Greetings Listmembers:
First, I apologize for not following up on my report of both the "Gino de Italia" ride/gathering and the "Joe Bell Colnago Super" ride. Along with some persisting computer related difficulties, I have been SUPER busy trying to get work done and jobs completed in addition to making preparations for the expansion of my operation. The name of the new "division" of Baylis Cycles will probably be "Vintage Cycle Specialties" and will be a partnership seperate from Baylis Cycles. There will be some interesting and exciting news forthcomming that will be of extreme interest to anyone interested in vintage (or even to some degree modern) bikes. I will address this as time permits.
I would like to announce the focus for my seminar at Velo Rendezvous which will soon be upon us. The framebuilding seminar will take place on Friday of the event as it did last year. There has been some discussion of this topic on the list recently, and I'm certain there is more to come. I believe we all had fun with this last year, and I know that I enjoyed the session myself.
This year I plan to attempt to shed some light upon the subject of creativity and craftsmanship in framebuilding. I believe this is especially important as I am most convinced that we have entered a new era of steel frame appreciation. The trend for builders and companies to start to "cash in" on the golden era of framebuilding by building "psudo-retro" frames has already begun and I would like to discuss the elements of true craftsmanship and creativity so that potential buyers know what they are getting for their money. These outfits feel that now they can get big money for frames just because it is made of steel and has lugs. We will discuss getting value for your money and how to recognize the real deal from those who are using names that USED to be associated with world class construction but have long since given up doing the whole job in favor of the easier and more profitable approaches or build frames to meet a price point. The differences are what Kurt Goodrich mentioned as "apples" and "oranges". Which are apples and which are oranges? I intend to begin establishing the lines by which we all can make the determinations ourselves. The first step will be to learn to ignore the decal on the down tube and look for yourself at the level of involvement in the framebuilding process that is evident on the frame. Some basic elements of style and details that make frames individual will be discussed. Some of the "classics" will be studied along with some modern works. I hope to be able to impart enough information to those who attend to give everyone "a new pair of eyes" with which to look at bike frames. Both apples AND oranges have their place in the market, but what are those places? Both serve a specific purpose and are perfectly valid, but there are differences that seperate those who love the craft of constructing world class frames and those who do it from a business standpoint.
I encourage anyone who is planning to attend to bring some questions or a favorite bike that we can look over and doplomatically critique for the purposes of learning more about the vintage or modern masterpieces we all love. I'm sure everyone will learn a lot about what seperates one frame from another. Hope to see everyone there!
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA