Cherubim Pista

I was wandering around Japan for a few weeks in the spring. One day in Tokyo I decided to stop by at the Cherubim store in Shibuya "just for a look". Within a few minutes, things escalated bloody quickly and by half an hour I had put down a deposit and was being fitted out for a brand-spanking-new Pista track frame.

The thing is, I knew I just needed half a reason to pull the trigger. For years I'd lusted after a Japanese keirin frame... but what kind, and from whom? Well, for a start, ideally a frame from a master builder. And to maximise my personal over-the-top bike ownership goal (a "Sunday-best bike for every day of the week"), ideally a new and custom-fit frame.

So it was fortunate or unfortunate that Nagasawa-san was down in Osaka (and generally inaccessible to the public), that I was nowhere near the Kalavinka workshop in Meguro, that Cherubim was relatively accessible and the manager spoke English. The thing is, once you walk into the store and see a dozen beautifully finished frames... it's really really hard to walk away.

I also visited the Cherubim workshop in Yokohama where Shin-Ichi Konno makes the frames. It was located in a totally anonymous Japanese suburb and I was having a bit of trouble finding the place till a guy cycled passed me on a obscenely delicious red track frame and stopped outside a storefront that had a Cherubim-branded vending machine out front. Anyway it turned out that the dude was Konno-san riding his daily "beater" and that I had indeed reached my destination.

But anyway, I digress. The initial specifics we agreed upon:

1. Cherubim curved seat stays (which makes it non-NJS compliant, which is absolutely fine by me)
   
2. Chromed Cherubim-style lugs
   
3. Fork drilled for brake, which means road drops and levers
   
   

I managed to convince myself to visit Tokyo again over Christmas so my plan is to drop by and up-specc the build to Kaisei 8630R tubing. I then have 4-5 months to figure out colour schemes and components (no desire for a pure NJS or even pure Japanese build)

Aaaaaand subbed.

disgonbegood.gif

Strong opening post.

Please for the love of NJS. Tell me you got a picture of the cherubim Vending machine.

There are three levels of personal patheticness to the story of the Cherubim NJS vending machine.

Firstly because yes I did photograph it, and because of its complete unexpectedness, it made more of a first impression on me than any of the frames on display ("oooh my god it's a Cherubim vending machine!!")

Secondly, because when I got home and looked at the photo, I couldn't find a way to make the scene work compositionally (unfortunately I'm a photographer with delusions of artistic grandeur). So I deleted it ("dude, you're such a loser , you took a bad photo of a bloody vending machine")

Thirdly and finally though, because I now regret deleting that photo and am halfway considering going back to photograph it when I'm next in Japan ("not only are you upset about deleting a shitty photo of a frigging vending machine but you actually want to take another crappy photo of it?!"

So yeah, that vending machine... if I go back I may even order something from it.

Fellow photographer. Feels. Your. Pain.

subbed

Worth asking what the vending machine sold? Snacks? Toshi straps? Soiled women's underwear?
I think we're all more than capable of empathising with your excitement on seeing this, no matter what it was selling.

Subbed.

Is this going to be for fixie skidding, wall hanging or actually using on the track?

Not on the track, not on a wall, not skidding, but definitely fixie. Probably the most boring answer of the lot.

Random Cherubim story

Earlier this year, through a series of weird coincidences and convergences, I found myself briefly working as a stills photographer as part of a tiny crew filming an arthouse short film. In between takes, I got chatting with the cameraman and it was the kind of slightly awkward, gradually unfurling conversations that take place when mutual obsessives meet.

Him: I like cycling around London, I finally got a new bike recently

Me: yeah me too, I love cycling around London. What did you get?

Him: well, it was kind of special because it's what you call a custom bike. I had to wait a year for it to be made

Me: doesn't mention the number of custom bikes he has Wow, cool! Who made it for you? Was it someone in London?

Him: Actually, it was made in Japan. It's a brand called "Cherubim" and the builder is a guy called Shin-Ichi...

Me: Wwwwwait, wait, wait, was your bike THIS one?!?

verbal description of the following images

Him: Yes!! But how on earth did you...

And that's when someone would play the sad bike nerd theme music, if such music actually existed, because who else would be able to remember and connect a bike they saw on the formerly-Kinoko-Cycles blog more than 12 months ago to the ongoing conversation?

10/10. Would read again.

Here's a Cherubim vending machine. Same one?

I've passed through their lovely Aoyama store (pics ) but didn't realise how much larger their other store is. Time to go back :o

Also subbed. Was in Tokyo briefly a few weeks ago and thankfully didn't have time to visit the shop. I've a feeling it's inevitable I'm going to bankrupt myself soon though.

Worth asking what the vending machine sold? Snacks? Toshi straps? Soiled women's underwear?

Who cares?!

Project sounds ace!

Subbed. Great storytelling.
And great bike(s), obv.

Amazed

suuuuuubbbbbbbed

Here's a Cherubim vending machine. Same one?

Oh yes, that's the one from the workshop. Obviously and unfortunately Google Street view hasn't enough resolution to display the yellow Cherubim logo, which is the whole/only point of the damn thing. In terms of what it serves, one can ascertain from the machine that it is a Coca-Cola company machine that only serves their stuff, so it looks to be various varieties of Coke, Fanta, the Coca-Cola isotonic drink (Aquarius I think?) and various other liquids. So yeah, that bloody vending machine again eh?

At some time I'll start talking about the actual bike, but there's at least 6 months to kill.

Angles/geometry/length'ses?

I haven't nailed down specific angles yet (still lots of time, and I'll discuss further the next time I'm on Tokyo), but the starting point was their 'standard' pista/NJS geometry with compensation for my body shape. As it turns out, I have normal-sized arms and legs but a slightly shorter torso/trunk.

Can't read much of the order sheet, but it is rather pretty:

That order sheet is awesome haha, looking forward to this.

Mega awesome - HT angle "only" 73°?