Threadless

Peter Weigle is one of the finest frame builders of all time. There have been so many great builders of every era and style that to declare any the best would be impossible. But if someone wanted to argue that Peter has built the prettiest bikes of all time, I would not argue. I love his sensibilities and how they are manifested through his craft. The perfectly shaped, masked and painted lugs are lovely in ways no lug lining can match. They are intrinsic to the work rather than a nice addition.

So there I am, looking at the Gallery at Kirk Pacenti's Bikelugs.com gazing at the beautiful work that has been done by so many builders with his lugs. The pictures are unbig, but the work is gorgeous. And of course there are Weigle frames. And of course, I am looking at them.

Beautiful, huh. Bike porn at it's best.

Then we get to this.

Clunk.

Of course that's a Chris King headset, and obviously everything possible was done to minimize the awfulness with the knurling and all. But... But... Damn. That's like flipping through the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and running into a photo spread of the 1972 East German Women's Shotput team.

I know, me ragging on bicycle aesthetics is sorta like a fat chav in a track suit ripping on fashion models. But... But... Damn. Big globular headset cups and spacers you could adjust a tractor power take off with under a stem that could be used as a blunt instrument. I'm sure the detail isn't fair. And yes, yes, before the rec.bikes.tech types pile on, the threadless headset does a lot of things right and doesn't always look abominable. But... but... Damn.

Protecting Society

So people ask me all the time "Ron" they ask "why do you keep this large and disreputable looking pile of bike parts?" Well, actually nobody has ever asked exactly that. And to the extent anyone has discussed my pile of parts at all it has been family, neighbors and clergy in varying degrees of concern, disgust and fear (respectively, more or less).

What they do not know is that I provide the valuable public service of keeping unsafe bicycle parts off the street and out of the hands of the unscrupulous who would sell these on eBay or put them on a bike they're flipping on Craig's List.

Meet the scariest stems ever. At least one member of this gang, their leader "Icon" was the subject of a nationwide recall. He was bad in the way of all insert tab and tighten screw devices. Except toy trains and battery covers don't take your teeth out when they break.

The middle one was just born bad. No hope of gripping a headtube in the way that is expected of a stem in this modern world he just wandered the internets in piles of assorted bicycle parts being sold from one bike monger to the next until I incarcerated him for the duration and saved his future victims.

The last member of the gang, the guy with the "S" tattoo to prove he's in with the tough crowd had the option. He could've been a decent stem. A bit short of bar bolts for a modern MTB stem, but solid and able to grip. Until someone just had to save a couple grams and drilled him out. A sad fate, but one he could do nothing about. Once a bike part is drilled there's no going back for them. Ever.

So that's why I am the Curator / Jailer of these parts. There is no hope of their ever changing their ways so they will not be released upon the streets ever again. And that is why I have an ever growing pile of parts.