Here are more pix. They're grainy for any number of reasons--high speed film, close crops among them—but they're views of what happens here, and that's the point.
Rich truing a wheel. It's a Czechoslovakian (pre-Czech Rep, I think) spoke wrench, the only one he uses. He's built more than 10,000 wheels with this wrench.
Roman is making sure the rack sets up even.
When you shellac tape or grips, your head and hands move all around, or you'll miss spots.
Cutting the stickyback tape on a head badge.
Mark looking at the HHH rear wheel, checking something. These photos -- it's rare that the mechanics wait or pose. Once in a while a "can you do that again?" but mostly it's on-the-go.
Roman in a technically blown photo that looks way better in b/w than it would in Technicolor, but is nevertheless a bad photograph that I like, anyway. I especially like this supergrainypic:
This is my favorite, and...good and grainy. It is 3200 film.
And here's Will in our showroom:
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The ROADINI samples, one of each size, will be here by June 20 and maybe June 12, and then, if you're on the ROADINI update list, you'll be given advance warning (is it "'advanced" warning"?) a few days ahead of the general news release. We're going to have about 85 of them, not many smalls (48), and heaviest in the 55-58. If you're interested, know/measure your current PBH and saddle height (center of crank to top of saddle), so--if you DO want one—you'll be ready for action.
I don't expect a mad two-day flurry, but we'll probably sell out of them in a few weeks, and it'll be months and months before we get more. The ROADINI is a road bike with Jack Brown 700 x 33.333+ capacity. Excellent design, fit, comfort, all that--kind of like a ROADEO, but cheaper cause it has more tig-welding on it, but it's not entirely bereft of lugs. Anyway, it's looming, and thanks to those of you who are on the list and letting this happen. Your role is huge in this. It's not just a business and jobs that you're helping, you're also causing these neat bikes to be out there. Our volume is so small, but the bikes will last and will always be good-riding bikes.
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John (formerly here, now at RIVELO, is getting some of these NON-DIVISVE patches:
These patches make you happy if you DO shoot film and DO ride bikes. Get them from John, in about a month.
John took this pic on his way to work, with one of those OM-1's.
There are, both tragically and fantastically, some great deals to be had on film cameras these days, mainly because nobody (almost) makes them anymore, and the surviving spouses and family of the dead photographers are cleaning house. Or living shooter have given up. Probably the best deal alive is a used Olympus OM-1 or the slightly newer OM-1n, which should cost $1,000, but you can get them for as little as $45. Any camera repair place can fix them or bring them up to snuff, and there are places that specialize in the OM-1, too. In Vermont, in New York...they're out there.
Lenses are out there, too--and lenses that ought to cost $450 cost $60. OF COURSE places still develop and scan and print. Photolab in Berkeley...Citizen Photo and Blue Moon Photo in Portland..Foresthill Film Lab in Forest Hill, CA. This isn't a link--you have to cut and paste it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GB3SDe9Sl4
He's an interesting guy in the best ways, not in any weird way...I totally dig him and all he says and his enthusiasm. He's 27 and shoots BMX with a medium format camera. Man, it's not bad.
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Last book read: Red River, by Lalita Tademy. It's about reconstruction. Book reading now: bird by bird, a writing book by anne lamott. Also co-reading -- I forget the name of it. Dang. But that's good, too.