Cherry Cherry

Chris has been dreaming of a custom frame since the 80’s, when he fell for the classic steel frames of that era. His body type (long legs/short torso) doesn’t work well with production frames, and he told a familiar story of riding for “too many years on stuff that didn’t fit right”. It finally was time, he said, to obtain a made-to-measure frame, with a classic sport touring geometry.

Chris is tall, so working out a suitable geometry was pretty straightforward, without the interference issues that can crop up with short-torso’d short people. Built using the Columbus Spirit for Lugs (SFL) tube set, the resulting 62cm frame incorporates the geometry and features to support the style of recreational riding and light touring that Chris envisions. The frame and fork are dimensioned for Tektro R538 standard (47-57mm) reach caliper brakes at full-slot, and there is a full compliment of fender and rack mounts.
Beyond form and function, the dream included a vision of the styling and paint scheme. After I set out lug samples on the workbench, Chris selected the Nuovo Richie set. For paint, he selected a beautiful Cherry Red pearl for the base, with contrasts in a metallic Black Cherry. In these photos, the contrasts appear as black, but, in real life, bright sunlight turns on the imbedded sparkly bits and really brings out the dark cherry translucence. The result is a classic look, with a contemporary twist.