Physical beauty. No matter how we like to think otherwise it is often the eye that leads the heart and mind. As the bicycle starts taking shape the emotion deepens and the accomplishment of each step gains its full appreciation. This morning the fork crown lug edges were tidied up, the blades cut to length, the alignment checked on the jig and rechecked on a wheel, then all welding areas prepared and then finally it's all brazed into place.
Nice set of legs there (even without cleaning off the flux).
Nice even brazing with no overheating, underfill or overfill here...
Pretty clean from this angle as well.
With the forks done we head off to the Bisbee Bicycle Brothel. On the way there's time for a stop at Tombstone for man-food to feed the men who have forged metal with fire - ie burger and chips (with Pecan ice cream on a waffle cone to go please).
Nice stretch of the American Wild West in Tombstone (between the Lincoln and Chevy truck parked at either end of the block).
The OK Corral and the Birdcage Theatre on the same stretch of road. This is the place of gunslingers, gold, sunshine, and pretty ladies...
Bisbee is a very pretty little town set up into the mountains with narrow winding streets that seem to connect people. So different from the wide open roads that serve to connect places. Could easily spend a lot more time here.
However we are here to visit the Bisbee Bicycle Brothel which is basically where its proprietor, Ken Wallace, stashes his awesome bicycle collection. Ken is a real vintage enthusiast and hardly anything is for sale. So take a look around but don't expect to take her home with you (psst Ken in that sense it's a strip tease and not a brothel). I took a look around while Ken and Dave talked shop.
I'm excited...
Now this is what I call a collection. When you walk though the front door there are Alex Singer and Waterford touring bikes directly in front of you and a Pegoretti, Alex Moulton, and Cinelli Mod B (in original condition with full Altenberger group including brakeset!) directly to your right.
That just covers first five bikes...
So much history here...
Check out the cool bike with the basket and parallelogram suspension fork.
Anti-dive suspension forks have clearly been around for a long time...
1950's Cinelli Mod B in original condition.
Who's that overweight, cigarette-smoking dude that needs to lay off the weed?
Dario Pegoretti.
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