ok, finally i something i can contribute, it's pronounced 'selmins', and i'm not sure when he started building, but i think it was in the late 70's or early 80's (i'm pretty sure he built rory o'reilly's bike for the 84(?) pan am games).
as far as i know i owned the last bike he built, i convinced him (how i'll never know) to come out of retirement to build me a bike in 1990. that bike was stolen in santa barbara in 1992, and remains a source of grief to me to this day.
his serial numbers are of the form C8901, where 89 is the year of manufacture, and the last two digits are the number frame built that year. (the serial number on my frame was c9001).
the quality of his work on my frame was excellent, and the thing rode like a rocket on rails, climbed like a scalded ape, and overall made me a very happy rider.
i'm pretty sure he painted his own bikes.
last i heard mike was working for a tool-making company in goleta ca, but a couple of postings to the santa barbara craigslist have failed to turn anything else up. i know he was pretty bitter about not being able to make a living building bikes.
his wife (ex i believe) was/is named jade, and was indeed a bicycle clothing designer, although i have no idea what she is doing today.
lastly, if anyone ever finds a 54cm celmins for sale, on-topic or off, i would be very grateful for a heads-up, there's not much i wouldn't give to own another celmins, for sentimental reasons among others.
-galen pewtherer san francisco, ca
On 4/21/05, Tom Sanders <tsan7759142@comcast.net> wrote:
> Having bought a bike by Michael Celmins of Santa Barbara I am seeking mor
e
> information about the builder than is available in the archives, which I
> have already checked. I am wondering if any of you might know who painte
d
> his bikes, dates he worked, how to tell the dates of his bikes by the ser
ial
> # , what he is doing since he stopped building, and any observations yo
u
> may have about his level of quality, etc. I understand his wife was
> something like a designer of bicycling attire...is she still active in th
is?
> How is the last name pronounced...is the C a hard one or is it like an S?
> Any replies either on or off list appreciated. As is often the case when
> buying bikes by small American builders, I am flying in the dark a bit.
> Tom Sanders
> Lansing, Mi
>
> _______________________________________________
>
--
-galen