Bike porn

freshtripe Steady on turpe, its not quite finished yet...

...I understand your comments; I agree the bike is not that radical - it is really intended to mark the launch of some pink and white Tokyo-themed products in the UK (like those rude-bars, some cheeky t-shirts and a few other bits and bobs...)

Hey, as I said, it's a nice bike. Really.

I just hope you didn't pay ilovedust too much for their input - from what I've picked up reading things on here and occasionally checking your website, you seem more than capable of putting together a nice, clean build on your own (hell, quite a few of your builds have been nicer than this one, in my opinion) and I'd hate to think that you paid a design firm to give you something a bit special, only to have them come back with this. I know I'd feel very let down if that were the case and I were in your shoes.

Imagine going to Claridges and ordering the soup of the day for about £20, only to be brought a bowl of New Covent Garden Chicken Soup. I mean, it's not a bad soup by any means (if a little salty), but any sod can put that together

I honestly question the validity of design companies getting in on the act of building a bike from already-available parts. I'd much rather that all the credit went to someone (like yourself) that is involved fully in the cycling world, rather than some design co. using it as a portfolio item. Call me a purist, but I'd rather that my bicycle's componentry was selected by someone with a firm background in the sport/pastime/way of life* that I love so much.

Anyhow, sorry if my comments seemed a little harsh and I do wish you all the best with the product launches and so on. I'm sure that if I weren't 8 time zones away, you'd probably be in possession of a fairly large chunk of my income by now.

*delete as applicable