Mark Vos - the Video on Vimeo by Frank van Klinken

Mark Vos - the Video on Vimeo by Frank van Klinken
Originally uploaded by le cadre bicycles

Mark is a good friend of my brother in law and I usualy meet him at parties. Nice guy, knows how to handle his bicycle. (yes yes..... understated). Enjoy the video.

Yehuda Moon

I am a big fan of the Yehuda Moon comic. A new one everyday. After a short vacation they are now back.



Also check out: www dot yehudamoon dot com

Paint´em

Finally I made the run to the painter in Belgium. Unfortunately I didn´t finish the randonneur in time. And the painter needed both frames today to get them finished in time for the EHBE.
This means the frame will be exhibited raw. This also means I have to put in a couple of extra hours making all look nice. Luckily I already spend a lot of time on the lugs. Finishing it shouldn´t take too much time.

Bicycle Film Festival Amsterdam May 8th

www.bicyclefilmfestival.com/amsterdam/

@ Pathé Tushinski.

Bicycle Film Festival Sacramento Trailer

Parts for the Build off bike

For this project I finally got to go all out shifting wise. I have had some idea´s about making it all much more simple. I have been riding singlespeed for a while and I still like to, but my knees kind of want to shift gears now and then.
Being an old skool kind of guy I also liked the Suntour Micro Drive parts way back when (..... I am getting old).
I plan to combine parts from the entire spectrum to construct a 2 x 6 speed Micro Drivetrain.

But you'll have to visit the show to see how it turns out!!! ;-)

Mountainbike Worlds Durango 1990

getting to the end.

I expected to be almost done last week. But the decision to incorporate so many details is biting me in the ass at the end. Over the last weekend I have spend over 20 hours just finishing the details and adding more. I hope to finish it all tonight and ship it to the painter tomorrow.
When this one is done the Randonneur that is also exhibited at the EHBE show needs all the braze ons and the brake bridges fitted. And yes, also paint. I hate last minute rushes but everytime get caught in them.

Inspiration

The very first bicycle magazine I bought was the German ´Tour Magazin´. I believe my parents gave it to me during a vacation in the German Alps in teh summer of 1989. It featured a story about framebuilders in and around San Francisco. Charlie Cunningham was also pictured with his Indian bicycle. The years after that my interest in mountain bikes grew and pictures of Cunninghams kept popping up in a Dutch magazin called ´All Terrain Bike Magazine´. Charlie's wife, Jaquie Phelan, wrote a collum for that magazin and her racing pictures where often added.
My passion for mountainbikes grew into a passion for bicycle technology and although information about Cunningham bikes was very hard to come by I did find a lot of it.

Now there is a website that combines a lot of this info adds loads more.

www.cunninghambikes.com

Charlie doesn't build anymore. But his influence can be seen in every modern mountainbike. Bikes he build aren't made to look good, they are build to function on a levell of perfection that is rearely seen in other bikes.

Pharrell Williams presents Brooklyn Machine

final bits of the build off

Now that the frame is almost done I can add the pieces that make this bike stand out. No parts bolted to the frame will touch painted carbon steel. They will only touch brushed stainless. Adding all the facings and inserts is one Hell of a job, but someone needs to do it.

What makes the world go round?

I was looking for some things and stumbled over an old vinyl single of Queen´s Bicycles Race. On the B side is one of my favorite songs ever.

Hugo Drenth

Born at 10.30 am. Hugo Drenth. 58cm and 4845 grams.

First Le Cadre tool

I found out a big chunk of steel can be usefull in shaping tubing, such as stays, and other metal objects. I used the odd piece I had laying about but wanted a nice shape in a nice stainless alloy to use as an actual tool. I decided to get some made. They are all 316 stainless. In two radii, one narrow and one wider. Contact me if you are interested. I plan to bring some to EHBE. They are heavy so shipping might not be ideal. But if you want I can ship.


Le Cadre 'Chunk-O-Steel'

Sir Alex Moulton

I am a big fan of Moulton cycles. Wish I could afford a nice model. Maybe one day. Last Friday Sir Alex Moulton celebrated his 90th birtday. Here a great Youtube clip.

Amstel Gold Race

Same as last week I followed the racing action while getting something done in the workshop. Right now I am spending most my time of finishing the joints and getting all the details like I need them to be.



One thing I also noticed this weekend was the total lack of Con-Trails (Condense Trails) that airliners leave in the skies above us. The vulcanic eruption of the Icelandic Eyjafjallajokull resulted in a closing of the airspace above Northern Europe. This also makes me realise the skies are never completly clear. Specially in fair weather you can always see at least 20 Con-Trails in the skies over my house. They should close the skies more often so we can enjoy clear skies!!

Paris Roubaix Sunday

Today I was facing a dilema. Working on the Build off bike that had to be done by now. Or sit on the couch and watch the Paris Roubaix this afternoon. Thankfully some compu-nerd invented 'live feed' and I was able to follow the racing action while working on the Build off bike. The bike is done more or less. But needs 1001 and small details added and perfected before paint. So, still not done, but closing in.....

getting somewhere

Progress

While the deadline for the EHBE build off is getting closer I still need to do a lot more to get ready for the show. We plan to bring 5 or more bicycles. And three of them still need to be finished or even build from scratch. I did manage to finish the baby room. So that is one thing to take of the 2-do list.

Today I plan to do a lot of brazing on the build off frame. I spend the last week(s) making changes to the jig to allow the frame to be build in it. The build off frame has some unusual sizes.

Last week I won an Ebay auction on a batch of vintage cycling stickers. It included a lot of Onza decalls. Happy with that!!!

Dumpster diving RULES!!!

I can never pass a scrap metal bin or a dumpster without taking a look. Every now and then it pays of. I saw this workshop press standing outside at work. As it turns out it was about to get tossed in the scrap bin. Talk about right place right time.

It is a 1977 (great vintage!!!) German made Compac P15 press. It does need some attention, but I like overhauling old machinery.

I was actually looking into buying a press to bend and dent stays. This means I can spend my money on somethig else......