If you got the time and the motion, and probably the cash, you can get yourself some real pretty when it comes to bikes. Probably you would have to be taller than me, but if you were, then Andy White at Fyxomatosis could make you a really happy man.
If, however, you were short and less concerned with the precision detailing and Italio-wonderful and possibly a lady, then you could put your able person in the hands of able people and get yourself a really pretty bike in other ways too. Not to say that, if I had the time and the motion, I wouldn’t myself consider other options.
You could start like this:
Which is not actually that hateful a colour on a bike. But there’s something very late nineties tatoo about that logo Soma folks. Nice as you are, I just don’t think it’s me.
Then you would go over to Dale’s place, chat with him and the missus, while the little one runs about in the lounge. You’d ask for your nice bike, to look like your nice room, because that nice room in that nice street has been good to you this last year and it seems kind of fitting to commemorate it somehow and the folk at Gamblers would have a nice old chat with you about this sort of arrangement.
You’ve never been to a car detailers type place before, but it looks a great deal like a friend’s loungeroom, and that person seems really interested and keen and not at all shocked that you want a bike in whynot green with cream trim.
In fact, they might even turn up at Whynot St and check out the paint themselves, bringing along a couple of sample milkshake cups of paint for you to consider.
You’re high on the paint fumes, and high on the concept already.
Now that, dear folks, is service.
At this point in the game, if you were me, you would be feeling rather at sea.
Because although I have to say that I have had a bike repainted before, I don’t remember being more than conceptually involved with the process. Someone else amazing took care of that for me, so this is all new territory. And that time around, we just went – please take of the gross poo-brown of the steamroller and make it grey/cream. Sandblast, powder coat, bam. L
So in asking for a little bit more, I’m feeling rather unusual and at sea. Almost as if I’m being far too demanding in asking for something custom coloured. But here I am asking and – although I imagined it would be strange, it’s not really strange at all. It’s kind of exciting.
eleanor j jackson 