[CR]Re: Bernie Mikkelsen Frames

(Example: Racing)

From: <CYDYN@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 21:05:59 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Re: Bernie Mikkelsen Frames

Bernie has refined framebuilding to an art as far as speed in a one man shop goes. I've faxed him dimensions at 8 am and picked up a finished frame built to spec at 6 pm the same day. That particular bike, a sport touring rig for a client in San Rafael set an all time record for a custom frame and buildup for me. I measured the client Tuesday night from 8-10 pm and drew up my dimensions. He slept on whether he wanted to spend the extra money on a custom frame and called me Wednesday morning at 7:30 am. I faxed the specs to Bernie and ordered 2 day air the bits and pieces I needed to complete the bike. Wed evening at 6 pm I picked up the frame. Here in Santa Rosa i have an excellent powder-caoter that used to do all the Ibis frames. I handed him the frame thursday morning at 8 am and returned hom to start lacing the wheels. He called me at 1 pm and told me the frame was ready to pick up. I raced over and picked it up, at 3 pm UPS dropped of the group, at 9.49 pm Thursday I took the Mikkelsen for a test ride and called the client. He picked it up Friday morning. I flew off to Hawaii happy the way it worked out. Saturday afternoon I got a phonecall from the client thanking me for doing a wonderful job but he had some bad news: he'd hit some glass while descending a tight corner on Mt Tam sliced his front tire wide open and laid it down at about 28 mph. He dented the seattube with the heel of his shoe because he couldn't get his feet out fast enough when the front wheel washed out and scraped the left side shift lever, other than about about 3 square feet of beef jerky covering on his left arm , thigh and back he was fine. "I love the bike", said he. I squeexed out the seat tube dent when I got back from vacation. He dropped all his friends at the Markleville Death Ride, resulting in several more orders for custom bikes for me. Bernie and Tom Ritchey are the only builders I personally know that could make a credible and ridable frame before lunch.

Paul Brown