Review: "The Custom Road Bike."

What initially got me into cycling was the machine itself.

This fabrication and assembly of colored paint along with bright and shiny parts into a piece of pure art.

It was something that looked so fragile and yet was quite strong, and when you rode it you became one with this machine.

In my immaturity I several times almost ran into parked vehicles because I was looking down admiring the bicycle, or looking at my reflection in store windows as I rode by.

My father bought me a modest lightweight bike, then later when I joined a local club and started racing, I upgraded it by buying and replacing various parts, until I eventually bought a new frame and so had a completely new bike.

Every time I had an important race I would spend the day before completely disassembling the bike, cleaning every part, and then reassembling with just the lightest smear of grease in the bearings, and the same adjusted to smooth perfection.

Working on the bike brought as much pleasure as riding it. Equipment was often replaced, not because it was worn out, but because something new and wonderful came on the market that I just had to have.

This was all brought back to me when I was recently sent a review copy of “The Custom Road Bike” by Guy Andrews, who for the last fifteen years has been the editor of “Rouleur” magazine.

The book is a large and lavish publication, detailed and beautifully illustrated with all the top of the line component parts that go to make up the modern road bike. It describes in detail for example, the differences between Campagnolo, Shimano, and Scram without opinions or prejudices.

I looked for miss-information because so many books like this have some. I didn't find any, Guy Andrews did what a good editor should do, he spoke with experts and reported what they said.

There are interviews with American framebuilders Richard Sachs and Ben Serotta and while some may feel others should have been included, there is such a thing as “Paying your dues.”

These two were around in the 1970s and are still at it when most others, including myself, have long since thrown in the towel. There are also interviews with Italian builders Ernesto Colnago and Dario Pegoretti.

As I said this is a lavish and spendy book at $50, although Amazon has it for $31.50 and Barnes & Nobel for $33.75.

So should you buy it? It is rather like the bike you ride; the most expensive bike is not necessarily going to bring you the most cycling pleasure, especially if you can’t afford it. On the other hand if you can afford the most expensive bike, then go for it.

The same with this book. Today one can gather much information on the Internet for free, but if you can afford it, it is a pleasure to have all the information in one place in a book that is nice to own.

If you are old skool like me, and want to get up to date on the new stuff, this book will do it. But only if you are a hands on guy who likes tearing your bike apart and building it up again once in a while.

Otherwise get the book from the library, and take your bike to the local bike shop.
 

                         

Book Review: Ignore Everybody

I became a fan of Hugh MacLeod about two years ago when I stumbled on his website gapingvoid.com.

For those of you not familiar with MacLeod he is a cartoonist who draws cartoons on the back of business cards.

If you think that is a strange medium, it is, but it is original, and that has been part of Hugh’s key to success.

Hugh is definitely an inspiration to me, his success is self made, and he has undeniably paid his dues.

I was fortunate enough to get a pre-release copy of his book, (Release today.) Ignore Everybody: And 39 other Keys to Creativity. It is a must read for any artist, be they writer, musician, whatever.

For that matter anyone with a dream or idea, even a seemingly stupid idea like drawing cartoons on the back of business cards. Any budding entrepreneur starting a new business should read this book.

The title of the book Ignore Everybody is not meant to be taken literally; what it really means is ignore your critics. The naysayers who think you can’t possibly succeed. Here is an example of Hugh’s advice:

If your business plan depends on suddenly being “discovered” by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.

I sure could’ve used this advice as a teen. I used to walk around the streets of London carrying a guitar, thinking someone would discover me. I never even learned to play the thing properly, because I could tell Elvis didn’t really play, he had back up musicians.

Keep your day job

I know this is sound advice, for many years I had a day job and built frames in my spare time. Poverty not only sucks big time, it forces you to sell yourself short.

Hugh tells a story of how he was offered a book deal some years ago. He read over the contract, made some changes, and sent it back; he never heard from the publisher again.

The fact was Hugh MacLeod worked for an ad agency and had a good paying day job; he didn’t need the book deal on any terms. Now he has this book published by the Penguin Group; his patience was rewarded.

The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do from what you are not.

I can definitely relate to this. When I was struggling to get my business going in 1982/83 in Southern California, and was building custom frames; often a potential customer would come to me with frame specs or a drawing and ask, “Can you build me a frame like this?”

My answer was, “I can, but I won’t.” The reason was I knew a frame built to those specs would not handle as well as it should. The customer would not be happy and probably sell it; then there would be a bad handling bike out there with my name on it. My reputation as a curmudgeon enhanced my reputation as a framebuilder.

The best way to get approval is not to need it.

Again sound advice, like the last two quotes it is about sticking with what you believe in, and not compromising or selling out.

Remain Frugal

Good advice indeed for the artist or small businessman. Save for the lean times, because they will follow the abundant times as sure as night follows day.

Start Blogging

Use the Internet, although you make no money from blogging, it is free or relatively inexpensive, and you slowly build a following. Hugh MacLeod started his blog in 2001; gapingvoid now gets 2 million hits a month. He has a large enough following that he can sell limited edition poster size prints of his cartoons.

Ignore Everybody actually started out as a series of blog posts. The book is funny, Hugh’s cartoons are hilarious, and it is a step by step account of how someone can take a simple idea and see it through to fruition with determination and hard work.

Released in the US today June 11th, Ignore Everybody can be bought from Amazon.com, or from your local book store. In the UK it can be pre-ordered from W.H.Smiths, release there is not until 20th July