Foresta Frames

[Craig Ryan]

Some recent fun above, and some work that's been happening below.

Coffee growlers for xmas!



The Queen!



What you put on your conservative inlaws car just before they leave on a 10 hour drive home!



Presents in progress, but done now...



This one is still going. I call it "Big Pink"



Just finished up this nice old Colorado from '92







This IF is awesome as a road bike





Color matching repair for chain suck on this almost new Pinarello



Fork delabeling





A Guru cleanup and makeover



An older Pinarello restoration

[Craig Ryan]

Winter light is my favorite. Days are short, but the sun stays low. I don't mind cold if the sun shines!
A really pretty base for the candy to come. Whenever you have problems with candy, it goes back to this stage. Times like this when it's cool in the shop, and I'm building up for the multiple coats of candy, I run at the outer limits of the tech specs. In this case DBC, which gives me a 24 hour window without scuffing. I'll come back tomorrow and start in with my special mix of cobalt based candy and see what comes out.
You know, tandems are really 2 and a half frames.









My sister sent a photo from my home town, Neenah Wisconsin. I'm a northerner at heart, and remember the day I moved to Indianapolis. I thought I was moving to the deep south. After 35 years down here I'm wishing for more trips north. My family is spread about Wisconsin, all north or Neenah. The only one to leave, my older brother moved to upstate NY, near the border to Montreal.

[Craig Ryan]

Shooting candy is a bit different. First you shoot this great basecoat, which normally you'd detail and lock down with clear. Instead you mix up a concoction of transparent dye based basecoat and mix it with clear basecoat, all in the hope of getting just the right density in your paint. Too many layers of candy and you're pushing the limits of your material, too few and it'll be blotchy or uneven in application. I try for two really nice even coats, then a third to even it out. I think it worked well this time! I'll let it rest over night, then lock it down with a good clear tomorrow.

First candy coat



Second candy coat



Third candy coat

[Craig Ryan]

First clear down, and it looks nice considering the weather.



Sand, sand, sand, between each clear coat. It's what makes the difference, and takes all the time.

[Craig Ryan]

[Craig Ryan]

I mixed a candy replicating the old Santana color this one was originally painted. Customer wanted the same color. I'm glad to get this out of the shop, tandems are like 2.5 frames, and take a lot of space in the shop.

[Britishbane]

Craig, do you have a website? Looking for paint info.

[wgp]

I can't seem to find Craig's website either - is there something going on? Has he gone out of business?

Craig - Was interested in discussing a repaint of my late 70' Gios. If you are reading this, you still at work?

[Britishbane]

I can't seem to find Craig's website either - is there something going on? Has he gone out of business?

Craig - Was interested in discussing a repaint of my late 70' Gios. If you are reading this, you still at work?

I'll reply, just in case Craig isn't monitoring this page closely. He's taking a year for family. Sounds like he is having fun.

[MarkC]

Craig did a respray on an RS for me and was outstanding to work with. I think he turned down the effort on bike building and painting though. Exceptionally good guy and miss seeing his posts and thoughts on VS.

-Mark

[Todd Mosley]

Looks like he's driving trucks now... https://instagram.com/cfr73/

[Craig Ryan]

I check in here, but not as often as I'd like. At this time I am taking a break from painting and bicycle work. I retired from teaching this past June, and am driving flatbed truck. I'm not sure when I'll get back to painting, but I wasn't generating enough money through bicycle work to keep it as my main income source. So far I enjoy the change, it's very physical and challenging, and it meets my financial needs in retirement. I post to my IG account mentioned above as I can, but since I'm on a steep learning curve it's pretty limited. Thanks! Craig

[Amaro Bikes]

Craig rules, truck&roll!

[kentinmania]

This picture of Justin Spinelli's was my laptop screen saver for long time and I always had a thing for Craig's bike since that.



I am lucky that Craig built for himself a frame that looks tailor made for myself. It doesn't have the "multicolor" panels and the "oldschool" logo that I always loved about his frames, but a white bike never disappoints. Most importantly it rides superbly.



Thank you Craig and good luck for you future projects.

[jerk]

Craig is one of the good ones. I was in Austin a few months back and randomly walked in to a tattoo shop to get a fun little cow girl on my arm. Long story short, the artist and I started talking about life and jobs and of course, bikes came up. It turns out Craig was this guys teacher and inspiration. He just raved about Craig's skills as an educator and a mentor.

Honestly, when I saw Craig's work at NAHBS, I assumed he'd been in the industry for years. His work wasn't that of a rookie- the bike had the balance and look of a bike built by a framebuilder who'd done this thousands of times before.

Craig- with the level of quality you brought to that bike I can only imagine the skills you brought to your other avocations.

Plus- trucks are fucking bad ass.

[Craig Ryan]

Thanks Craig, I bet you met Kyle. Both he and his sister Dana were outstanding artists. He's who I would seek out.

As I write this I am in the hospital in Fort Smith, Arkasas. I drove hard not feeling well to get a load of soup can material to Northern Texas. I ended up parked behind a small truck stop for two days hoping I'd pass. Finally they brought me in to FS. When they saw me they got me to the ER where I learned I had Legionaires Disease. A really nasty pneumonia had gotten all over my lungs. I'm just now surfacing, but let me tell you, when those drugs and bugs mix it leaves the rest of you very weak. I have some time to recoup, so I'll take it.

[Amaro Bikes]

Get well Craig!

[the bottle ride]

Craig- get better and feel better

[joosttx]

Wow, Craig get well. Sounds like you are on the right side of the illness

[Craig Ryan]

Released from the hospital today. Will hang out in a close motel before we head home Sunday. It was a trip to hell and back. Thanks for any kind thoughts. You don't realize how fragile we all are until something like this hits you.