Hello Friends! Aaron here. Sorry we have been absent from planet blogotron for the last few months. It's been pretty busy here at the shop (which is a good thing of course) but I wanted to reach out and give a quick update.
I just finished a fun custom build for a customer who wanted a sport touring bike that he could ride the GAP and C&0 trails to DC with then have a fun bike for around town for commuting and such. I really liked the end product so I thought it would be fun to share. We settled on the Surly Cross Check frameset in a nice Dirty Blue paint color. I really wanted to do a retro looking build with the bike and the owner was game so we went with as many polished aluminum components that we could get our hands on. The Cranks, Seatpost, and Headset are all Velo Orange parts. We used Dura Ace 9 speed bar end shifters paired with Nitto Noodle bars and some NOS shimano brake levers. The bike is complimented by a great set of wheels comprised of H+Son TB14 polished aluminum rims laced to shimano 105 hubs. They look great and offer excellent performance and durability. The customer supplied a well broken in Brooks B17 Saddle and we sorted our the rest of the small bits with functional and durable parts. I have to say I'm pretty happy with the build and can't wait to hear how the customer enjoys the bike.
Here is the Bike. We are still waiting on some SKS chromoplastic silver fenders. Metal ones would look nicer but I want it to ride quiet.
I dig these Velo Orange cranks. 48-34 Ramped and Pinned Chainrings. Modern performance with a vintage look.
I'm not alone in this but I have been very impressed with the H+Son rims. They seem to be built very well and are aseptically pleasing. I love the little touches like the double eyelets and pretty rim badges.
The silver SKS Fenders arrived just in time and really pulled the whole bike together.. It's at this point where I really wanted to keep the bike for myself. It even would fit me perfectly. I guess I will have to build my own.
Katharine and myself have now been operating Kindred for the past three months and what a whirlwind. My wife Brianne and I also welcomed our first child, a baby boy into the family in May.
Abraham Joseph Stein
We are having a great time and have made a ton of new friends through the shop. We have gotten the chance to meet so many people who share our interest in bikes. It's really something special. Stop in and say hello.