Re: [CR]Roman's McLean up on the CR site...

(Example: Framebuilders:Rene Herse)

From: "roman stankus" <rstankus@mindspring.com>
To: <OROBOYZ@aol.com>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <21.3c5cc2af.2d9c9b57@aol.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Roman's McLean up on the CR site...
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 22:24:51 -0500


Dale,

Hats off to you for bringing this beautiful frame back from the brink. It took a while but it was worth it! Thanks for posting the pics to the CR site. It makes me feel great seeing it there in such fine company. I think McLean would have approved.

This was my only bike since about '79 when I had the bike built for me by McLean. It is a racing frame and it was an adventure seeing McLean's shop, talking with him about what I was looking for in a bike, being measured and ultimately picking the frame up. I'd gotten to know McLean when he was working at the Clean Machine in Chapel Hill in the early 70's when I was first getting interested in bikes and just hanging out watching McLean work in the back of the shop assembling and fixing bikes. I was a young aspiring racer and the Clean Machine had the greatest bikes in the area. When he was there, he was always a quiet but friendly presence in the shop with a sharp and dry wit, an unusual and distinctive voice and a sly smile. When I got my first job as an architect/intern, the McLean was my first major purchase. During the 80's and 90's, my career pushed cycling to the side but I kept a base level of fitness with some cycling and roller work because I could ride rollers after dark in the kitchen. Unfortunately, the sweat took its toll on the Mclean (rust) and over the years I kept thinking I needed to fix/repaint the frame - but with no back-up bike I could n't give up my only source of fitness training. Finally, I started looking in earnest for another bike last year after several disheartening trips to bike shops over the past several years. Lucky for me, Ann Phillips works at my local bike shop and after showing me the modern fare that was available and telling her that I really liked old lugged frames, she told me about this group and options to find a "new" old bike to ride so I could get the McLean back on its feet. Before I knew it I had a new early '80's ebay Colnago and then an early 70's Pog and then a late 80's De Rosa - I had the fever.

Ann Phillips and Nick Zatezalo here in Atlanta have become great friends since I've become a member of the CR list and I owe a lot to both of them with my renewed interest in old classic bikes and riding. Every time I see them, I learn some great information and their friendship has enriched my life a great deal. They have been a great help with the McLean and my other projects. This year my wife Amy and I will be attending Cirque for the first time and I'll have the Mclean there to show. I'll be looking forward to meeting many of you there. I'll be riding that black late '80s SLX DeRosa (painted fork) with the modern Campy gear (blasphemy!).

Roman Stankus
Atlanta, Ga.


----- Original Message -----
From: OROBOYZ@aol.com
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2004 5:08 PM
Subject: [CR]Roman's McLean up on the CR site...



> What an elegant bike... Take a look.
>
> http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/McLean/McLean_stankus1.htm
>
> Dale Brown
> Greensboro, NC