I too am a big fan of Chris Bishop's work. I first saw his frames at last years NAHBS. After drooling on his frames, we had a little chat. Later that weekend I had a separate conversation with Stephen Bilenky. Over the course of the summer I found myself going back and forth on the notion of trying to create a "real" custom bike. Towards summers end, I decided to see if it could be made a reality. I went to Interbike, met with some folks and within a few hours the groundwork was in place for a project that for the past several months has put me and nearly everyone else involved in this boondoggle into rabbit hole like no other. (Albeit a great rabbit hole!) The fact that I am able to write this email today, only a few short months later, is a testament to an enormous amount of dedication from a lot of people who have done an amazing job of working in tandem.
About 6 hours ago the FedEx truck pulled up with two boxes freshly shipped from the master of the paint booth: Joe Bell. One box contained a frameset by Chris Bishop, the other a frameset by Bilenky Cycle Works. These will both be at NAHBS next week and I am really looking forward to sharing these with all of you.
My wife Shelly and I commissioned and coordinated the creation of a truly unique pair of his and hers constructeur town bicycles. These bicycles are truly \u201cconstructeur\u201d in nature \u2013 virtually every component of each bicycle will be custom fabricated by some of cycling\u2019s most storied companies. We believe that this is the first time a modern, non-racing constructeur bicycle has been built in nearly 50 years.
Constructeur bicycles gained popularity in post-WWII France, thanks to renowned builders like Rene Herse and Alex Singer. But the landscape of cycling is very different than it was 50+ years ago. While we are celebrating the historical legacy of the constructeur bicycle, we are also embracing today\u2019s cycling world. We hope to achieve the quintessential statement by approaching this project from a contemporary perspective \u2013 one that utilizes modern technology and embraces the participation of craftsmen across nationalities.
Additionally, an integral part of this project is to help the public to better understand the complete process of manufacturing a bicycle, component by component. We are excited to showcase a process that is much more than the simple act of a walking into a bicycle shop and presenting a credit card.
Aesthetically, the mixte frame (Shelly's) will have an Art Deco feel, while my frame is more Art Nouveau.
Regards,
Brett Horton
San Francisco, California USA