This posting is to thank Mr. Deeter for his thoughtful response to Bruce Gordon. As the wife of a framebuilder, who is extremely passionate about his work, I can assure you that we do think about bicycles as a business. It is the business that puts food on our table and clothes on our children.
Litton cycles does not have a 401k, a pension plan or an IRA, we do have health insurance because we qualified for a reduced rate through Kaiser because of our "low income." That low rate ends in July of this year and we will then be paying over $700.00 per month for health coverage alone. Sounds like a lot of business is going to have to happen to pay for that.
People think nothing of stopping by my husbands shop to say hello or show him their latest new purchase. Ed never tells people that he needs to get back to work because he hasn't made the rent on the shop yet. I always tell him to be firm with people, to tell them that he's not at work on Saturday and Sunday because it's so "fun." He feels that the people that he is kind to today might tomorrow order a frame or at least bring their old one in for refurbishing. Happily that is sometimes the case. Ed almost never posts to the list because there are not enough hours in the day for things not related to his business or his family.
I'm the first person to think that bikes are cool and so are many of the people who make them but if people want the KOF's to be around they need to support them. Having an early 80's Ed Litton or Bruce Gordon frame might be neat but is sure doesn't help with Bruce and Ed's current situation. Ed does what he does because he loves what he does and is extremely proud of his work.
Finally, thank you to Bruce for buying Eddie lunch today, he wouldn't have eaten otherwise.
Julie Litton
I still need to check my lottery ticket
El Cerrito, CA