In a message dated 1/16/2004 10:58:03 PM Eastern Standard Time, recycle@wmni.net writes: Has anyone priced competent body shops lately?
David Cowie Thanks for the insight, David.
Such an establishment as the one you mention above is a rarity if to be found at all.
At one time I coveted the business of the Cunningham's. Dealing with mostly great machines.....playing with and enjoying history....holding museum pieces in your hands........beholding the unfolding of diamonds in the rough as they turn into jewels....knowing that if these frames could talk, what they'd have to say.. knowing the places they had been, the venues they've visited........ but the profession has been one that only a few could conduct with dignity and compromise between delivering the degree of professional service and being a nice guy to everyone no matter what they say and do and no matter how close or far from the truth. Fortunately there's CyclArt and many other great bike painters to salisfy the market.
I would guess there would be a certain amount of commnunication breakdowns. In order for Cyclart to have produced so many masterpieces over the years takes some special and occasional thankless dedication. We've had local refinishers here in our area come and go. CyclArt is the only household words in the bicycle refinishing industry.
When they existed, FreshFrame became a household word in this part of the world-- people used it almost instinctively to reference a paint job or frame repair.
With all this notoriety usually has to come a few nastygrams. Dale and I get 'em. Most get worked out, but the few that are pending (recovering sometimes lasts a lifetime)are in a far smaller file folder than the accolades that many of us receive.
Though I've only used CyclArt through the shop a few times (I could keep them busy for a lifetime round the clock with all the heaps that could use work), I have sent known and unknown customers there and no one has ever had the slightest question about their professional and well-estimated work. We take no commissions for the referral because we want the customer to get a good price without extra fluff and we want CyclArt to make enough to stay with the program.We get builds and parts biz as well as used frame sales as our share.
Compared to some of the things in life that are so temporary, fattening, and immoral, a quality bicycle refinishing is a lasting and appreciating investment.
I have not opened one single posting on this thread until now. I know Jim and David and thought it was a good time to chime in.David Cowie's no newcomer to the game and having traveled and traded around the country, he's well known and respected too.
The Cunningham's should be prepared for a wave of biz- last time I got flamed on this medium for a mistake someone else made, the perpetrator apologized and an outpouring of such accolades hit the 'net in a short time.
Larry Black
Mt Airy, Md