[CR]A trip to Doug Fattic's Workshop

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From: Tom Sanders <tsan7759142@comcast.net>
To: "Classicrendezvous@Bikelist.Org" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2005 17:53:10 -0500
Thread-Index: AcUaw5ywPkCuL4QnRzq1RcQOxJ4m7w==
Subject: [CR]A trip to Doug Fattic's Workshop

Peter Naiman came East and I went West and we met at Doug Fattic's workshop this morning. We got a great guided tour, more than a little education, and took Doug out to breakfast. He sure wins the award for the most interesting shop building. It looks like a Hollywood '30s hacienda out behind his house (Lots of room for it, the house sets on 7 lovely acres). It was crammed packed with heavy duty tools and bikes of all kinds and ages. I was pleasantly surprised to see that most of Doug's bikes were not the over the top lugs that I had seen in pictures, in fact most brought to mind the wonderfully thinned lugs I had always associated with Chris Kvale, and that the paint on most was more conservative than I had expected ( ya, I know I'm a stick in the mud about paint...I can't cotton up to most radical paint jobs on a bicycle). And what paint! This guy does some seriously great paint. He showed us some real treasures, the greatest of which was almost certainly a John Berry with as beautiful a set of lugs as I have ever seen. Such delicacy! The bottom bracket was the finest I have ever seen! I have pics of this bike if anyone wants to see it...drop me a message off list. I mean, this bike made us want to get up and dance! There was a very tall 65cm black chrome and metallic grey Fattic bike with wonderfully thinned out lugs there that I am trying to set a buddy up with, too. I guess the black chrome was about $1000 extra when new. Life in the fast lane. Peter and I got to handle everything and make appreciative noises all morning! We looked over his famous Ukraine Model bike and came to the conclusion that America needs a City Bike like this. I have a pic of that, too if anyone is interested. It was no where near as heavy as one might guess looking at with it's smooth Chain protector and oversize hubs. I'm going to price one soon. Doug was a really friendly and low key host who was most generous with his considerable knowledge and a good time was had by all. The man is charming.
Tom Sanders
Lansing, Mi