something a little different
1 - 20 of 47 Posts
Joined
·
1,012 Posts
looks like a specialized m2 although I dont remember them having ubrake bossesmwr said:
Yeah I would love to know what this bike is looks real nice though.
Will
hmmm, doubtful. Chuey, I'm sure, has it all figured out with his increidble attention to detail. And the fact that it looks nice and dirty tells me it's been ridden often. However, knowing his penchant for rigid forks, I wouldn't be surprised if that fork doesn't move much :thumbsup:Arran said:
The bike belongs to my friend Max. He is a machinist and made the brake posts I brazed onto the mounts and added to the chainstays. He also made the cool headset spacer.
By the time Specialized finally came out with a (partly) bare aluminum framed bike, the juice had gone out of the market for them. GT had been kicking our painted bike selling butts for a while with their ball burnished bikes. Specialized was unresponsive to requests for bare bikes and waited long enough to introduce them that they must have concluded that they wouldn't sell. However, when this series, I think it was called the "A-1",came out, they were sold out before they landed. With low end parts and an entry level price, they were a great bike for the money.
I was impressed with the obvious Charlie Cunningham influence they showed and suggested a "Cunningsham" to Max, who had been admiring my C-ham. He went for it and it was a fun project. I feel it pays homage to Charlie and his design influence on aluminum bikes in our industry.
I think the reason I made the brake cable hanger estension on the fork is because we wanted it to be high enough to accomodate roller-cam brakes. It could have been because the WTB part was not available at the time. It has no interference problems despite how it may look in the picture. It is strong, secure and if I can say this without it sounding bad, it is really elegant. I like making things in general and that was fun. I removed the original brake bosses and you can't even tell they were ever there.
The cool thing about my job is that I seem to be able to get jobs like that one now and then. It takes a special customer to have a vision for a custom bike and I think most of the credit should be theirs. I'm now way into 29ers and have done some neat projects on those. I wish Max would have me do a 29er for him. I like the way he rides and his attitude about it.
Max says the "Cunningsham" is his most comfortable bike. A happy customer means a happy Chuey! Thanks for your interest.
Chuey
By the time Specialized finally came out with a (partly) bare aluminum framed bike, the juice had gone out of the market for them. GT had been kicking our painted bike selling butts for a while with their ball burnished bikes. Specialized was unresponsive to requests for bare bikes and waited long enough to introduce them that they must have concluded that they wouldn't sell. However, when this series, I think it was called the "A-1",came out, they were sold out before they landed. With low end parts and an entry level price, they were a great bike for the money.
I was impressed with the obvious Charlie Cunningham influence they showed and suggested a "Cunningsham" to Max, who had been admiring my C-ham. He went for it and it was a fun project. I feel it pays homage to Charlie and his design influence on aluminum bikes in our industry.
I think the reason I made the brake cable hanger estension on the fork is because we wanted it to be high enough to accomodate roller-cam brakes. It could have been because the WTB part was not available at the time. It has no interference problems despite how it may look in the picture. It is strong, secure and if I can say this without it sounding bad, it is really elegant. I like making things in general and that was fun. I removed the original brake bosses and you can't even tell they were ever there.
The cool thing about my job is that I seem to be able to get jobs like that one now and then. It takes a special customer to have a vision for a custom bike and I think most of the credit should be theirs. I'm now way into 29ers and have done some neat projects on those. I wish Max would have me do a 29er for him. I like the way he rides and his attitude about it.
Max says the "Cunningsham" is his most comfortable bike. A happy customer means a happy Chuey! Thanks for your interest.
Chuey
Joined
·
2,039 Posts
I guess I'm missing the "charm" of this bike? What makes it special? I'm not being a smart azz, I just dont' see the point...please enlighten this poor old fool...
Joined
·
6 Posts
I'd really like to get out to PCC someday to see the marvels, but it's 1,000 miles away, and well, I don't travel much.
I don't suppose we could get a virtual guided tour?
Pretty please?
I don't suppose we could get a virtual guided tour?
Pretty please?
Where did the term "charm" come from?
I posted that this bike is "a little different". Since there is no other bike exactly like this one, that seems reasonable to me.
In my experience, it is a small percentage of bikes that have parts made by their owners and frames that have been modified by the selling shop.
There are pictures and description enough that your "question" is really a "critique".
It is fine with me that you don't find the bike to have charm. It is a puzzlement why you would ask to be "enlightened" if you are "old". When we get "old" we know what we like. I too, am "old" and I will not cloak my negative opinion about something in the form of a "aw gee, shucks" type question.
It's like the Beattles said about their music when somebody asked what was the underlying meaning of the lyrics. It is just a song. You can like it or not. It may have meaning to you or not but that is yours. (OK, I paraphrased).
So I say this to you Stan: Why would anybody post a picture of any bike. Usually that means they think it's neat or interesting. Personally, I think Max's bike is both of those things.
Thanks for your opinion. I'll try to do better next time.
Chuey
I posted that this bike is "a little different". Since there is no other bike exactly like this one, that seems reasonable to me.
In my experience, it is a small percentage of bikes that have parts made by their owners and frames that have been modified by the selling shop.
There are pictures and description enough that your "question" is really a "critique".
It is fine with me that you don't find the bike to have charm. It is a puzzlement why you would ask to be "enlightened" if you are "old". When we get "old" we know what we like. I too, am "old" and I will not cloak my negative opinion about something in the form of a "aw gee, shucks" type question.
It's like the Beattles said about their music when somebody asked what was the underlying meaning of the lyrics. It is just a song. You can like it or not. It may have meaning to you or not but that is yours. (OK, I paraphrased).
So I say this to you Stan: Why would anybody post a picture of any bike. Usually that means they think it's neat or interesting. Personally, I think Max's bike is both of those things.
Thanks for your opinion. I'll try to do better next time.
Chuey
Joined
·
2,039 Posts
chuey, I really didn't mean to offend you..
I was just not sure what the focus of the bike was. obviously the brakes must be, are they a copy of some early design? I honestly want to know....
I was just not sure what the focus of the bike was. obviously the brakes must be, are they a copy of some early design? I honestly want to know....
Joined
·
1,153 Posts
I appreciate elegant one-off work, too bad there's not more of it. What I'm curious about is why put the effort into the understay U brake? That rubber mud guard zip-tied on there tells the whole story. I didn't know anybody who couldn't wait to get rid of this setup- Pa woods riding either packed it full of mud or froze it solid. But hey - Max's bike and $. Nice tidy job regardless.:thumbsup: (yeah I know this isn't a U brake)
Joined
·
508 Posts
Nice!
hey Chuey,
thanks for sharing that picture, when i first visited you in 97' i remember you telling me about this bike, sure turned out amazing, and it looks like the customer is happy riding it with the dirt on it!
You are a true craftsman and always build amazing bikes in my opinion, very impressive work!
thanks again for the WTB/Judy brake brace, there is an Ibis in here at the shop that needs it.
thanks again
nate
hey Chuey,
thanks for sharing that picture, when i first visited you in 97' i remember you telling me about this bike, sure turned out amazing, and it looks like the customer is happy riding it with the dirt on it!
You are a true craftsman and always build amazing bikes in my opinion, very impressive work!
thanks again for the WTB/Judy brake brace, there is an Ibis in here at the shop that needs it.
thanks again
nate
Joined
·
34 Posts
i like it great idea ;o)
Joined
·
10 Posts
I appreciate ingenuity, craftsmanship, and retrofit!:thumbsup:
Joined
·
336 Posts
Stan, start here:stan4bikes said:
http://www.bikecult.com/works/archive/05bicycles/cunninghamJACQUIE.html
Chuey, nice bike and a great tribute!:thumbsup:
Craig
1 - 20 of 47 Posts
Join the discussion
