Coconino Cycles

[steve garro]

Don't want to get any where near you. Too dangerous! Didn't you just break your finger a couple of months ago?

I can't blame you I'm a Demolition Man!
Seriously - try building frames in a wheelchair sometime - I bet it ups your injuries signifigantly.
That & off road hancycling & esp. boating seems good for injuries.
Can't get tough without practice.
I never was fast on a bike, I just could suffer harder!
- Garro.

[steve garro]

26 is the new 29! - Garro.

[steve garro]

And I just got this from Mr. Z. - Garro

[steve garro]

And, lastly - A much overdue blog update: coconino cycles custom bicycles 928 774 7747 www.coconinocycles.com: May 2011 - It's a wrap! - Garro.

[steve garro]

A childhood friend sent me this pic of my 2nd real MTB ever - an 85' {or 86'? - fuzzy....} C-Dale. What a trip! It made it's way all the way up to Alaska - Garro.

[sevencyclist]

Hi Steve, I have been reading the thread about finger numbness, and there seems to be some evolution of what a MTB should look.ride like.

I am wondering whether you continue to receive feedback about the bikes you build, and how that gets incorporated into your mental database? Usually when someone achieves a certain fame/status in their craft, as you have done in building of MTBs, what you create become the definition of what it should be. I am wondering whether you have "locked in" onto what a MTB should be, or whether it's still shifting with more years of building? Thanks.

[Craig Ryan]

Steve, I was wondering if you've read the Norman Maclean book "Young Men and Fire?" The story of the Man Gulch Fire. That book made a big impact on my, and I've never been a jumper.
Craig

[steve garro]

Hi Steve, I have been reading the thread about finger numbness, and there seems to be some evolution of what a MTB should look.ride like.

I am wondering whether you continue to receive feedback about the bikes you build, and how that gets incorporated into your mental database? Usually when someone achieves a certain fame/status in their craft, as you have done in building of MTBs, what you create become the definition of what it should be. I am wondering whether you have "locked in" onto what a MTB should be, or whether it's still shifting with more years of building? Thanks.

Oh yes - most certainly. I have long term reltionships with many of my clients, many of which own multible bikes. I call & ask for ride reports & pics - when you get your bike you have not heard the last of me!

MTB's ride MUCH better then they used to when I started riding them in the early 80's - 84' on "real" mountainbikes v. old schwinns. We have seen changes in wheel sizes, suspention - soooo much.
Early MTB's were largely made with short toptubes & narrow bars - nice for JRA but kind of sketchy in real world singletrack situations {we are just talking trail bikes here - not touring, just to be concise}
As suspention travel grew it became nessicary to move back on the bike to counteract fork dive & not get pitched OTB.
HT and ST angles slackened, we had to learn about sag and it's effects on geometry. Just think about axle to crown alone - it has grown from under 40cm to over 50cm on some models. Geometry has put riders more "in" the frame, and that's good.
I try to balance the rider inbetween the wheels where they can steer from the hips like you should.
Above all we have to remember that I/We build bikes for individuals and they are all different - back, neck, flexibility - it's important to listen and not just build people "your bike" in their "size"
I do not have bike "sizes" - I don't even measure this. I draw the person's body out in geometric terms and draw the frame into it.
Every frame is a learning experience and when it's not I'll quit, but I doubt that will ever happen. Does this help or awnser your Q? - Garro.

[steve garro]

Steve, I was wondering if you've read the Norman Maclean book "Young Men and Fire?" The story of the Man Gulch Fire. That book made a big impact on my, and I've never been a jumper.
Craig

The Mann Gulch fire. Yep. 13 dead. We studied the shit out of that incident. everything went wrong there - lack of communication with the front line, bad crew placement, breakdown of leadership - you name it. My crew {Mormon Lake hotshots - your crew is your crew until you die.} lost a couple crew members a few yrs before I started & I have been on fires where people died & I was involved in a few dreadful rescue operations. I was burned over twice personally.
I did 100 straight days of initial attack in Yellowstone 88'. What a thing to do when you are 21. I fought fires in AZ, UT, NM, CA, OR, WA, SD, MT, WY, ID. I did two tours & my knees started to go south so I quit & that's when I started working on bicycles professionally
Hey - Thanks for askin'. - Garro.

[sevencyclist]

Oh yes - most certainly. I have long term reltionships with many of my clients, many of which own multible bikes. I call & ask for ride reports & pics - when you get your bike you have not heard the last of me!

Above all we have to remember that I/We build bikes for individuals and they are all different - back, neck, flexibility - it's important to listen and not just build people "your bike" in their "size"
I do not have bike "sizes" - I don't even measure this. I draw the person's body out in geometric terms and draw the frame into it.
Every frame is a learning experience and when it's not I'll quit, but I doubt that will ever happen. Does this help or awnser your Q? - Garro.

I am glad you take pride in your work to have a continuous relationship with your customers. I am in an industry where we only hear back when things don't go well. Three years ago, I decided to change my work, and having time to get feedback has made it a lot more satisfying, and helps me to be better at what I do.

Personalized really means just that, taking the whole person into account rather than finding the closest cookie cutter mold to match the person.

That is great that you draw out the person to visualize the balance. Do you ever put in big muscular chest, pop-belly, or big butts to help balance the bike for particular customer?

Thanks for answering the question. I am glad that you are continuing to learn through your job everyday.

Rex

[Britishbane]

The Mann Gulch fire. Yep. 13 dead. We studied the shit out of that incident. everything went wrong there - lack of communication with the front line, bad crew placement, breakdown of leadership - you name it. My crew {Mormon Lake hotshots - your crew is your crew until you die.} lost a couple crew members a few yrs before I started & I have been on fires where people died & I was involved in a few dreadful rescue operations. I was burned over twice personally.
I did 100 straight days of initial attack in Yellowstone 88'. What a thing to do when you are 21. I fought fires in AZ, UT, NM, CA, OR, WA, SD, MT, WY, ID. I did two tours & my knees started to go south so I quit & that's when I started working on bicycles professionally
Hey - Thanks for askin'. - Garro.

I, Mr. Garro, find you to be one interesting dude. Very cool.

[steve garro]

I am glad you take pride in your work to have a continuous relationship with your customers. I am in an industry where we only hear back when things don't go well. Three years ago, I decided to change my work, and having time to get feedback has made it a lot more satisfying, and helps me to be better at what I do.

Personalized really means just that, taking the whole person into account rather than finding the closest cookie cutter mold to match the person.

That is great that you draw out the person to visualize the balance. Do you ever put in big muscular chest, pop-belly, or big butts to help balance the bike for particular customer?

Thanks for answering the question. I am glad that you are continuing to learn through your job everyday.

Rex

That's great! Thanks for the pre-coffee guffaw. In drawing a person they sadly are reduced to a few lines, but I like the way you think.....I have a really great old buddy named Rex. - Garro.

[steve garro]

I, Mr. Garro, find you to be one interesting dude. Very cool.

Thanks, Man - We'll hang some day.
I filled my 1st life up & now I'm on my 2nd, which promises to be a crazy as the first but with more introspection and more productivity - Garro.

[steve garro]

I am glad you take pride in your work to have a continuous relationship with your customers.

And also in this vein I must remind all of you that you are all invited to the Coconino Cycles family reunion - it's on 9-10-11 here in Flagstaff at Fort Tuthill county park - PM me if you want to come out for the fun! - Garro.

[steve garro]

Early June update Coconino Cycles World HQ update coconino cycles custom bicycles 928 774 7747 www.coconinocycles.com: June 2011 - Jeffery's project, getting out in the woods. - Garro.

[steve garro]

A quick blog post coconino cycles custom bicycles 928 774 7747 www.coconinocycles.com: mid June update / Progress on Jeffery's bike / A couple new Items. - and hey! thanks for the 10,000+ views - that rocks! Doing a little lug work for a friend & it's going very smoothly - Garro.

[steve garro]

Mid-June update coconino cycles custom bicycles 928 774 7747 www.coconinocycles.com: Jeffery's project / Forced office day / stuff & things. - Garro.

[roguedog]

howdy steve.. that's all really.

hope you're finger's healing and you're catching rainbows out there :) happy friday.

[steve garro]

howdy steve.. that's all really.

hope you're finger's healing and you're catching rainbows out there :) happy friday.

thanks man! Fingers doing good, caught a couple 'Bows yesterday inbetween wind gusts {got up at 3AM to beat the wind - gotta get up early to beat me!} and had a nice day off. We saw a heron catch a big snake - Garro.

[steve garro]

Another disc fat 700c + another 29er with rockers & flowers coconino cycles custom bicycles 928 774 7747 www.coconinocycles.com: Jeffery's off to paint / Turn & burn - Mike's 29er / some flowers in the garden. - thanks for reading! - Garro.