A couple months ago, I noticed this frame sitting in Glen's shop. I mentioned it on the Elephant blog here. It's beautifully done -- fillet brazed with a standard diameter top tube, True Temper front triangle. Glen built it because a customer of his gave him a Ritchey Logic fork from the 90's and he wanted a bike for those famous forks.
Most of Glen's bikes are TIG'd. Sometimes he'll fillet braze a bottom bracket. The whole front triangle on this one is fillet-brazed. And it's pretty exceptional. It's a skill/art that takes time even when you know what you are doing.
Anyway I didn't think about the bike again until I went to his shop the other night and saw the bike back from the powder coater. The color is really mellow blue in a cool matte finish. I think the low-key, matte color makes the contours around the welds look even more remarkable.
So, this morning, I go to his shop and he's got it all built up and rad looking with drop bars. I'm already a sucker for 26" wheels, but the drop bars make it awesomer yet. He says he's not sure what to do with it. He says something like, "it's basically a road a bike with 26" wheels," and how that's not very interesting to people.
So there's that. If I were still a highroller, I would've bought it on the spot. This is my perfect bike. This whole "road bike with 26" wheels" thing is what got me obsessed about cycling as an adult -- about 10 years ago...
I pin him down on the geometry, which he has in BikeCad.
Sure enough, Glen has pretty much built a 1993 Bridgestone XO-1, but awesomer in exactly the right spots, with a shorter rear-triangle and a lower bottom bracket.
Dig it:
Elephant
|
93 X0-1
|
|
ST/HT angle
|
73/72
|
73/73
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ST length
|
54
|
55
|
TT length
|
56
|
56.5
|
Stand over
|
800
|
797
|
Chainstay
|
410
|
425
|
Drop
|
50
|
45
|
He'll probably ride it around the block or on a ride or two, but if you are interested or if you know anyone that loves this style of bike: it's for sale. Contact me if you are interested. (SOLD).
5 comments:
is that StumpJumper Blue?
yeah. very close. though the SJ blue i'm thinking of is a bit lighter/brighter.
Actually, Stine is right on the money. John is think of the second blue.
Glenn do payment plans? Lol. Beautiful bike.
Good looking bike with a happy new owner. Sweet.
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