I don’t have a muscle car background so I was unfamiliar with the 70s Dodge color called Plum Crazy. Colors appear much flashier on car panels than on bike tubes though. So this color combined with the classic Nervex lug shape remind me a lot of Jack Taylor’s early building style with their later “flamboyant” paint. This bike is the perfect combination of old and new. NOS Nervex Professional lug set, Simplex shift levers, MAFAC brakes and levers, and TA crankarms are a few of the classic parts that fit this build. A custom front rack with detachable low riders makes the bike a little more versatile for anything from just a day on the bike to a full tour. It is not overbuilt like many touring bikes though. The tubing is a combination of Columbus Zona and SL to give the bike a sportier feel. The downtube is tapered to add some stiffness to the frame. Aside from polishing up the vintage components that went into this build, some of the modern ones got a facelift too. The headset is a Miche needle bearing that was machined and polished to fit the aesthetic of the rest of the bike. The new Compass Randonneur bars are lightweight and have a fantastic bend. The double layer white cloth tape was tinted with amber and clear shellac to match the Berthoud Galibier saddle, leather toe straps, and the custom leather chain stay protector. There is full integrated front and rear dynamo powered lighting by Schmidt and Velo-Lumino respectively as well. This bike NEEDS to be ridden soon to take the shine away and start the process of developing it’s natural patina. The bikes look great new but they always look better to me when they’re well ridden!
See all photos of the build.
Jerod’s plum crazy randonneur
May 16, 2016
I don’t have a muscle car background so I was unfamiliar with the 70s Dodge color called Plum Crazy. Colors appear much flashier on car panels than on bike tubes though. So this color combined with the classic Nervex lug shape remind me a lot of Jack Taylor’s early building style with their later “flamboyant” paint. This bike is the perfect combination of old and new. NOS Nervex Professional lug set, Simplex shift levers, MAFAC brakes and levers, and TA crankarms are a few of the classic parts that fit this build. A custom front rack with detachable low riders makes the bike a little more versatile for anything from just a day on the bike to a full tour. It is not overbuilt like many touring bikes though. The tubing is a combination of Columbus Zona and SL to give the bike a sportier feel. The downtube is tapered to add some stiffness to the frame. Aside from polishing up the vintage components that went into this build, some of the modern ones got a facelift too. The headset is a Miche needle bearing that was machined and polished to fit the aesthetic of the rest of the bike. The new Compass Randonneur bars are lightweight and have a fantastic bend. The double layer white cloth tape was tinted with amber and clear shellac to match the Berthoud Galibier saddle, leather toe straps, and the custom leather chain stay protector. There is full integrated front and rear dynamo powered lighting by Schmidt and Velo-Lumino respectively as well. This bike NEEDS to be ridden soon to take the shine away and start the process of developing it’s natural patina. The bikes look great new but they always look better to me when they’re well ridden!