A Conversation with Ron Cooper (2004)
After going over an early version of the A.S. Gillott history contained elsewhere on this website, Ron Cooper and I sat down for a conversation during a trip to Northern California in 2004.
A.S. Gillott Bicycles: A Brief History
As a fan of handmade steel bicycle frames, especially those of English design, one of my favorite framebuilders was a gentleman named Ron Cooper. Ron got his start working at A.S. Gillott as a teenager in 1947, before branching out on his own in the late 1960s. The British bicycle industry was robust during this time, but also very close-knit, with some individual builders working for a variety of different companies throughout their career.
An Interview with Framebuilder Richard Sachs
Richard Sachs is one of the preeminent bicycle framebuilders in the United States, and yet building bicycles was never really an aspiration of his.
Rider Down: Tony Tom
Towards the end of October 2021, I found out that my old friend, mentor, and boss Tony Tom (of A Bicycle Odyssey, in Sausalito, California) passed away the previous week. His death was a suicide. I worked for Tony from 1994-2001. When it came to equipment, I was a complete and utter newbie. Tony taught me pretty much everything I know about bicycles.
A Perfect Ride: Alpine Dam Loop, Marin County
One of the most popular routes to ride in Marin County, California is known as the Alpine Dam Loop. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done the loop, but I remember one 4th of July ride over twenty years ago clearly, as if it just happened yesterday.
A Cyclist’s Winter Reading List
Winter can be kind of rough for cyclists sometimes, at least for those who don’t have a winter sport that gets them outside. Winter can also be a good season for a little downtime, to either recover from the year’s efforts, or to take your mind off the mind-numbing chore of riding a trainer indoors. As a fan of cycling as a sport, along with its history, I am constantly seeking out new books to read, and I know that others may do the same. As such, I am pleased to present the 2019 version of A Cyclist’s Winter Reading List.
It Was 30 Years Ago Today
30 years ago today, shortly after 5:00 pm, I was sitting on the stoop outside the Nob Hill restaurant at which I worked in San Francisco, smoking a cigarette. The lunch rush was long over, and the dinner rush hadn’t started. It was hot; very hot that day. We called it earthquake weather. Little did we know. I was one of the lucky ones.
Awkward Words
I have a fascination with words, and I love to debate. I can argue semantics for hours, much to the dismay of people around me at times. I’m pretty sure that’s why a friend of mine gave me a book this past summer; because I was driving her crazy with my insistence on using the right words.
BOB in Paradise
What is the most frustrating thing that can happen to a cyclist? I think one of them is being forced off the bike, and in to walking. One weekend, late in the summer of 1994, I had that experience.
La Madonna del Ghisallo & the Ghisallo Prayer
By nature, I am not a particularly religious person, but I do have a fascination with the Madonna del Ghisallo, who in the Catholic faith has been named the patron saint of cyclists.