It’s Sunday, and I am exhausted. It has been a busy week. Bruce took delivery of his bike, I got a bike back from paint, and I am also done with another frame. With a break from the bitter cold with relatively warm weather this past week, I was done hibernating and had been feeling more social than usual. When I wasn’t working I did my best to stay out of the house. It was a good time to catch up with friends, and even made some new ones. It recently occurred to me that moving to a new city is kind of like travelling, except you sleep in the same bed every night, or in my case on the same floor every night. Both moving and travelling share that element of the great unknown, things are new and exciting, but you are also having to be out of your “comfort zone” for an extended period of time and that can be pressing. The only way to get past that is to, firstly, make an effort of putting yourself out there and trying new things, stop being shy and start talking to strangers, sometimes taking a gamble, and most importantly just relaxing and enjoy the trip. At least people speak English in Denver.
This project was very much about trying new things. Bruce came to me with a very specific vision and detailed requests of what he wanted in a bike. A specific vision and detailed requests add a new layer to the design and building process, especially when they are proposed by the customer and not necessarily originating from my own thoughts. I strive to deliver what the customer is asking and paying for, but this can also add a little pressure especially when certain elements of the project are complex in nature.
I would like to think that the overall result looks relatively simple and understated, but there is a lot going on with a lot of custom touches. For a variety of reasons the project took a really long time and I would like to thank Bruce for remaining patient the whole time. And another big thank you to Aubrey and the rest of the crew at Colonel’s Bikes in Fort Worth, TX for doing the final build, along with my friend Jared Stone for some custom lettering, Jen Green for the head badge, and Bill Davis for the paint.
The Single Speed Jeremy created had been something floating around in my head for a few years,…I reached out to Jeremy when I saw that he lived very close to me, but even more importantly that the “GALLUS” name was based on his time in Scotland,…Being named after Robert the Bruce, I felt an instant connection,…
I wanted a bike that would be kind of a tribute based upon the Raleigh Professional I had back in my high school days,…The design would be a combination of nostalgia and 21st century technology, that would capture the aesthetic beauty of Cinelli, Campagnolo and Stainless Lugs all connected by Reynolds tubing,…
I stressed to Jeremy that at the end of the day, I wanted a functional Work of Art that when I finished my ride, I could hang on the wall for all to admire,…Jeremy far exceeded what I had envisioned and his entire team should take a bow and be duly recognized for the quality work and professionalism they displayed thru the entire build,…
Thank you again Jeremy,…Good Luck in all your future endeavors,…
Bruce
Thanks Bruce. Enjoy riding your bike.