Scoot's Little Rock Road Racer

Finally got the parts thrown on Scott's frame.  Getting things done in an orderly manner seems almost impossible these days, but every so often I get something finished and it feels good.  Scott decided to try some different components on this build and Campagnolo Chorus felt right to him.  I'm a big fan of Chorus as well and run it with some older Campy Record cranks that I've had for years.  The paint colors on this frame were a perfect contrast from one another.  We've got a little metallic Silver opposing some metallic Mango Tango/Toxic Orange, not to mention a few black and white accents thrown around in there.  It made for a unique blend of colors and a nice custom frame.  It's a 53.5 cm frame with a sloping top tube and a traditional 1" steel fork. Let's go check it out.

"That seat looks a little high for a 53.5 cm frame D, does Scott have some long legs?" 

Well, I might've set the saddle at my height just to sit on it and see what it felt like, but I didn't ride it, well, I might've took it for a little spin around the neighborhood, you know, just to make sure everything is working properly.  It was just a quick 80 mile loop, not much gravel. You know I'm lying now.  I can't remember the last time I rode more than 45, and I need to be in a serious frame of mind before attacking gravel. Probably the last time I road 50+ miles was the time Scoot and I did the Bicycle Tour of Colorado.  

Remember that night in Crested Butte when we were at the bar chatting with that drunk that kept spitting on us while he was talking? Damn!  If I would've had a paper bag I would've put it over my head for protection, or better yet, his.

Listen.  Most every frame I build for people gets boxed up and shipped away with me wondering how it would ride with some components draped over it.  Luckily, most all my customers send me some build pics and give me the lowdown.  It's not often that I get to build up the complete bike, and with the new and improved 2015 Campagnolo components. If you think I'm gonna let this one get away from me without throwing my lanky arse over it you got another thing coming.  Even though its roughly 4cm too small for me, with the saddle set at the right height I was fairly comfortable riding it around the neighborhood and even climbed one good hill on it.  Feels good to me Scoot!

Happened to have a stainless steel badge in the drawer that I used on this one.  It just seemed appropriate.

Decided to paint the 3T stem in order to get a little more Toxic Orange on here.  It worked nicely with the fork crown.

 

"Grab a hiney!"

Anyone remember the Hiney winery?  I think it was out of Memphis.  "Grab a Hiney" was their slogan.

I pride myself on getting the seat stays cut to the exact same length.  There is nothing that bothers me more than to see the rear view of a custom built frame and one of the stays is slightly shorter than the other.  I've seen some high-end ti frames like that and I just thought, "What a wasted $3000 bill."  Check out those Campy Skeleton brakes.  They're tight.

Fresh pair of bullet-proof Ksyriums.

Front end...

...matches the rear.

How can someone not love the look of carbon fiber levers. We wrapped the bars with lizard skin.

Newly revamped Ultra-Torque crankset 52/36 tooth wrapped in a KMC Gold chain.  I love these chains.  They're hard to keep looking as brilliant as this but with a little lubricant and rag you can keep them looking  pretty good.  They remind me of the gold chains that they used to use on factory works motocross bikes.

Love the contrasts here.

Scott wore his old Avocet O2 saddle out so I'm gonna do something that I normally wouldn't do and part with one out of my collection. It's gonna cost him though, afterall, they're the greatest saddle ever made.

I'll put the saddle back down where it's supposed to be before he picks it up.

I dug out an old photo of Scott's first MEECH.  Its been ridden in a handful of Tours of Colorado and is gonna become his hard weather/training bike.

Here is a pic from one of his many tours.  Scott and I go way back, more than 20 years. We met through an old friend and have been putting in the miles ever since.  Scott was actually the first person that I ever did a long ride with.  It was only something like 40 miles but back then I wasn't even a cyclist, just a guy with a bicycle.  It was a Schwinn World 10-speed and the furthest that I had ever ridden it was 15 miles.  That seemed like some sort of adventure to me back then.  "Oh the humanity".  Anyway, I think Scott was riding an old Panasonic steel frame and we headed out into the flat farmland outside of Jonesboro one weekend.  At about the halfway point we stopped at a small store and grabbed a burger and coke, smoked a couple of cigarettes, and then headed on down the road.  The wind was wearing me down and I had fallen off Scoot's wheel and had lost sight of him.  I decided that the only way I would see him again was if I hitched a ride.  I thumbed a ride and a farmer stopped. I jumped in the bed of his pickup with my bike and told him to drive until he saw another guy on a bicycle, and then to keep going another mile or two past him in order to give me a good lead.  Long story short, Scoot had pulled off the road for a smoke and to let me catch up and he said he looked up only to see me going by in the back of a pickup truck.  We never did see him so I let the farmer take me all the way back to town.  Didn't see Scoot again until that night at his apartment.  Guess you know how I roll. That was my introduction to road cycling and I'm forever grateful.  Thanks Scott!

About 5 years ago he took me out to Colorado for a bicycle tour through the Rockies and it will forever be remembered.  Great time was had.

I know this isn't a blog about babies but I decided to throw in a photo of Jumpin Jack since he was representing.  He may be young but he already knows which brand is #1.  I'll probably use him for a human billboard for the next few years in order to get back some of the money spent on all those green beans that he throws in the floor.  Can't wait till he learns how to miter tubes, braze, and paint.

MEECH Custom Bicycles

handmade in

Mountain Home, Arkansas

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