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I saw a mountain lion while out on my morning ride. It was a brief sighting– I was going fast down a hill and through a curve when I saw it running for cover in the trees along the road. If you don’t have an engine heralding your presence it’s somewhat easier I suppose to catch a glimpse of a creature that prefers to go unseen.
There was frost on the ground, too, and dense steam rising from sunlit ice along the shoulder of the road. Leaves of aspens, maples, and oaks are changing color as they do; and the hillsides, being mostly future conifer timber, remain deep green.
To ride south out of Eugene and into the hills means a long climb no matter which way one goes. But on a brisk morning like this it feels good to make the muscles work right away, and build that inner heat– slow and even, breathing deeply. After about a mile into the climb the city recedes into the miles travelled, and the climb doesn’t feel like a chore because the ride’s just beginning.
It feels important to me to have moved out here and to have this opportunity to reconnect with why I love to ride a bicycle. Minneapolis served that purpose for a few years, but it’s just the same traffic and sprawl, traffic and sprawl. It didn’t help that I’m so stubborn that I’ll rarely allow myself the luxury of starting and ending a bike ride by climbing into my truck and driving somewhere. Oregon is definitely not paradise but it’s still a somewhat wild place, and Oregonians seem pretty keen on treating it as such rather than a landscape that’s only there for the having.
Here in Eugene, Capricorn HQ is within 2 miles of three natural food stores, two homebrew stores, the best Indian restaurant, the Saturday and Tuesday Public Markets, Oregon Leather (yep, rode home with two hides for Amber yesterday), parks, coffee shops (some even that aren’t a Starbucks), bike paths, a big-ass library, an outdoor vegan food stand, and all the wayfarers and weirdos you could want. It’s convenient to have all that at hand, but when you’re out for a ride it’s better to have contrast to keep the ride from ever feeling like a routine or chore. Once I’m away from the city cycling begins to feel less like a statement and more like a purpose.
Fully lugged and brazed with silver, powdercoat by Spectrum Powder Works with matte finish; built to sell, and ideally suited to someone that doesn’t need the full custom treatment but still wants a distinctively hand-built frame. I built this frame and fork in tandem with a custom order and wanted to bring it along to the Heartland Velo Show, which it wasn’t ready for in time. Alas, now it’s ready for pavement whenever you are. Click here to see the Flickr gallery of this frame and its construction. “Plussed” means it’s built for medium reach (57mm) brake calipers and fully stocked with fender bosses. A great set-up for four-season riding.
Details: Built for medium-reach brakes, with extra room for 28mm tires and fenders. Geometry: seat 54 top 53 head 72 seat 73 standover 79.5. 6.0 pounds with fork, built with Dedacciai 12.5 COM tubing and Long Shen investment cast lugs.
The bicycle business has a notorious slow season, followed by a heady rush of activity in late Winter and Spring. While there are some prospective Capricorns in the design stage currently, I’m holding out for a few more orders before calling in for a fresh batch of raw materials. Fortunately no one seems to be in a hurry, myself included. It’s given me a chance to pursue other interests like actually going for bike rides, and researching the best doughnuts in town (definitely not Voodoo Doughnuts, proving once again that getting hyped on The Food Network must come with some bad juju).
A couple days ago Amber and I started working together on her backpacks, which she can’t make fast enough alone to keep in stock. She’ll be handling the stitching, and I’ll be (at least temporarlily) doing the cutting. Pictured above are the 25 bags worth of waxed canvas, cotton duck, and Cordura that I cut for her pending orders. Her own sales have been flourishing– filling the demand for backpacks that are stylish, practical, simple, hand-crafted, and made from (mostly) natural materials. You can browse the finished pieces at her new website.
While the framebuilding slow season is somewhat tempered by a clientele base that’s keen on planning ahead bear in mind that ordering, designing, building, painting, and shipping a Capricorn takes on average 3-5 months. I do better, more personalized work when I’m not rushed, not juggling the details of a bunch of other builds, and not distracted by the same warm, glorious Spring weather that will eventually beckon you outdoors. You might as well have your bicycle ready by then.
Who can argue with a simple black bicycle? No matter what ends up getting bolted to it, the finished piece always looks right. And if need be it’s always easy to find the right touch-up paint. Amanda’s husband, Phil, sent me a link to his page devoted to her new Cappy. The frame features a custom geometry (like many women Amanda now benefits from a short top tube), brass c’s and chainstrike plate, and a self-designed cursive logo. The bike turned out beautifully. Happy riding, Amanda.
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December 8, 2011
Amber and I will be in Portland this weekend for the annual Portland Bazaar. Amber, of course, will have her Sketchbook bags on display and for sale. She's also bringing along her Capricorn "Selavy" to fill out the booth...
December 3, 2011
