The making of Scnozola # 1

 This last weekend I ventured about 110 miles north to complete a couple of frames with Bruce Gordon. This collaboration will be unique in the bicycle framebuilding world....two old guys with about 70 + years frame building experience between them constructing a new brand of bike : "Schnozola"-this big tire ride anywhere bike will be debuting this summer. # 1 is already sold to Jeff Traugott a guitar builder who beats the crap out of bikes every day of the week. He has always wanted something on the order of a drop-bar mountain bike and now he will have it.

 Here's number one on the welding table. It was mitered and tacked here in Santa Cruz , then transported to Petaluma to Bruce's shop for full welding. Bruce did the braze ons and final alignment and will be powdercoating the frame in the coming week.

 Here's Bruce fitting a zip-tie guide for the disc brake-that's right.....big wheels need big stopping power.

Ross Shafer  stopped by to see what the heck is going on ........a Kosher bike ? Where's the rabbi ? 

 Here's Bruce fitting up the second frame of the weekend.....what ? A second one ??  Oy, so much for the say off on Easter Sunday. Fortunately it didn't take long to weld the # 2 bike up so we got in a bike ride before I had to brave the traffic home.

 Here's the drawing for # 2, a bike for the photographer who will be overhauling Bruce's website photos.

 # 1 with all the braze ons , blasted and nearly ready for paint.

 # 2 getting finished up on the welding table. Lucky for me, Bruce has a Miller Syncrowave 250-nearly the identical rig that I have in my shop. Still, it is always a bit nervous welding in someone else's shop-at least I didn't burn the place down.

 Here's Bruce fitting the rear disc mount-hand filed in the olde worlde traditione.

 Schnoz-1 , that's the serial number on the very first Schnozola bike. You might ask, " Why schnozola ?"  Because the air is free........

 The picnic bench in front of Bruce Gordon cycles is made up of bicycle frames-some of these frames would sorrow some Bridgestone collectors.....worry not-they were all broken before they were used in this project.

Stay tuned for pictures of the completed fully built bike and more detailed info about Schnozola.....it isn't a joke-it's a bike.