So, I'm tooling down the road on my '73? Cinelli at the Great Peanut Ride. I catch up with an unusually short and somewhat "saftig" woman. But, darnit, although she's of a "certain age," with pacemaker and asthma, she's riding along, thoroughly enjoying her ride and the day, on a wonderful bike.
She's riding a striking blue KOF frame whose downtube proudly sports the maker's name: Dale Brown. A tiny, lovely, and nicely proportioned bike (26" = 559mm wheels, for example), and she's just delighted to show off the beautiful lug work. Turns out, she says, that this was the next-to-last one Esteemed ListMeister built (at least for sale). And she does rave about Dale, for whom her son raced. So, I asked a few questions, but all the answers were all the same. The conversation sortta went like this: H(arvey): Lovely bike. R(ider): Thank you. H: I know Dale Brown, and really like and respect him. I see him every year at his "Cirque." R: Dale is great. Built this just for me. Completely custom for me. H: What size wheels are those? R: Custom, for me, by Dale Brown. ... and so it went: My few questions all got the same response: "Custom, for me, by Dale."
There are lessons to be learned: (1) Riders can have great joy and great pride, without immersing themselves in the arcana we all love. There are "romantics" as well as "classicists," to use the Pirsig metaphor. (2) Dale does good work, and Dale does good. Dale earns loyalty.
May the winds be at his back.
harvey sachs
mcLean va