Phil Passantino's Classic CX Bike

This is Phillip Pasatino's custom cross bike. I am not even gonna try to describe this bike with words, just gonna let the photos speak. I built this frame for Phil back in the end of summer and he took his time building it up but it was well worth the wait. He definitely has an eye for custom-style and I love the touches of gold on this bike, it just sets it totally apart from other bikes and is really classy looking. I love building bicycle frames and its even more fun watching everyone build them up in their own way. Thanks for all the eye candy guys. I truly appreciate you all helping spread the name. Let it fly.

Congrats to Larry Yancey!

I need to give another shout out to factory racer Larry Yancey. Larry recently won the Texas Cyclocross Championships in the Master's race aboard his MEECH S3 CX bike. That makes about 3 or 4 state championships for Larry in about a year, only 47 more states to go. I recently read that the U.S. is bidding to have the World Cross Championships in Louisville, KY in the next couple of years so thats something for Yancey and all the rest of you crossheads out there to stay focused on, so keep pushing straight ahead because I plan on having some MEECH bicycles on the starting line at World's. I haven't received the photos from the Lonestar Cyclocross yet so I am just posting a photo of Larry's ride until I get one. I would love to make a living just building S3 superlight cross frames, I love this bike. Did I mention that it is merely 16.8 lbs. with an all steel frame. Thanks again to Larry Yancey and everyone else who is riding a MEECH. Let it fly!

Ace's Wild

This is Paul and Wayne from Ace's Wild Custom here in Mountain Home, AR. These are the guys responsible for the sweet paint on my new frames. I give them one of my raw frames and come back a couple days later and "Wallah", instant eye candy. Every since I have moved to Mountain Home I have met some super-cool people that have helped me out. Machinist, painters, fabricators, guys who have a ton of experience and not afraid to share it with you. Ace's Wild is a killer shop. They paint vintage cars, hot rods, motorcycles, bicycles, everything you can imagine. They also build some sweet custom motorcycles. Thanks guys! Also want to say hey to the guys in Jonesboro who helped me get started, don't even think I have forgotten you. Peace.

Anticipating Spring

Here is a little 54 cm road frame I just finished up. Ace's Wild Custom here in Mountain Home put a sweet cream color finish on the main frame with some white and black bands to set it off. In certain lighting conditions the cream color has a kinda mint green look to it. This is a nice, tight, little frameset. Frame weight is 3.8 lbs and the fork should be about 1.5 after the steerer is cut. The chain stays are 420mm and will accommodate a little wider tire so it should ride plenty smooth but it has 73 degree head and seat tube angles so if you feel like doing a couple of crits or road races on it, let it fly.

Stacking sticks

Here are a few photos of progress on a little 53cm road bike I am working on. Some observers have told me that i need to show a little more of actual builds in progress, personally I enjoy the finished product sitting on the starting line waiting for the gun however in an attempt to please those that enjoy the beginning, middle, and end, here are a couple of photos for you. Water-tight miters are a must on my frames. Before I went to Yamaguchi's frame school I didn't know what tight miters were but he lined me out and now my frames are lined out. To a bicycle frame builder, brazing tubes that have gaps between them just feels wrong. For those of you that like those fluxy, oxidized tube photos stick around, I want you to be happy as well. Chao.

Another Belt-Drive 650B

I had an extra set of these Paragon Sliding Dropouts laying around so i decided to put'em to good use. This is my setup to house the removable stays required for a belt-driven drivetrain. It worked well on the first one so I decided to stick with it. The left stay never needs to be removed but I give it the same treatment for symmetrical aesthetics, or you could just do it so they look the same on both sides. I threw in a photo of a couple of wishbones that I just finished up. I was gonna put the beefy one on the 650 but it was too beefy and you couldn't pull it out enough to get the belt in so I am gonna use some S-bend like on the previous frame. The little wishbone isn't for a bike at all, I use it to find water wells. Living around these lakes makes it way too shakey for a bicycle. The Queen CD is not for sell. With songs like "Bicycle" and "Fat Bottomed Girls" who would sell it?