so much...
When I moved to NYC ten years ago, I had come from Eugene, Oregon. In Eugene I rode my old beat up mountain bike everywhere - it was a Univega Alpina Pro that I bought used and it took me to class and to work and on weekend jaunts along the McKenzie river. I gave up cycling when I moved to NYC - I guess it was a combination of not having money for a bike at the time, not knowing where things were, and having the hell scared out of me by the way people were driving.
Anyway, I eventually got a new bike, a Casati road bike and started doing laps in Prospect Park - I also started doing long rides with local groups - NYCC, 5BBC and maybe a few others. At the same time I bought that red road bike, I bought a skimpy little book, Long Distance Cycling by Rodale press - the publishers of Bicycling Magazine. The first chapter was about Paris Brest Paris and the thoughts of that ride stuck with me.
I have decided to try and do the PBP ride in 2007. I had been mulling the idea over and then read an article in Bicycling Magazine by Chris Carmichael advising people to set a cycling goal for 2007 that they might not be able to accomplish...and to tell people about it. Well now you all know.
For this attempt, I have been searching for a comfortable randonneuring bike that I could get in a relatively short time frame - I imagine that I can handle the 200K and 300K brevets on my road racing bike, but 400K is going to start feeling long on race geometry. I feel like I must have researched every custom and stock bike out there in the attempt to find something right.
I started out thinking about the Surly Long Haul Trucker - which has a great reputation as a touring bike and seems sturdily built. It was just too ugly, mostly a problem with the graphics and the pukey colors it comes in this year.
Next thoughts were about the Rivendell Atlantis - not quite right it seemed a bit beefier than I needed and I sort of felt like you join a cult when you buy a Rivendell. I might have to grow a beard or put on a 20 lb. pot belly...or both!
At some point I discovered the Kogswell P/R - a porteur/randonneuring frame based on an old bike and running the unusual 650b tire size. I was all set to go with this lovely, thoughtfully laid out bike, but finally decided that the largest available size was going to leave too much seatpost and stem sticking up above the frame...a look that I find ungraceful in the extreme. I have to say that Matthew at Kogswell was generous, thoughtful, and very helpful even when it turned out that his bike was not going to be quite right for me. These look like great bikes!
Next I started considering a custom Waterford. They make lovely bikes and the history of modern American cycling goes right to their doorstep. Unfortunately, Waterford doesn't have a shop that reps them here in NYC - they offered to work through any bike shop that I chose, but in the end this proved problematic as the bike shops tend to want to sell what they know and I quickly decided that the middleman was getting in the way of communicating what I wanted to the builder. The bike shop had their own ideas about what I wanted, or ought to want, I suppose.
At some point, I found an old link in my "favorites" column that led me to Jitensha Studio in California. They make a very nice all around bike called the "ebisu" - I actually met somebody riding one of these bikes (the lime green one shown below) during a Brooklyn Critical Mass ride last summer. There were things not quite right for my purposes in the frame and the time frame to do a custom bike was not really going to work for me. I have heard wonderful things about Jitensha Studio and their bikes....I am sure they are fantastic.
Who else did I go through in my research? Thorn Cycles, Mercian, Bob Jackson, I sent email to Jan Heine at Vintage Bicyle Press about a Singer. I investigated Moyer Cycles, Vanilla, Curt Goodrich, Johnny Coast, Independent Fabrication... and I am sure I am leaving a few out!
Well - Velo Orange had a link to a few frame builders that they considered to be the dream builders for randonneuring bikes. One of which was Hampsten Cycles, run by Steve Hampsten. I gave them a call and ended up talking to Steve (who answered the phone - good sign!) for about 30 minutes. It turns out that we have lots of mutual friends in Seattle and New York. Steve was charming and knowledgeable and suggested a number of other builders who might be able to meet my time frame or sell me an older rando bike in great condition. Steve truly did build one of the most beautiful bikes I have seen in a long time you can take a look here - click on the last set of images where it says "Tournesol Randonneuse 700c". Wow!
In the end I ordered a new Rivendell bike called the A. Homer Hilsen (AHH). There are some things about it that I think will not be quite right - but it should do just fine for the short term...and maybe it will be better than I ever imagined. The bike should arrive in the next 10-12 weeks, so I am going to get busy growing that beard and pot belly! (And maybe ordering a Hampsten Tournesol!)
Anyway, I eventually got a new bike, a Casati road bike and started doing laps in Prospect Park - I also started doing long rides with local groups - NYCC, 5BBC and maybe a few others. At the same time I bought that red road bike, I bought a skimpy little book, Long Distance Cycling by Rodale press - the publishers of Bicycling Magazine. The first chapter was about Paris Brest Paris and the thoughts of that ride stuck with me.
I have decided to try and do the PBP ride in 2007. I had been mulling the idea over and then read an article in Bicycling Magazine by Chris Carmichael advising people to set a cycling goal for 2007 that they might not be able to accomplish...and to tell people about it. Well now you all know.
For this attempt, I have been searching for a comfortable randonneuring bike that I could get in a relatively short time frame - I imagine that I can handle the 200K and 300K brevets on my road racing bike, but 400K is going to start feeling long on race geometry. I feel like I must have researched every custom and stock bike out there in the attempt to find something right.
I started out thinking about the Surly Long Haul Trucker - which has a great reputation as a touring bike and seems sturdily built. It was just too ugly, mostly a problem with the graphics and the pukey colors it comes in this year.
Next thoughts were about the Rivendell Atlantis - not quite right it seemed a bit beefier than I needed and I sort of felt like you join a cult when you buy a Rivendell. I might have to grow a beard or put on a 20 lb. pot belly...or both!
At some point I discovered the Kogswell P/R - a porteur/randonneuring frame based on an old bike and running the unusual 650b tire size. I was all set to go with this lovely, thoughtfully laid out bike, but finally decided that the largest available size was going to leave too much seatpost and stem sticking up above the frame...a look that I find ungraceful in the extreme. I have to say that Matthew at Kogswell was generous, thoughtful, and very helpful even when it turned out that his bike was not going to be quite right for me. These look like great bikes!
Next I started considering a custom Waterford. They make lovely bikes and the history of modern American cycling goes right to their doorstep. Unfortunately, Waterford doesn't have a shop that reps them here in NYC - they offered to work through any bike shop that I chose, but in the end this proved problematic as the bike shops tend to want to sell what they know and I quickly decided that the middleman was getting in the way of communicating what I wanted to the builder. The bike shop had their own ideas about what I wanted, or ought to want, I suppose.
At some point, I found an old link in my "favorites" column that led me to Jitensha Studio in California. They make a very nice all around bike called the "ebisu" - I actually met somebody riding one of these bikes (the lime green one shown below) during a Brooklyn Critical Mass ride last summer. There were things not quite right for my purposes in the frame and the time frame to do a custom bike was not really going to work for me. I have heard wonderful things about Jitensha Studio and their bikes....I am sure they are fantastic.
Who else did I go through in my research? Thorn Cycles, Mercian, Bob Jackson, I sent email to Jan Heine at Vintage Bicyle Press about a Singer. I investigated Moyer Cycles, Vanilla, Curt Goodrich, Johnny Coast, Independent Fabrication... and I am sure I am leaving a few out!
Well - Velo Orange had a link to a few frame builders that they considered to be the dream builders for randonneuring bikes. One of which was Hampsten Cycles, run by Steve Hampsten. I gave them a call and ended up talking to Steve (who answered the phone - good sign!) for about 30 minutes. It turns out that we have lots of mutual friends in Seattle and New York. Steve was charming and knowledgeable and suggested a number of other builders who might be able to meet my time frame or sell me an older rando bike in great condition. Steve truly did build one of the most beautiful bikes I have seen in a long time you can take a look here - click on the last set of images where it says "Tournesol Randonneuse 700c". Wow!
In the end I ordered a new Rivendell bike called the A. Homer Hilsen (AHH). There are some things about it that I think will not be quite right - but it should do just fine for the short term...and maybe it will be better than I ever imagined. The bike should arrive in the next 10-12 weeks, so I am going to get busy growing that beard and pot belly! (And maybe ordering a Hampsten Tournesol!)
posted by Roberto at 6:41 PM
4 Comments:
Excellent!
Good choice of bike - don't forget to get a Generator Hub and lights from Peter White Cycles :-)
My Hubby rode PBP on a Riv Atlantis last time around. They build some nice bikes.
Hi Amy,
I am looking forward to riding the new bike for sure. And PW generator hub/lights are definitely on the order list. What rims did your fella end up using on his wheels?
Hello. I am curious to know how you ended up liking your A. Homer Hilsen? I've been seriously looking into one myself. I would sincerely appreciate hearing any stories/experiences you have to share.
Thank you,
Colby
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