I cry at weddings. I do. I’m pretty sure that I’ve cried at every wedding that I’ve ever attended.
Windy and I were in Colorado last week. It began with an annual family reunion (her’s) in Crested Butte that included a wedding ceremony of one of Windy’s brothers that required a 4×4 offroad trek to Emerald Lake. It was amazingly beautiful and, of course, I cried. Yes, I’m a sentimental sap.
After all that, we had to go up to Fort Collins and recondition a basement apartment. Don’t ask. It was a pretty gnarly job. After 3 long days of hard work and many gallons of paint, we were almost to the end. So much so that I got to thinking of something fun I could do with my last few hours in Fort Collins. My mind went through lists until the obvious was apparent; I needed to visit James Bleakley’s Black Sheep Bikes workshop.
James and I talked at NAHBS in 2019. That was our first time talking but speaking in a crowded convention hall while everyone is in sales mode is very different from them chatting in their shop on a normal Monday afternoon.
James Bleakley, NAHBS 2019
www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/James-Bleakley-2019.mp3
So I contacted James and he invited me by. This was awesome. With the apartment project wrapping up, I drove to James’ shop at the edge of town. I was dirty. I was rushed. I was frustrated. I was trying to get into the right frame of mind in mere minutes. I don’t believe that this is the right way to do this.
I have to apologies to both James, his son, and you the listener. This was not an example of me doing a good interview. I spoke too much. I made it about me. I wasn’t being open or listening as well as I could. Did we have a good time? I think so. Does the listener find out what they should about James and what he does? Honestly, not as much as should have been.
What is cool is that both James and I have been around bikes for a very long time. We both have strong views and the determination to actualize them. We both, also, do a lot of new and creative work with forks and handlebars. More, James produced all of his tooling, frame jigs, press bending tools, the lot. This gave us a lot to work with.
I started by walking in and jumping right in. I’m liking that.
James Bleakley, 2024
http://www.peterverdone.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/James-at-Black-Sheep-2024.m4a
Of course, James had just raced 100 miles in the dirt at the FoCo Fondo. He backs it up! More, his singlespeed runs at Leadville. Amazing.
My mistake, it was Tim Hartford (not Malcom Gladwell, both Pushkin) that told the story of Keith Jarrett’s Köln Performance; “Bowie, Jazz and the Unplayable Piano”. This is a story of producing pure excellence in the face of difficulty. The Köln Concert is legend.
The essay from The Atlantic on You Might Be a Late Bloomer. The life secrets of those who flailed early but succeeded by old age By David Brooks (Audio).
The Boulder Bicycle Gazelle! This was the cutting edge in the early 1990s.
Here is the Boulder bike from the 1991 Kamikaze race that I reference. This is a special bike that points to something in the modern era. I need to get it in my hands.
I mention my friend J.P. Morgan. His bikes were from another planet back in the day. This bike was from the mid-1990s.
This is one of the Black Sheep prints that was sitting by the fixtures in the shop. It’s used to set the motorcycle style frame fixtures that James uses.
Wild bending tubes. The bends behind the man.
At one point (49:49-1:00:20), James has to leave the interview to deal with a guest. I took that time to talk to his 26 year old son, Tarryn, about his imminent departure to his freshman year at Kent State University and the School of Fashion. He talked a bit about selvedge denim (22 oz). Very cool.
While talking with him I bring up my old friend Maze One (Stephan Georges). Maze is an amazing guy. Everyone’s friend and one of the few massively creative forces that I’ve known in my life. Maze was always working on something, especially clothes. He’s got an amazing career and is now doing his own clothing line, MazeOnerBrand.
This is the image of the jeans (2008) that I discuss in the interview. Maybe they weren’t as I describe but they were cool:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=51166627253
“those jeans were fun to make… original maze design, no side seem triple top stitched seams. 3m reflective stars,,, double layer ass n crotch,,,,, flat wound zipper pockets,,,,” -Maze
Just one of my motocross pant cut projects:
I had a good time. I didn’t do well but hopefully, we all had a good time.
