Hello all! My name is Isaac, and would like to finally formally introduce myself. I have been on this email list for a month now but have not had time to do so. I am a 26 year old bike messenger who lives and works in Philadelphia. I started to become interested in classic lightweights about a year ago. I have a degree in photography and a strong appreciation towards art history and craftsmenship. After spending a few painful years in the commercial artworld and a bad break up with a girlfriend I was really ready to lose it. A friend offered me a job working for his courrier company and I have never gone back to the standard 9-5 world. During slow days all the other courriers would hang out in Rittenhouse Square (a ritzy park in the center of the city) and talk about frames, gear ratios, who their favorite builder was etc. At first I had no idea what they wre talking about, but I swore that this was just a job, I wouldnt get so caught up in bikes as they were. Yet here I am 2.5 years later, still riding every day, and now a member of the classic rendezvous email list. My daily ride is a bridgestone track bike but I also am building up a San Rensho track bike that I recently accuired on a trip to Tokyo. (If anyone has any information regarding dating by seriel #'s or any information regarding the Yoshi Konno to Makino transition please feel free to email me since I think it would be considered off topic). I also have a 1963 schwinn paramount (I beleive it is a p-10) serial # M79 built up with a hodge-podge of campy parts from the 60's and 70's as well as a like new full campy 1974 p-13, serial# F7485. Thanks for including me in this, I am learning so much every day.
Isaac Schell
from Philadelphia PA