Here is a brief story about why McLean bikes are so highly regarded in Texas. I also double checked my facts with Dr. Lee Etier who still lives in Ft. Worth, Tx. A small statured man of Irish descent named Patrick Kelly moved to Ft. Worth, Tx. from North Carolina with a McLean bike in tow. He apparently was good friends with McLean. I grew up with Dr. Etier in Ft. Worth and saw the McLean many many times and even wheelsucked the thing on several rides.
There was also a married couple with a McLean tandem rolling around town. Unfortunately they got divorced and the story is that that bike got sold and later distroyed in a tragic downhill accident in Georgia because of front brake failure (not frame failure).
Locals saw these 2 bikes and as a result started ordering through Joe Young who owned a bike shop in FW. Us Texans know a good thing when we see it. And that is why my online cycling friends, a lot of McLean frames were sold in the great state of Texas.
Going to Fort Worth next weekend........
Keith Kessel Shreveport, La. USA
On Sat, January 31, 2009 9:14 am, Dale Brown wrote:
>
> Congrats to the new owner, I am glad a CR member will be the new
> guardian, and my thanks for the huge interest in this beautiful frame
> set...(I could have sold a dozen based on the response!)
>
> It is especially gratifying to see so many of you who understand and
> appreciate McLean Fonvielle's work. Of course there are quite a few
> brilliant builders, quite a few reading this list (which is great, we
> should have an appreciation day for you guys!) but it's nice when 30 +
> years later, at least a small group of cognoscenti acknowledge that
> someone did good craftwork.
>
> As some of you know, McLean was a wonderful personal friend of mine. He
> was an unassuming guy who had an aesthetic approach to his frames much
> like Jim Merz reflected in his recent message. A direct, elegant and
> functional style that did not embrace high elaboration but rather focused
> on clean lines amd functionality. It is easy to be attracxted to razzle
> dazzle, while it takes a special eye and a bit of savvy to see the
> strength of this approach.
>
> So, let's celebrate our cycling craft persons, both past & present!
>
>
> Thanks
> Dale
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Dale Brown
> cycles de ORO Bike Shop 1410 Mill Street
> Greensboro, North Carolina 27408 USA
> 336-274-5959
> http://cyclesdeoro.com
> http://www.classicrendezvous.com
> http://www.carolinacup.com
> http://www.greensborovelo.com
> http://www.bikegso.org
> http://nbda.com