Dear Classicists:
I would like to buy a Belgian lugged steel frame and fork, approx. 59cm to 60 cm top tube, center to center, with horizontal rear dropouts. I plan to assemble a one-speed bike for my own use.
I love lugged steel frame bikes, and can't say why. My screen saver is a lugged steel bike, made by a KOF.
On July 14, 1971, I arrived in Diepenbeek, Belgium as an exchange student. For the next two weeks, from every television and café in Belgium, came the shouts, "Allez Eddy!" I had no idea what cycling was about, except that Eddy Merckx was riding in the Tour de France and was the national hero.
For the next 12 months I rode my Flandria everywhere, rain or
shine. I learned that bikes tend to fall down hard when fast cornering on wet Belgian cobblestones. At the end of my 12 month stay, I left the Flandria with my host family.
Fast forward 37 years to Spring 2008. My college age
daughter Katie and
I found a nice Nishiki lugged steel frame and fork, circa 1984, at Bikes
for Kids in San Rafael, just north of San Francisco. We stripped the
parts and the old paint, then applied many coats of primer, color and
clear coat. Stuck it in a warm closet to cure the spray can paint job.
Then bought a bunch of cool components and assembled Katie's Fixed gear
Nishiki, which you may admire at
http://fixedgeargallery.com/
Having put so many hours into her bike, Katie feels 1000% more
ownership than if she or I had just bought one assembled.
My current bikes are not Classic or KOF, so I omit that information here. I like to ride. The area where my wife and I live, Marin County, has great weather and both hills and flats.
Neil J. Moran
San Rafael, California