A Saturday Outing.

Lorna B. guarding the Filson double cruiser. 

We arrived at Kvale Cycles late Saturday morning with components for the upcoming build - brakes, crankset, bottom bracket, headset, brake hanger, wheelset with tires, fenders, and rear rack. As Chris was going through the basket, handling all the shiny bits piece by piece, he noticed the V.O. Grand Cru headset. He said he had just installed one and he gave it high marks, serious praise from a man who tends to be leery of anything "new and improved". I noticed there was also a set of wide V.O. hammered fenders sitting loose on a wheelset along the wall, which I assume are for the same bike. They look pretty good too. Personally I favor the tradition Lefol pattern, but that is just personal preference. I certainly wouldn't feel bad about having the V.O.s on my bike. V.O. has certainly filled a void in the bicycle world.

We went over earlier absolutely firm set-in-stone decisions which I've changed in the past week or two. For instance we fusted, measured and agonized over how to mount the pump. It is a traditional long (Silca) frame pump, which Chris refers to as an "adult pump", as opposed to the handy one foot "child's pump", or the three inch "baby pump", which looks suspiciously like a cell phone. This is a typical  Kvaleizm. These are little nuggets which are bits of humor delivered as advice. For instance, "The rear brake is mostly to give your right hand something to do when you are actually braking with the left." Later he will deny he ever said it, but Erik Noren keeps a file of them in his memory. Anyway, back to the pump. I want to grab the bike by the top-tube and really don't like the double top-tube look. I also don't want the seat-tube CKC logo obscured - a thought that obviously Chris seemed to warm up to. Eventually we worked out a nice clean behind the seat-tube mount. The pump will virtually disappear 

Frames and bikes just hanging around.

I also positively, absolutely finalized the paint colors. It's much easier when you can actually look at color samples painted on round tubes in strong natural light. I went with the absolutely firm, final, these-are-the- colors-for-certain, dark red and tan. The red is dark, not quite as dark as "pigeon blood", but still pretty dark. The cream also moved toward more of a tan, which will be pearlescent (not the red). Chris, who admittedly doesn't like red, pronounced the combination "elegant" and  wrote down the numbers,  with a small question mark by each one. So little faith.   

A box of bits

More steel stuff : CKC 1101

A newly finished Atala restoration waiting for pick up. The photo doesn't do justice to this bicycle. I almost changed my color choice. Again.

For those who are keeping track, there were no McLean or Silk Hope frames in the shop waiting for paint.

      Next, a visit to Erik Noren at Peacock Groove.