| June 24, 2005 Newsletter | |||
Welcome to summer! The long days mean more opportunities to boost your endorphin levels, hitting the road and trail and spending some quality time with your bicycle. Better yet, quality time on the bike is best shared with those that are important to you. Introduce a friend, mate, or youngster who doesn't ride to the joys of the perfect human-machine relationship. You can never have too many riding partners no matter their age or ability! New OS2 Sport! The new Sport now gets from the same OS2 tubing we introduced on the Roadie and CrossHairs last year. This light tube set makes easy work of commutes and centuries. The increased upright and relaxed position allows ease of traffic watching or chatting with friends. The Sport continues with 57mm brakes giving ample clearance for all 28c tires and fenders and uses a straight 1 1/8" Gunnar fork or the optional IRD Mosaic 57 composite fork.
Gunnar Team Profile! Gunnar paint maestro and speed freak, Roger Krueger!
Roger exploring grip limits in another form of two-wheeled action. Master painter and manager of our paint shop, Roger has been painting just about everything from garages to custom motorcycles for 30 years. Prior to the bike industry Roger specialized in automotive color formulation and mixing. Fates collided when he met Marc Muller from Paramount Design Group in 1984. Roger worked closely with Marc to develop and formulate the colors for Schwinn's top-of-the-line Paramount bicycles. Paramount hired him full time in 1989. He stayed on when Waterford Precision Cycles formed in 1993. Since color is where our technology bonds with emotion, Roger's mastery turns handsomely crafted bare frames into ride-able art. "I love creating rolling works of art and seeing the excitement in our client's eyes. After all, the first thing you see whenever you ride is the paint job." When not bringing frames to life with color and style, Roger races motorcycles, is a hardcore Moto GP and Formula 1 race fan, and loves fishing. Gunnar Dealer Feature!As most folks know, we strongly support the independent bike dealer. Our success is tied to the passion and dedication of shops that offer superior service, believe in our products, and work hard to pass that passion on to all of you. As a tribute to them, over the next several newsletters, we will showcase a number of our top dealers around the nation. If you own a Gunnar, there is a good chance you got it from one of them. If not yet, check them out. You won't be disappointed! First up: American Cyclery, San Francisco, CA. American opened in 1941 right across from Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Bradley Woehl bought the sleepy little shop in 1997 and added space across the street. Since then, American has grown to be one of the biggest high-end shops in the city. American was one of the first shops to sell Gunnars back in early 1999 and since then has sold more Gunnars than any other bike shop in the world! Check out their web site www.americancyclery.com, it's very cool. Their shop reflect the free spirit California tradition with a Picasso-esque mural facing Fredrick Street and includes quite a cast of interesting characters - all with a passion for riding. With Golden Gate Park right next door, they can get a quick velo-fix any time. "Gunnar is the bike world's best example of mass customization", says Bradley, "We have a straight forward way to offer our customers an economical custom bike." You find a great mix of framesets and build up test bikes, ready to ride. American's Henry LaMar says "I just love the customer's smile when they come back from their first test ride on a Gunnar." "Gunnar's precision, quality, comfort, and price is impossible to beat for an American made frame", says Tyson Mitchell, American's bike manager, "add to that the customer's experience when we fit the Gunnar to them as opposed to fitting the customer to a stock bike. It is a powerful and gratifying combination." Thank you, American Cyclery and gang! Great Job!
Featured Ride!Trickster Beau from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands sends us this shot of himself and his Lime Twist Gunnar Roadie - going above and beyond! We are still not sure we actually saw this...
Service Tip - Maintaining your Gunnar Finish Gunnar tops off its fine designs with a show car polyurethane enamels. Protecting that finish is key to protecting the value and utility of your Gunnar. All paints have microscopic pores that can allow water to come in contact with the paint. Waxing your frame preserves you're your finish by filling those pores and preventing fading. Here are a few starting tips: · The abrasive nature of dirt can lead to a damaged finish if you don't wash your bike first. Dirt can make a damp cloth work like sandpaper. Combine this with sweat or salt air and your finish could be at risk. · When washing your bike, use a gentle brush with a bucket of water and appropriate soap like Meguiar's Gold Class Car Wash. This wash won't eat existing wax but it will get rid of the dirt. Rinse with clear water, but don't use a pressure washer or other hard spray, as it may drive stuck dirt in the finish and lubricants out of bearings. · It takes 60 days from the time a bike is painted for the paint to fully cure. Use only breathable surface treatments like Meguiar's Mirror Glaze during that period. Take extra care with your finish since your bike is more susceptible to chipping until the curing process is complete. · Once curing is complete, protect the finish with a tough sealer/carnauba wax like Meguiar's Deep Crystal System Carnauba Wax. An application 2-4 times a year will prevent external corrosion, preserve the original color and maximize surface resilience. Don't forget the little crevices. Use a cotton swab like a Q-Tip to apply wax to cable stops, water bottle bosses and other tight spots. · At least annually, clean off any built-up wax with a deep cleaning soap before re-waxing.
Comments to: dave@waterfordbikes.com |
