Speaking of things French reminds me of the bike that Phil Brown brought and rode at the Hetchins Heaven event at Jimmie Thomsons house this last weekend. It is a Ph. Brown (related) that Phil constructed in the hallowed Singer/Herse tradition of the fifties and sixties that would bring a tear drop to your eye.
I think it gains Phil instant entry into the "still-living demigod" club.
Chuck "can you say démultiplicateur?" Schmidt South Pasadena, California
Douglas R. Brooks wrote:
>
> > Ahhh... a new list! Who do we nominate for still-living demigods?
>
> Wrote the Exalted In His Own Right Chuck:
> > Brian Baylis and Richie Sachs are obvious choices. Any others with
> > "god-like" qualities?
>
> M. Ernst Csuka still finishes the Alex Singer bikes, though he
> no longer makes the frames (and never did, that being his brother's
> job and he is no more) and, say what one will about oldSinger/modernSinger,
> the "French touring bike" (rather than the modern versions, like
> Gordon, even Rivendell, etc) is a work of art with the lights and
> racks both custom, and the perfect fender lines, etc.
> To this list I would surely add Mike Barry whose Mariposa is as
> lovely, efficient and classic an example as any and, to my eye,
> more than the equal to Singer. Mike makes "carriers"/racks
> that are so handsome you just want to not carry things on them
> so you can look at them. I suppose we meant classic builders
> of vintage lightweight-like lugged steel bikes mostly, but these
> are two living examples of Great Ones in the
> tradition of Herse and Singer (say, in contrast to Confente).
> Add to that what a swell guy is Mike Barry and that he is
> a List Member, I think, but one who rarely gets to all the
> mail (also something upon which I speculate but all I mean
> is that you can do no better for bikes or people, like palRS).
>
> perfect weekend here and happy to be working on my spotted
> glove tan (crocheted cotton/leather palms)
> which, as we all know, is a badge of honor in our
> little world,
> Douglas Brooks
> Canandaigua, NY