Obviously, Peter loves guitars as much as me. unlike Peter, I think that guitars hanging in a museum collection is about as unfulfilling as it can
be, and rather uncomplimentary to the evolution of tone that a guitar can acquire with being played. As a pre digital photographer, a Leica rangefinder could hardly be found because most lived in the safe of collectors. In the same way, the 'ultimate bike', IMHO, is the one that is ridden the most, cared for, and relied upon to provide it's user with a most efficient and productive ride- an truly complete aesthetic experience. I can appreciate the perfect restoration, also the most beautiful and care to detail in the build, but the final patina of use really does it for me. This is the nature of the functional object the way I see it.
I really appreciated Kevin Kruger's argument for using the clad cable in
his Hurlow,
> If this bike was simply going to be hung on a wall, then I would have
> used uncovered casing,,,,,but as with all my bikes, it will be an
> actual daily rider. Would be such a shame to simply take photos of
> it and not ride it.
gabriel romeu in a rainy chesterfield nj USA
Peter Jourdain wrote:
> Greetings, CR Mates---
>
>
> Ever since I got into this hobby I've secretly wished for some
> well-funded patron of the art of bicycle craftsmanship to do what the
> late Scott Chinery did with acoustic archtop guitars----give the best
> builders in the world a "blank check" budget and let them push their
> talents and build (in their own individual view) THE finest guitar
> ever.
>
> I believe Chinery's only requirements were that the project be an
> acoustic archtop (probably the formate that offers the most aesthetic
> potential for the builded) and that it be BLUE.
>
> This "competition" resulted in THE BLUE GUITARS, which has become a
> permanent museum collection and engendered a book and much publicity
> for hand-made guitars.
>
>
> http://www.themomi.org/
>
>
> I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT SAME THING DONE WITH HAND-BUILT BICYCLES.
>
> Of course the bikes would not HAVE to be BLUE, but, hey, we've
> already got one blue beauty made on spec----Brian Baylis's Aerotour.
> And come to think of it, Peter Weigle's Randonneur, which won Best in
> Show at this year's Cirque, is a steelish blue, too.
>
> On second thought, perhaps the "classical" bicycle equivalent of an
> archtop guitar might be a TRACK bicycle and not a "tourer." But we'll
> leave the format to the patron, since it's his or her checkbook.
>
> So, com'on OH GREAT, GRAND PATRON OF THE HANDBUILT BICYCLE----I KNOW
> YOU'RE OUT THERE----HOW 'BOUT SPONSORING A "BLUE BICYCLE" COLLECTION?
>
>
> Warm regards,
>
>
> Peter Jourdain Whitewater, Wisconsin USA
>
>
>
>
> Classicrendezvous mailing list Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> http://www.bikelist.org/
>
>
--
gabriel l romeu
± http://studiofurniture.com Ø http://journalphoto.org ±