section+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpGE3uITiwXj0ij6mDiIxmFd-6KEwk_iUiQLNb2c-4p-e2Tcyk7rGh0CwIPm0mQajd5bojShlF9jyGP-d7NaZI3aGxvop4d80vp2kmcY4OG6VbAkv15Uy3ELOfRG18QxJDB8SwM6dGIdg/s640/Hammond+Head+section+small.jpg" width="458" /></a></div>I was thinking about putting a red Columbus decal on the fork blades. Reasoning: the fork blades are Columbus; the Curnoe bike had a Columbus decal, on the seat tube; and the Curnoe bike had a red Mariposa decal on the fork blades. But I think this looks so good the way it is that I'll probably let it be.AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-66794742265936179222011-04-16T18:15:00.000-04:002011-04-16T18:15:31.762-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Photo of the Day #2: Seat ClusterHere is the second photo. This one reveals, in addition to the lovely and colourful paint job, some less than stellar lug filing. The lug edges look very mushy and the lug itself a bit uneven—which is a bit surprising, given the absolutely insane amount of time I spent on this lug. But this <i>is</i> the drive side, which is not the "show" side of the bike. Things may, and should, look sharper from the other side. But let's stay positive: it looks pretty amazing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEHElCTrRe8Bur3RLfHCubaeHG8aSj-SnbPrGPVIZgfeDaA3tdW7pnWT5vpQ4zH8L8Glscuw1MG3iz0etqC4jPQXPsPwaU-DWNISfVtphaoU9h7EZnbUq4ZtseAYsHweMh4Rh35nykro/s1600/Hammond+Seat+cluster+Small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEHElCTrRe8Bur3RLfHCubaeHG8aSj-SnbPrGPVIZgfeDaA3tdW7pnWT5vpQ4zH8L8Glscuw1MG3iz0etqC4jPQXPsPwaU-DWNISfVtphaoU9h7EZnbUq4ZtseAYsHweMh4Rh35nykro/s640/Hammond+Seat+cluster+Small.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4243550404949512918.post-68852283997565128742011-04-15T19:09:00.000-04:002011-04-15T19:09:45.359-04:00Greg Curnoe Bike Photo of the Day #1: HeadtubeNoah is sending me one photo of the bike per day. This is both because he is looking out for me (I am submitting my thesis on Monday and need to focus) and because he has a sick sense of humour (I want to see them all!) But this should make for compelling blog-reading for the next little while. Here is Photo #1, which I think already presents a strong case for Greg Curnoe Bike being <i>the nicest bike of all time</i>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMvEtqdypOU-fs_VkOiGvXC3M2g_zrM2WPjuAvBGdB5XejkjEdVsUhs1BDhSO8nag9HMtesAM7UMb_M2z1a9nuHg1-49yxvGrK0FG7jwMl7o3ySLn-viHBMcCjygxyrXbVdYoNv4iHyc/s1600/Hammond+headtube.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMvEtqdypOU-fs_VkOiGvXC3M2g_zrM2WPjuAvBGdB5XejkjEdVsUhs1BDhSO8nag9HMtesAM7UMb_M2z1a9nuHg1-49yxvGrK0FG7jwMl7o3ySLn-viHBMcCjygxyrXbVdYoNv4iHyc/s640/Hammond+headtube.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>AHhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03122792478866813896noreply@blogger.com1