Jan,
That sounds very exciting! I would very much like to meet Ron Cooper, Roland Della Santa and Mark Nobilette. I have long admired the work of Ron Cooper and maybe I can learn a little something about frame number 213 which is part of my personal collection. I'm CURIOUS if GEORGE remembers that Mexicali-San Filipe ride back in the 80's. I remember him. Those rides were a GAS! 200km of FLAT out hammering. Was that the year the road was washed out for about 4 brutal miles?
I've heard that some of these guys are crackpots. That Baylis character always looks like he just stuck his finger in a light socket. I've heard he doesn't get out much and likes to make fake booggers out of silly putty to fling at people during these events. Do you really have to let that riff-raff in amongst the REAL framebuilders? And Bruce Gordon. He looks just like Joe Bell(or vice versa)! How are we supposed to know which one of them it really is?? Joe Bell has never been rude to me; but niether has Bruce Gordon, even though I have a little pinbutton that says he was.
I'm tempted to attend. I guess I better get started. It's a long haul to SF from San Diego on a skateboard. Can we collect autographs? I hear they're going to auction off one of Ron Coopers original tattered shop aprons from 1956. I really hope to win it. I would cherish it forever!
Seriously folks, BE THERE!!!
The Dwarf of La Mesa
Underabridge, CA
We're busy putting the finishing touches on the "Legends of Frame building" event this Friday evening from 6:30 to 9:30pm at the Radisson Sierra Point Hotel in Brisbane, CA. This event benefits the Thunderhead Alliance, a nationwide cycling advocacy organization. I am so excited to be bringing so many luminaries from the bicycle frame business together for an evening of discussion, camraderie, beer and appetizers, and some really great storytelling. Former Pro and Olympic cyclist George Mount will play Master of Ceremonies.
If you are on the fence about whether you should attend, hopefully this list of 'Who's Who' from the frame building world will persuade you to come join in the festivities. Go to http://www.veloswap.com and check out all the details. Tickets are sold at the door. Credit goes to Dale Brown and his Classic Rendezvous website, which is where I sniped some of the bio information.
Read and enjoy-
Jan Johnson Portola Valley, CA
- - - Campagnolo Bianchi Serotta "LEGENDS OF FRAME BUILDING"
GEORGE MOUNT, MASTER OF CEREMONIES
George is a true legend of American cycling, having competed at the highest level of both amateur and professional racing. He won Mt. Hamilton and Mt. Tamalpais in 1974, rode in the Pan Am games in 1975, and represented the U.S. at the Olympics in 1976, earning a sixth place finish. Riding for the National Team, George won the 1978 Coors Classic and was on the Gold Medal winning team at the 1979 Pan Am Games. Beginning in 1980, George rode professionally in Italy for three years, and finished two Giros in 20th and 25th place. During his career George competed in five world championships, and won over 200 races.
BRIAN BAYLIS Brian Baylis is a survivor of many changes in the bicycle business. Despite fad after fad, he has stayed in a refined, traditional direction and his work has always represented the highest standard available. He began riding bikes in 1973 and started the artful side of bicycle by making frames at Masi California, in their beginnings in the USA. After Masi, he worked in a partnership with Mike Howard making Wizard branded frames. For some years now Brian has painted and restored others' bikes (some call him the absolute best!) and he makes a very, very few, very special bikes.
KELLY BEDFORD Kelly has been with Serotta Competition Bicycles since 1987, where he is currently the chief frame builder and lead designer. Kelly is a master of all forms of frame building, including the special fillet-brazed and lugged construction used in the steel CSi model. For purists, steel represents the essence of frame construction, and with the Csi, Serotta honors a great tradition by building one of the most beautiful and sophisticated frames on the planet, a marriage of best-of-breed technology and Old World craftsmanship.
RON COOPER Ron has been building frames since he was fifteen years old, starting in 1947 when he began a full apprenticeship at Gillott Cycles in London. He learned his craft from the finest frame builders in England, most notably Jim Collier. He was an avid racing cyclist, and was selected for the National Cycling Team, The R.A.F. Cycling Team, and later, for the London Center Team in the 1952 Tour of Britain. In 1967, Ron left A.S. Gillott to build frames under his own name, and by 1970 he set up a small shop in London. Ron continues to work today in Dartford, about 20 minutes from his old shop.
ROLAND DELLA SANTA Roland is the builder who crafted Greg Lemond's early frames. Never obsessed with mass-market appeal, he quietly builds excellent frames for some of the best riders in America. It looks like Roland is coming into the 21st century, at least electronically, at http://www.dellasanta.com . He's still thankfully stuck in the last century when he builds his bikes. He does really fantastic work.
BRUCE GORDON With over 25 years experience, Bruce Gordon brings a wealth of knowledge to the frame building craft. Bruces lugged frame bikes are among the most original in form and refined in assembly. Riders ordering Gordon Custom Lugged Frames can choose from "Old School Materials" (the old stamped steel lugs and tubing from the 1970's), or modern investment-cast lugs and oversize tubing. All frames are custom silver-brazed, and can be designed for racing, casual riding, commuting, touring, track, or just about any type of riding.
MARK NOBILETTE Mark Nobilette continues the tradition of European quality craftsmanship combined with U.S. technological materials development and design innovation. His preparation began with study in metallurgy, and Mark began building bicycle frames in 1973 after a course in framebuilding, and an apprenticeship with California frame builder Albert Eisentraut. Mark is certified to build with Reynolds 753 and 853 tubing and Nobilette bicycles have been chosen by many top-ranked racers and triathletes.
PETER JOHNSON Peter built his first steel road frame in 1973, when he was only 16 years old. He liked the look of polished Cro-Moly steel so much that he never painted it. Over the years, Peter experimented with different materials and made frames using carbon fiber, titanium, aluminum, and metal matrix, but his heart and soul still remains with the lugged steel frame. All told, Peter has built around 100 frames during his career, including a vehicle that he raced in the International Human Powered Speed Championships and a frame that was used to win a UCI World Mountain Bike Championship in the early '90s.
ED LITTON Ed got his first racing bike in 1965, when he was 11 years old. He started racing as a Junior a few years later, then made the transition to Senior racing at 18. While Ed was working at REI, Bernie Mikkelsen asked if he'd be interested in building a bicycle, and Ed proceeded to build not one but three frames. He was hooked. In 1981, when he made a visit to Albert Eisentraut's workshop to purchase some tubing, Albert asked him if he'd be interested in buying "anything else". Ed left the shop with most of Albert's tooling and supplies, as Albert had confessed to Ed that he would no longer be making bike frames. This was the fortunate moment that marked the beginning of Eds career as a custom frame builder.
JEFF LYON Growing up in California, Jeff found out that top quality bikes didn't come from a factory, but were built by hand. He set out to discover how it was done, and at the age of 18 Jeff went to England for what was to become a seven-year stay. During that time he apprenticed under the great frame builder Bill Philbrook. Working together, they built frames for professional European racers and designed experimental frames and tandems. Jeff's work became well-known back home in the Bay Area where he was exporting his frames from England. Jeff also sold tandems he designed and built for Bud's Bike Shop in Claremont. These bikes later became known as Santana. Jeff returned to the U.S. and established a reputation in the Seattle bike community before moving to Southern Oregon, where Lyonsport is now headquartered.
JOE BREEZE Over the past thirty-plus years Joe Breeze has invented and reinvented bicycles and bicycling in many forms. From his first mountain bikes and legendary performances in the Repack downhill event, to the recent development of the Breezer Town Bike series, Joe has made significant and lasting contributions to bicycling, not only as a sport but also as a lifestyle. Breezer Bicycles is a strong supporter of the Thunderhead Alliance and other cycling advocacy organizations and efforts.
JOHN MURPHY Columbine Cycle Works began as many small businesses do. An idea became a hobby, the hobby became an obsession, the obsession a way of life. John and Richard Murphy founded Columbine in 1979 with the goal of producing one of the finest bicycles in the world. All Columbine frames are 100% custom, and are designed specifically for each customers anatomy, riding style, intended use and aesthetic desires. Columbine bicycles come in a wide range of decoration, from the elegant classical simplicity of the Custom series to the exquisitely detailed features of the Ultra series.