Jan,
Why single out Chuck Schmidt?
Mike Schmidt Stirling, NJ
On 4/24/08 1:09 AM, "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net> wrote:
> At 7:49 PM -0500 4/23/08, Robert Clair wrote:
>
>> ... any chance this interesting pub may find a us supplier ?
>
> At Vintage Bicycle Press, we have considered offering the book from
> the Embacher Collection in the U.S. We'd be able to handle bank
> transfers and shipping on a bulk basis, making it a bit cheaper for
> individuals than trying to order directly from Austria.
>
> However, with the U.S. having lost so much of its value, the price
> still would be high - somewhere around $ 85-$ 100 including shipping.
>
> We'd need to get at least 10 orders to make it worth while. If
> anybody is interested and willing to pay the price, please contact
> me. Then I can see whether it is worth pursuing.
>
> Since I have a copy of the book, here is a brief book review:
>
> The book is a picture book, almost devoid of text. The photos are
> very good, the print quality is excellent, and the bikes are a
> mixture of interesting historic machines and curiosities. If you want
> to see "L-shaped" cranks, bikes with skis under the front wheel, and
> bikes that fold into a suitcase, you'll find them all there.
> Non-orthodox frame configurations are a special love of Mr. Embacher:
> Pedersen, Flying Gate, Hetchins all are present as modern
> reproductions, plus some truly odd frames that only Germans could
> have made in an attempt to make "non-conformist" bikes. And a few
> really neat carbon-fibre bikes, such as the one on the cover of the
> book. You'll also find a lovely Herse, some nice 1950s racers, and a
> Singer that already was featured in "The Golden Age of Handbuilt
> Bicycles." Some of the bikes are of great historic interest, but many
> are equipped with more modern parts. It's a bit of everything...
>
> As has been said before, the collection is not concerned with
> history, nor performance, but with the aesthetic aspects of bike
> design. It's a very different focus from what I see in many U.S.
> collections, such as Chuck Schmidt's, where all bikes look alike -
> main triangle, rear triangle, fork, wheels with roughly 70 cm
> diameter...
>
> Jan Heine
> Editor
> Bicycle Quarterly
> 140 Lakeside Ave #C
> Seattle WA 98122
> http://www.bikequarterly.com