Monday, June 16, 2008

custom part duooh!(2)


Well. I didn't really say everything I wanted to yesterday. I don't always elaborate well.
Custom, to me , is taking that fine tubeset of Italian steel, and making it into something no one else has. It isn't a "stock size. It didn't come out of a factory in Taiwan. I only know of one bike that has a skull headbadge that doubles as a beer bottle opener. And, that's right, it's a P G . It is in the details, and when you shape a lug that no one else has shaped, it makes it unique. The size of some custo mbikes might even be the same, but the differences can be as simple as : a sloping top tube, horizontal drops, rack mounts, disc brakes mounts, dropouts with your logo waterjet cut into them, stainless accents.
I don't care who poo poo's on stainless accents, they are hot !!
All this we at P G have done,and i wanted to let you guys and gals all know, we are gonna raise it up again.
What are we gonna do?
You are gonna have to wait tell NAHBS 09.
INDY. the state, not the jones guy.
I want to tshow that bikes can be beutiful , even while NOT following the standards of today, which were standards of yesterday, that lugs can take different shapes than what a lot of people are doing. A lot of the builders out there, especially the new ones, are making bikes that look like "BUILDER X" .That just aint my thing.
After working at Croll for over , 10 ish years, under 3 different owners, I am now, NOW just starting to do waht I wanted to do 10 years ago. I am catching up to my ideas, and making new ones too. I can garrantee, you will never have seen these new things in the bike world. EVER.
Wait.
It will be damn worth it.
out,
erik

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Where has the action been??





Ladies and Gentlemen,
pardon the lapse in any type of updates. I have been pretty ill, and just focusing on getting better,and now on to the goods....
Custom. You hear that word a lot these days in the bike world.Some, in fact very few desrve that title. Does making three thousand bikes with 4 different colors qualify as custom? When you get to chose what grips you put on your BRAND X bike, is that custom? If they are all the same, then, well everyone is unique.Now, this is not about one particular brand. Many brands out there follow this type of strategy.
When BRAND X has 500 bikes made with a "Custom Scandium Tubeset", if they are all a like is it custom? I dont think so.
Even some companies make a "limited run" of their same production bike, but with a new special color. ooohhh....how special.
Now I have trouble typing what I want to say, it is hard to type what I feel, and when you think about a thousand miles a minute it is hard to get it all in. Sometimes I come across with the message backwards.I don't want to be misunderstood, these bikes are pretty good bikes, they ride just fine. In fact, some of them ride excellent. But, I won't be caught on the trail with another guy or gal with the same limited edition black custom "BRAND X" BIKE....
So...what is custom? I think that it is just that. Is it made to be unique? Does it have lugs that are filed different than any other bike that was made in the factory? Does it have unique geometry? Aspeicial one off fork? What's the axle to crown? Is it properly made for the fork travel? How about a 29ner with a 400mm axle to crown length? That would be a ridged non suspension corrected ride.The frame and fork are made for each other, which both are made for you.
You are unique. Shoudn't your bike be too?
I have only ever made super custom bikes. For me there is no other way. I have to make every Peacock Groove different, because that is the only way for me to say, " custom bikes".
these guys make custom bikes. Look at their sites and you will know what custom is. Check the blogs too.
Long live custom, long live the Groove!
www.capricorncycles.com
www.curtgoodrichcycles.com
www.bobbrowncycles.com
www.clockworkbikes.com
www.dominguezcycles.com
These are just a few off the top of my head.
I may even have the address wrong. Google them.
Google custom.
and some pics! Of custom .
Done.