Clockwork Bikes

[Matthew J]

Starting this thread to showcase the work of fellow V Salonista, Joel Greenblatt of Clockwork Bikes. Clockwork is currently located in Wauwatosa, WI, a close in suburb of Milwaukee. Joel regularly show cases his work on FNL and posts frequently in the V Salon frame builders forum.

Work and family demands (octogenarian father, scads of nephews and nieces who seem always to be graduating from something or another, getting married, or buying new homes) make it difficult for me to get away on the weeks to months long tours I would love to be taking. Enter the resurrected Midwest Amtrak lines which make it easy to take the bike to some relatively interesting destination a few hundred miles from home then ride it back on a long weekend or thereabouts tour.

Rolling on or Amtrak boxing is not good for painted bikes. So I figured why not go with a raw stainless fillet brazed. The frame will accommodate 700x32 wheel and tires with fenders, Tubus duo rack up front and medium size rack and panniers in back.

The wonderful custom stem is by another V Salonista, Eric Estlund of Winter Cycles. Eric kindly assisted with chroming the fork so its brushed satin appearance matches the stem. Thanks Eric!

Joel is a good communicator. Down payment to bike was a very reasonable four months. Price is very reasonable. Highly recommended.

More pictures and complete detail to come when build is complete in a week or two. Meanwhile, please do take some time to review Joel's flickr:

Mathew's KVA Light Tourer - a set on Flickr

[sevencyclist]

Love the unpainted golden brazing being shown. Perfect for stainless steel. I had thought about it with a steel bike, but would tarnish over time. Stainless makes it right.

Love that stem as well.

Enjoy the bike!!

[Matthew J]

Managed to tear myself away from a very windy ride in Chicago's north suburbs on the Clockwork to take a photo. On coming home I started to take some detail shots when I realized my camera flash was not working. Until I figure it out, all I have is this one close up of the seat cap fillets.P1010009.JPG

[Matthew J]

Well, seem to be having Mac V-Salon compatibility issues. Mac shows the photo is within size constraints, but V Salon thinks it is a larger size.

So much for that. Link to my flickr if you are interested:

Clockwork Taking a Break | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[Matthew J]

Clockwork.jpg

V Salon appears to favor my Wintel system at work over my mac at home.

Clockwork Bicycles - built by Joel Greenblatt
Light tourer
Frame is fillet brazed KVA stainless steel - internal brake cable routing - braze ons for down tube shifters and two water bottles
Fork is chromolly steel - brushed satin chrome plating courtesy of Eric Estlund of Winter Bicycle who also made the stem
Crankset is White Industry with quick release pedal option
Pedals are MKS Custom Nuevo with King Foot Cages
Chain - Wipperman - Connex nickel plated 7 speed
Wheels - rims front and back Synergy Dyads
Front hub Schmidt SON dyno hub 36h
Rear hub Royce 40h
Tires Grand Bois Cypres - 700x32
Freewheel 5 speed Suntour 14 -34 (very lucky NOS find)
Brakes Paul Racer M
Brake Levers Campagnolo Record ATB
Rear Derailleur Shimano Ultegra
Paul Comp. Seat Post
Jitensha Flat Bar
Grips ESI Silicone
DT Shifters are Simplex Retrofriction
Saddle Berthoud Mente
Light Schmidt Edeluxe
Tail light Busch Muller Top Light
Rear rack Tubus Fly Stainless

[Matthew J]

In case anyone is worried, I've not undertaken the 12 step Fetishist Anonymous program.

The bike should have black ESI grips rather than silver. The bar and stem came off another bike where silver grips made sense. ESI go on so well I will have to cut those off. Figured I may as well go through this winter with these and worry about better color matching in the spring.

Mike Kone recently offered some Regina 100 year anniversary chains at a very fair price. The chain is a nice nickel/black steel contrast and would look perfect on the Clockwork. Problem is I would have no other use for the otherwise very well made Wipperman on the bike now. Suppose I could use it for when I go to the single speed configuration, but I have a real nice Izumi chain for that.

The components are almost demanding I get another frame.

[dgaddis]

Love the unpainted golden brazing being shown. Perfect for stainless steel. I had thought about it with a steel bike, but would tarnish over time. Stainless makes it right.

+1

Some of the recent pics Joel posted in the FNL were simply out of this world. Man does good work.

[Matthew J]

Camera flash still not working, but I was able to these shots using available light over the weekend. Seat cluster and bottom bracket brazing (and Joel's clever solution for under BB cable protection) and a close up of the stainless brass skewer from Western America that perfectly matches the rest of the bike.

SeatCluster.JPG

photo.JPG

skewer.JPG

[omnigrid]

that's a neat bike.

how's the ride with stainless?

[Matthew J]

that's a neat bike.

how's the ride with stainless?

So far I am really enjoying the ride quality. Smooth and comfortable, but still more than enough road feel to keep engaged. Somehow in my pre-buy research I failed to pick up that SS is lighter than comparable steel tubing. Touring ride with road bike weight.