Back in January 2007, I visited NYC and had a chance to ride with an old friend who had relocated to the Big Apple. We enjoyed a couple of hours spinning around Central Park and catching up on old times, sprinting the climbs and enjoying the down hill sections. As our ride came to a close and we rested in the warm January sun, I noticed a small but subtle detail on his machine.
This detail (above) could only come from one shop: Conrad's in NYC. If you have never been to this small shop in Tudor City, it's an absolute must. The crew at Conrad's has been building exquisite machines with the utmost attention to detail for decades and they have undeniably perfected the art of the finish. Whether it's the immaculate, tape-less finish of the handle bar tape (think bar tape on the tops without the traditional electrical tape) or this little gem, Conrad's does it right. The next time you make it to NYC, drop in and see for yourself the level of detail inside the shop. After seeing this beautiful trick I had to emulate it. The rubber caps are provided with the brakes, and I think they are intended to keep the barrel adjuster connected to the brake in transit. I simply punched a small hole in it and threaded the cable through before attaching the cable at the anchor point. From the dust collected on the cap you can see that this trick provides some protection to the integrity of the cable and housing.
When in NYC, visit:
Conrad's
25 Tudor City Place
NY, NY 10017
212.697.6966
Posts
4 comments:
Interesting solution. I highly respect shops that concentrate on innocuous details such as that. Though, I've never had much of a problem with cable contamination on my brakes (I keep the bikes clean...novel, I know).
The handlebar tape thing sounds very interesting. Any photos of how they do it would be welcome.
I'v e done a few bars with string and shellac. It looks a lot better than electrical tape. If you are doing cork and then mix plastic it just does not mix well. I;ve also seen some sleeves that you put on but they look frankenstein on the bike.
a.
It isn't how the handlebar tape looks when you first put it on that counts...
it is after a couple thousand miles when the true master craft is separated from the pretty poseurs...
Gewilli - Here, here. Although I have also seem some pretty crappy tape application from the start. Your thought echos true for all aspects of the machine.
Post a Comment