Kalavinka frame

the-smiling-buddha [quote]kowalski Kalavinka will sell you a frame no problem. They're not even that expensive.

Waiting list is five months or so, earlier this year the order book was closed due to such high demand.

They ship overseas, and they reply to emails in English.

And they make beautiful frames.

But there's no shortage of beautiful frames in England. Just a shortage of builders.

I don't suppose you would have the low down on LEVEL cycles as I am thinking about a Level Pro in 2008[/quote]
I looked into a Kalavinka specifically, sorry no info on the Level.

Why not just paint yer Mercian white?

kowalski [quote]the-smiling-buddha [quote]kowalski Kalavinka will sell you a frame no problem. They're not even that expensive.

Waiting list is five months or so, earlier this year the order book was closed due to such high demand.

They ship overseas, and they reply to emails in English.

And they make beautiful frames.

But there's no shortage of beautiful frames in England. Just a shortage of builders.

I don't suppose you would have the low down on LEVEL cycles as I am thinking about a Level Pro in 2008[/quote]
I looked into a Kalavinka specifically, sorry no info on the Level.

Why not just paint yer Mercian white?[/quote]

well if you hear anything please let me know

The Kalavinka website has been down for a while now - or in any case i cant get on it. I will be going there with open eyes and see what i find. To be honest, i dont know a huge amount about bikes but i k=have been riding single speed since i was 14 (i am now 30) and fixed for about 5. This blog is great as i am learning loads! My wife is happy that at least its not some dodgy dating site!

lukeslytalker The Kalavinka website has been down for a while now - or in any case i cant get on it.

Works fine for me: http://www.kalavinka-bikes.com/index_j.htm

As for the dodgy dating site aspect.. well.. DK's working on that:
"I'm 5'2" petite blonde and ride a Hillman 45/17...looking to enjoy long walks on the beach and someone to do backward figure-eights with me.. "

lukeslytalker The Kalavinka website has been down for a while now - or in any case i cant get on it. I will be going there with open eyes and see what i find. To be honest, i dont know a huge amount about bikes but i k=have been riding single speed since i was 14 (i am now 30) and fixed for about 5. This blog is great as i am learning loads! My wife is happy that at least its not some dodgy dating site!

is that why u're called slytalker? and did you say u've been riding fixed since you were five?

front brake only, no mounting for rear brake, track ends, aero profile tubing, hidden headset, bolt on axles, aerospoke front and back.

I thought it was lukely stalker.

Wish I could read.

kowalski But there's no shortage of beautiful frames in England. Just a shortage of builders.

Crack is whack motherfucker, lay off the pipe man!

Witcomb, Mercian, Jackson, Roberts, Hall, BT... Should I keep going?

Knucklehead Whats the advantage of a Kerin frame over a standard track frame? I thought they where just heavy steal tubed old fashioned track frames really.

It just means the builder and frame meet japanese racing strength standards and usually, because most Keirin frames we get in the west are used, that they now fail them and are unfit to be raced in Japan. They tend to have ridiculously thin tubes and break like motherfuckers. Stick with euro frames if you want my opinion. Guidos and Limeys fer life.

PS: Proof of the problems of keirin frames. Also two of my other friends have destroyed their keirin frames this year in small crashes.

Stick British people! We have a fine traditional of artisans in this country. Give them your wages!

Elvis Stick British people! We have a fine traditional of artisans in this country. Give them your wages!

er...

Can we stick with them?

Ta!

I know I do.

hippy

If The Saint rode a bicycle this would be it.

(Just needs to come with the optional halo.)

ImOnCrank [quote]kowalski But there's no shortage of beautiful frames in England. Just a shortage of builders.

Crack is whack motherfucker, lay off the pipe man!

Witcomb, Mercian, Jackson, Roberts, Hall, BT... Should I keep going?[/quote]
Compared to yesteryear, there are very few remaining. There's only two in London now (and Chas Roberts is only just in London!)

When I was at Witcomb's the other week, a chap was picking up a restored frame. He explained he collected old bikes from Croydon builders only and had six already.

Yeah, that's 6 builders.. just London's population about 7 million.. okay so they don't all want custom bikes.. but you understand they might not quite be up to matching demand.. :)
I still reckon buy Euro.

edmundane [quote]lukeslytalker The Kalavinka website has been down for a while now - or in any case i cant get on it. I will be going there with open eyes and see what i find. To be honest, i dont know a huge amount about bikes but i k=have been riding single speed since i was 14 (i am now 30) and fixed for about 5. This blog is great as i am learning loads! My wife is happy that at least its not some dodgy dating site!

is that why u're called slytalker? and did you say u've been riding fixed since you were five?

front brake only, no mounting for rear brake, track ends, aero profile tubing, hidden headset, bolt on axles, aerospoke front and back.[/quote]The name is lukeslytalker , a pun on good old lukeskywalker from Star Wars. Kind of thought you'd have figured out that one. It has been a nick name for years... ive been riding single speed for about 15 years and fixed for 5...not since i was 5! When my son - now 18 months is old enough to ride, im going ot get him started on a small single speed racer. I love the lime green dude. Who's the frame maker?

oh yes of course i know it came from star wars...
that 5 year old was just a joke, we all got what u meant, and it's an excuse for me to post that picture of that poor cute little bike i found outside my house.

my bike's a vitus. french. steel frame. they're probably more famous for super vitus tubing used on peugeots in the 70's, and those super light wobbly glued, yes, glued alu frames in the 80's. it's been resprayed when i bought it so it's a bit hard to trace the history etc. and it is really springy.

It's been about 8 months after a long time away from fgss. I went to Tokyo, met the master builder at Kalavinka and enjoyed a good chat with them about building me a frame. I'm going back to tokyo in a month and this time hopefully put an order in for a kalavinka frame. They are just lovely. What i liked most about the place was it was just so humble, two guys, small workshop making a small amount of frames....real cottage industry. I like to give my money to these kind of outfits, and the japs attention to detail is second to none. Also, does anyone know the address of Carnival bike shop in Tokyo - i hear its in harajuku / shibuya area?

It's been about 8 months after a long time away from fgss. I went to Tokyo, met the master builder at Kalavinka and enjoyed a good chat with them about building me a frame. I'm going back to tokyo in a month and this time hopefully put an order in for a kalavinka frame. They are just lovely. What i liked most about the place was it was just so humble, two guys, small workshop making a small amount of frames....real cottage industry. I like to give my money to these kind of outfits, and the japs attention to detail is second to none. Also, does anyone know the address of Carnival bike shop in Tokyo - i hear its in harajuku / shibuya area?

I have been to them all. Punch cycle is where you want to go.

I wrote up a review and directions for a forum member last year.

http://www.londonfgss.com/post36665-39.html

Build's awesome directions got me to both Punch and Carnival and there are some pix in this thread

Level's are brilliant bikes, Mr. Matsuda is the man.

heres mine.

here is a site about them >> http://www.level-cycle.com/about/

--
evenwhileyousleep.blogspot.com

crack Is Whack Motherfucker, Lay Off The Pipe Man!

Witcomb, Mercian, Jackson, Roberts, Hall, Bt... Should I Keep Going?

It Just Means The Builder And Frame Meet Japanese Racing Strength Standards And Usually, Because Most Keirin Frames We Get In The West Are Used, That They Now Fail Them And Are Unfit To Be Raced In Japan. They Tend To Have Ridiculously Thin Tubes And Break Like Motherfuckers. Stick With Euro Frames If You Want My Opinion. Guidos And Limeys Fer Life.

Fuckin Aye!!!!

I only got as far as Kalavinka, who were brilliant, they opened early so I could buy some Dura-Ace hubs and other bits for my Bridgestone. Also went to Sexon, more funky outfit with those chaps, but they loved the fact I had come to see them from England.

there's a Level raced by a tall guy at Herne Hill. It's white, sleek and goes extremely quick. And that's just the bike! Lovely looking thing.

666 is the natural number following 665 and preceding 667. It is also an abundant number. It is the sum of the first 36 natural numbers (i.e. 1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 34 + 35 + 36 = 666and thus a triangular number. Since 36 is both square and triangular, 666 is the sixth number of the form n2(n2 + 1) / 2 (sequence A037270 in OEIS) and the eighth number of the form [FONT=Times New Roman]n(n + 1)(n2 + n + 2) / 8/FONT.
The number of prime numbers up to 666 is 121, the square of the number of prime numbers up to 36.
666 is the 60th 12-factored number; 60 is the first 12-factored number.
666=(36) − (26) + 16=(32) − (22) + 1[/FONT]; 66=(34) − (24) + 1.
666 is the sum of the squares of the first seven prime numbers (i.e. 22 + 32 + 52 + 72 + 112 + 132 + 172 = 666).
The harmonic mean of the decimal digits of 666 is (trivially -- all repdigit natural numbers have this property) an integer: 3/(1/6 + 1/6 + 1/6) = 6, making 666 the 54th number with this property.
In base 10, 666 is a palindromic number, a repdigit and a Smith number. A prime reciprocal magic square based on 1/149 in base 10 has a magic total of 666.
The Roman numeral representation of the number 666 (DCLXVI) uses once each the Roman numeral symbols with values under 1,000, occurring in descending order of their respective values (D = 500, C = 100, L = 50, X = 10, V = 5, I = 1).
666 is a member of the Indices of prime Padovan sequence

666 is the natural number following 665 and preceding 667. It is also an abundant number. It is the sum of the first 36 natural numbers (i.e. 1 + 2 + 3 + ... + 34 + 35 + 36 = 666and thus a triangular number. Since 36 is both square and triangular, 666 is the sixth number of the form n2(n2 + 1) / 2 (sequence A037270 in OEIS) and the eighth number of the form [FONT=Times New Roman]n(n + 1)(n2 + n + 2) / 8/FONT.
The number of prime numbers up to 666 is 121, the square of the number of prime numbers up to 36.
666 is the 60th 12-factored number; 60 is the first 12-factored number.
666=(36) − (26) + 16=(32) − (22) + 1[/FONT]; 66=(34) − (24) + 1.
666 is the sum of the squares of the first seven prime numbers (i.e. 22 + 32 + 52 + 72 + 112 + 132 + 172 = 666).
The harmonic mean of the decimal digits of 666 is (trivially -- all repdigit natural numbers have this property) an integer: 3/(1/6 + 1/6 + 1/6) = 6, making 666 the 54th number with this property.
In base 10, 666 is a palindromic number, a repdigit and a Smith number. A prime reciprocal magic square based on 1/149 in base 10 has a magic total of 666.
The Roman numeral representation of the number 666 (DCLXVI) uses once each the Roman numeral symbols with values under 1,000, occurring in descending order of their respective values (D = 500, C = 100, L = 50, X = 10, V = 5, I = 1).
666 is a member of the Indices of prime Padovan sequence
wtf?

thread 666