Peacock Groove Cycles

[edoz]

Ok, I just realized you have a Facebook page for PG. I checked out some pics and followed some links and I have to say the PG-40 bike is badass. I also like the blue road bike with the ghost flames and that camo mtb with the matching racks. Also, the blue and white disc brake cross bike with the rack, now that's just sweet. One question about the R/T styled green 29er (which I love), has that cutout on the seat tube given any problems? I always wonder how much you can cut out of a tube before you go too far.

[liberacefanboy]

@E-RICHIE:
I am master of nothing. well, a couple of things maybe. he he .
@edoz:
thanks. That blue road bike is like, 6? years old?the camo bike was "painted" with truck bedliner. IT is the only one done with multiple colors , that I know of.However, it is not stronger than a parked car.I ran into a prked car with it last year and crushed the frame. 22.3 miles an hour. Sober, riding home in the rain, which I hate, and had my head down at the wrong time. only buckled, no tears in the tube.
The cutout....its fine. That part of the seat tube is the least stressed part of the bike. It is fab'd quite well and I use the thicker st from Columbus and an eighth inch piece of stainless. I have had no issues with this stlye of build. I think there are about 20 or so out there like that. I am however, getting some tubes cnc bent for a new style. I believe that a super short rear end is the way to go on 29nrs.... I do not do eccentric bbs, or slider dropouts. Horizontals have worked forever, so that is what I use.
erik

[caleb]

@eric :
yep big monster space. I am super happy about it for this one reason:
I will no longer be below the horrible person upstairs. They drop bowling balls on the floor, but tell me my heater is to loud. To be away from her will be so conducive to my work, I will feel like I do not have to walk on eggshells anymore...but really, I will be sharing the space with a couple other people, one of note is Vincent Dominguez. He is a builder too, but more importantly, a good friend.This new space will help with the production flow that I do once in a while, and I just currently need more space. The layout is not completely done, but with 4900 square feet at my disposal, a paint booth will happen. There is a big garage door that faces the Midtown Greenway, a bike path that cuts through all of Minneapolis, hundreds ride by this spot daily, and thousands more down the path further. We are at the tail end of it near St. Paul. I love this path.

erik

1) Are you staying in the Ivy Building? I need to know where to find you when it's finally time for one of your frames.

2) Is that Chinese joint across street just to the west of the Ivy safe? Hop Wong just isn't cutting it for me anymore.

[Darkitect]

My buddy Dave got a job at Croll, and he got me to come and talk to Walter, and then Walter told me to apply. So I did, and I got the job.

I am glad it worked out for you. I wish I had never taken that job with Croll. I still fantasize about removing teeth from that fucker's head.

Remember when we busted your MTB cherry on my Mom's bike down by M'haha Falls? Good effin times.

Obviously you know who I am by now......

[liberacefanboy]

@CALEB:
Fuck yeah I am staying in the Ivy Building. 3 Ring Scenic , the door just east of them. 2718 27th e st.
Shit will be epic, with a new sign coming and everything.
Hop wong blows...the place you are talking about, Chinese Wok, is pretty good. She finally had her baby and I thin at like three moths he is taking my order already....no really, when I call now, she says: " OK Ten MINUTES MR. ERIK!" cOOL PLACE...Now, True Thai...on 27th and Franklin...awesome...and it is run well by good people....go there. spend money, and you will be happy.
@darkitect:
yeah it may have worked out for me, but you and I both know Walter could be difficult...nature of business....
yep. I rode your moms bike...is your sister Lizze still hot? She won't return my Facebook e-mails....
thanks Dave...
later fellas, I get to go home and sleep for 5 hours and be back at it.
erik

[Too Tall]

Minnehaha Falls - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This Smoked Out just went orbital. Obscure references to public park hangouts in MN and dredging up old pals must mean one thing. P.G. is outta control.

Carry on.

[anthonymaietta]

The gold plated 29nr that I had at this years NAHBS.

Erik,

I remember meeting you in Richmond this year. Naturally I was drawn to the gold plated bike because it was A) Badass & B Front and center in your booth. What I remember was that I saw this Sunday afternoon and you were as pumped, enthusiastic and talkative about it and your other bikes as you would have been if I was the first person in your booth Friday morning. Your energy was infectious and I loved it. Can you talk a little bit about how this gold plated bike came to be?

Back to the painted disc wheel bike for one more question. They say "all publicity is good publicity". You obviosuly rubbed a few people the wrong way with your statement. Did you gain any customers from it? How do you gage the long term effects of it? I have read your story behind the motivation for it, but would you do it again if you could go back in time?

Keep up the good work Erik.

Tony Maietta

[Don Walker]

Sorry I'm tardy to the party.

Erik and I have become great friends over the years. Seems like its not a good week for me if I don't talk to him at least 4 times. Some of the biggest laughs I have had in my life are courtesy of Erik. If you ever get the chance to go out to dinner or drinks with Erik, just get him a jack and coke with some lime (so he doesn't get scurvy) and sit back and enjoy the laughter ride.

Erik has a little nickname I gave him a few years back at Interbike. He wasn't able to come to represent Q that year and the Q booth had this autograph area for all of the dealers to sign. I wrote down a few words and then signed my name.

"Erik Noren is my sweaty, little viking of love. Don Walker"

I had Q representatives read it right after signing it and say "you know that the entire exhibit is going back to Q and will be displayed, right?" " Well no, I didn't know that, but that makes it even better..."

Erik, don't change a thing, except maybe your clothes. I love ya bro!

DW

[liberacefanboy]

@tootall :
it just looks like I am outa control.Ha. But the Falls are an awesome place to hang out and get mugged once in a while.
@Tony :
The golden rule... that bike came out of a conversation that I had with a buddy about the copper bike I did back in 09....like that was a long time ago or something....But I thought that the copper bike was just hawt, and that some people were hating on it because they thought I made it to sit on a wall. I never make bikes that are for hanging... I will paint you a picture for 2400 bucks if you want to hang something...But, I thought, I did the copper bike, because I had never seen a copper plated bike before. My pal Ezra said, you should do a gold bike! So, I told him I would build him a frame if he got it plated. And we did. I always wanted to see a gold bike, but knew if I didn't do it, I may never see one.
He rides it, races it, and blinds people on the trails with it. It was a cool bike to make.
Ahh the wheel...well lets surmise:
You say that I rubbed a few people the wrong way? I am not being combative here, I just don't know how to clip a quote from your original post. I know this was a big topic but it just should never have been this big.
I disagree completely, and let me explain :
This world is full of political correctness and people do and say things because they are "told and taught" that it is the right thing to do.
Let me be as stringent as possible with the next statement: They offended themselves with their ignorance, arrogance , self righteousness and most likely a sense of higher morality and ethics.
People showed that they knew nothing about the work by claiming it was a Guns-n-Roses album cover, and it was, but it was done originally in 1978 by Robert Williams. To him, it was a metaphoric representation on the rape of humanity by technology, and that we could be saved by the military industrial complex. I got it when I saw it, many many years ago. I did this painting for these reasons:
1 My step grandfather was a child molester and he always wore a jacket like the robot does in the painting. When I fist saw this artwork in 1984? ( 1984ish at some artbook I was looking at with dad) I thought: I wish we had a big red guy to kill our step grandfather. Live through what I did and you will feel the same.
2 I liked that the art showed a victim , perpetrator , and hero, or rather a consequence .What ever that bad robot did he was about to be punished, and we are soooo lacking that here in our country. People commit crimes all the time, and don't do the time, meanwhile some kid sells some pot and is locked up for life, but you can drive drunk, kill someone, and get probation.Thats just fucked.
3 Robert Williams was not considered an artist by some of his peers, because he did not fit in the norm of what art was in that time period, but he still displayed ridiculous skill. Some critics didn't like it so they labeled him a pornographer and other bad things. He was just doing what this imagination told him to, and this has been similar to the bikes I have made.I do think his shit is out there, but who cares?Ya dig? I have been called a hack, pervert, no style having punk, and that made me identify with Mr. Williams. I make bikes too, and just because I don't make lugged whatever, or Brevets' or rando bikes or other fancy term bikes, does not constitute that I am not a frame builder. I make them and just call them Peacock Groove. I make bikes, big whoop.
4 the imagery kicks ass, and I like it personally.
Did I make any sales off of it? No. .I still get an e-mail once in a while saying that they would never have done that, that I am representing my company poorly, that they want to see it destroyed and so on so on....Did it get me press? Yep sure.Did it turn off people to me and PG ?yep. that's ok.I wish people would have a conversation about things like this, as to :"why did you do this?" and get an answer, not just turn down their nose in disapproval. I do this sometimes too, but at the end of the day to dictate what others do hurts us all.
They don't have to look at it, and to judge my 18 years doing this by one wheel, well that's just silly.
Would I do it again?
Yep.It's my personal bike. I can't stand extended seat tubes, but I don't run to a forum and start a petition to get the builder kicked out. I just don't make them kind of bikes.
Now, this is the last I will talk ( type ) about the wheel here in this Smoked Out thread.
@Don Walker:
ahhhh .I like you too.
Seriously, I do consider Don a best bud. I liked him even before I knew what NAHBS was. I would say we have a long distance bromance.
erik

[YiPsan]

I like what you are saying Erik. Keep it up.

Tell us more about what you are currently working on. Anything that really rock your world?

Cheers.

[edoz]

If you are going to NAHBS in Austin next year, let me know. I'll buy you a couple of whatever you drink. And bring a couple of bikes to ride, I hear the have great riding on and off road.

P.S. I love Robert Williams. I remember a painting with a kid cutting himself with a Swiss Army knife and it rocked my world.

[liberacefanboy]

Thanks guys.
I forgot to tell Don that I love him too.
@Yipsan :
I have been doing a few cool things here lately. Well, cool to me anyways.I just made a bike for a lady who is like 4'11", bad knees, bad arthritis in her hands , and she had horrible standover on the bike she had . AND - it was one of those 700 c rear, 24" front wheel bikes. I hate those. For so many reasons besides that they are ugly. So, I made her a nice little 26" road bike, with Athena 11 speed ! ( fuck yeah !! ) Well, this lady rides! A lot ! She does a lot of semi supported rides that can be as long as 125 miles in a day. I am very happy to say that to this day her hands and knees do not bother her at all when on the bike. She love that she can stand over it and not"fell" the bike ( her words ) . She loves that she has a little more upright position on it too. She loves everting about it, and that means that my job was done. This was her first custom bike purchase, and as I hold that responsibility to meet her needs and represent what a Professional Frame Builder can and should do.
What is interesting to me? I am taking a bike to get, get this, Teflon coated. You know, like a frying pan. I wanna see how well it works, because is hit don't stick....oh the possibilities...
@edoz:
I am planning at being at Austin. Right now the plan is to save a little bit and I am going to go down there a little early for a few days of vacation, of which I have only had three vacations my whole life.I am getting a guide and am going to go alligator gar fishing. I wanna catch me a monster, have an epic battle, then release him. But first I will ask him:" Hey, if you ever need a bike..." and then hand him my card. Ha.We will have a cold one or two. I think Austin will shape upto be awesome!
erik

[Don Walker]

I am planning at being at Austin. Right now the plan is to save a little bit and I am going to go down there a little early for a few days of vacation, of which I have only had three vacations my whole life.I am getting a guide and am going to go alligator gar fishing. I wanna catch me a monster, have an epic battle, then release him. But first I will ask him:" Hey, if you ever need a bike..." and then hand him my card. Ha.We will have a cold one or two. I think Austin will shape up to be awesome!
erik

Erik,

Stay later, after the show is over for SXSW. Then go gar fishing...

And DAMN right, Austin is already shaping up to be better than awesome!

DW

[liberacefanboy]

@ Don Walker :
Ok that sounds better. I just know I am going to go gar fishing. It has been on my top ten list of shit to do before I die .I wanna catch a big ol' alligator gar. Nuff said. And stay for a bike race? Thats a duh. No problem. Who doesn't like a bike race. I hear there is this big one going on right now I France or something.
er

[EnginCycles]

Erik,
Glad to hear you are in a better place (no pun intended). Why if I may ask have you not considered buying a property that allows you total freedom? Obviously I am a fan of owning the property (not working from home but actual industrial or commercial property) and wonder if the market is the reason or you can rent cheaper than the mortgage would be? Lots of benefits from owning and the biggest is that you own under your name and rent the facility to your business. It is a serious win, win situation.

See you in Austin. Also SXSW is not a bike race it is the music festival that is very well known as the launching pad for up and coming indie bands.

Cheers,
Drew

[liberacefanboy]

@Drew:
You are right on with the property thing. I really believe that is the way to go. However- I was smart enought to ruin my credit in my younger years and have been rebuilding it for a long time, and, I am getting there. But as of right now, the same banks I helped out will not help me out. But rest assured, I will have more than my day.
As far as working from home vs working in a shop, I will always go quoth the shop. I don't tell anyone where I live, I have more than enough people stopping by and wanting to hang out, have a beer, ask a billion questions, or ask for free stuff, can I sweep your floo, why do you use steel, why is the sky blue ....
Also, zoning laws and city planning, neighbor relations are all a little complicated up here. Finding a building that is zoned for what we do, up here it is considered Heavy Industrial. But if I said I was making "art", the sky opens and Jesus himself builds your shop.
Okay not really but you get the picture.
As for SXSW ... OOPS ....My misread.I would still go to it though, after Gar fishing...
erik

[steve garro]

after Gar fishing...
erik

dude, i would kill to go Alligator Gar fishing with you! the Trinity River, TX is where you want to go. http://www.fishing-worldrecords.com/ - Garro.

[liberacefanboy]

Steve,
that is just one reason like going to your blog. FISH!! I love fishing. I love being able to ride my bike a meager 10 miles out of the city, and it's fishing time. Peace, quiet and largemouth Bass!! But really, I love seeing about the lives and other passions that these creative , passionate people who build bikes do after the torch is down. It is all about what you do in your life that inspires frame building, at least to me. It is the culture that I live every day.
erik

[spopepro]

Dude-- you've totally made me a bunch of malteds based on those dates (lived in Mahtomedi). The malt shop rocks. Now I want one...

I suppose this could be for any far north builder, but do you find that you get major fluctuations in orders with the seasons up there? I've wondered if the "it's dark at 3:30 and it's -35 out" helps (productive time with not much to do) or hurts (who thinks of riding bikes in this stuff?).

[Too Tall]

Erik, Sodajerk trivia...
I attended McAlester College in St.Paul and for a yr. rented a house very close to a pharmacy on the corner of St. Claire Ave and Snelling. At the time the owner was living and maintained a real live working soda / ice creme bar in operation since forever. He kept the price of coffee at , I recall, .10 a cup and silly low prices for everything when sitting at the bar (8 stools). Great guy, wish I could remember his name. Spent many hrs. there studying and enjoying the buzz of people. Coffee was horrific ;) I'm sure the owner is long gone but the memory and experience to have the warm embrace of some good old fashion Luthern love was a d@mn good thing for this smartarse eastern kid. I do miss the land of lakes.