I am blessed
Mon, March 26, 2012 
I have been blessed in my life with the ability to do a few things well. I am also blessed that there are certain people who appreciate my past work. I was asked just yesterday if I got tired of receiving emails from people telling me how much they love the bike that I built.
Actually I am humbled by it; after all there are many people in this world who dedicate their lives to the service of others, and probably only receive a fraction of the thanks I get for having built a few bicycle frames. I am sometimes embarrassed by it, but to say I was tired of it would be to take this appreciation for granted.
I was amazed and deeply touched when I was presented with this bike on my birthday 2009. The parts were donated by twelve people, from different locations all over the US; most of them I have not met. The bike was assembled and delivered to me by long time friend Dale Brown, who owns Cycles d’Oro a bike store in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Last week I made a few minor changes to the bike. I replaced the saddle with a Brooks honey colored leather saddle; I felt this complimented the color of the frame which is a metallic red. The original paint incidentally.
I found some gold brake cable housing that went nicely with the gold decals; I re-taped the handlebars with some tan colored cork tape, which I cord-whipped to secure the ends. I covered the handlebar end plugs with canvas to match the tape, and finally I put several coats of clear shellac over the tape and end plugs which I think is a nice finishing touch.
I built the frame in 1983, it is size 53 cm. Here are some pictures.
Reader Comments (14)
Beauty and art , equal to the pictures hanging in galleries worldwide ! But functional as well, that is your legacy ! Thanks
I agree , Some day soon I hope to be " riding a piece of ART "
You certainly deserve the tribute, Dave.
How beautiful does that look, Dave. Very jealous!
Nice, very nice. It's also nice that others appreciate your skills and reward you with their generosity. The frame looks beautiful, the detailing, bar taping and cable color are interesting.
Chain? Tribute 2008? No extra water bottle cage on seat tube? And now you're getting a new FUSO too... how will you decide on which to ride? FUSO to be set up differently?
Nice addition Dave.
absolutely amazing! easily ranks among my favorites of yours.
thanks for sharing your art and craft with us! as someone of a younger generation, i can certainly say you have helped shape my appreciation and love of classic (and classically-styled) bikes and also cycling in general.
Hi Dave. That is indeed a tribute. Im puzzled by the shellac an the tape. Can it be ridden? Isnt it slppery and or brittle? Cheers Jim
Jim,
Back in the 1950s the only tape available was cotton with adhesive backing. It would fray and wear out quickly; the shelac made it last longer.
On this bike I did it mostly for show and to keep it clean, but over the cork tape it actually feels nice, not slippery at all.
Dave
A very handsome bike! Hard pounding on that 52T ring though.
Very nice bike. My bike shop days were from '81 to '84, so this era of bike just looks right to me. Awesome.
Very classy changes, Dave!
First time to read your blog. I appreciate your love for the bike. I have had a passion for the bike for many years. Although I do not have a mechanical ability to the degree that you have. I have previous education in art and see the bike as well as the background of the bike and the notable people in its history as subjects of my attention/passion. I am not a racer, but am interested in the history of the road bike as well as the history of the 6 day riders and their machines. I believe we have similar interests. I will continue to read your blog.
Regards,
Mark
Ah, love to see these refinements Dave has done on that beautiful machine! Presenting this bike to Dave was neat... I called him and told him a cock & bull story about how I was traveling near Charleston and would like to drop in and make a quick visit. In fact I had driven down from Greensboro with this bike. Dave was truly surprised and pleased. All of us loved doing this for him!
Dale