New Here
 

I just found this forum and wanted to introduce myself.

While I've been out of the framebuilding supply business for a few years, I am still passionate about the craft and happy to pass along all the knowledge acquired over the last 25 years.

Best regards,
Kirk Pacenti
(formerly of bikelugs.com / pacenti.cc)

Kirk- We will be blessed with your vast experience. Thanks for starting to hang out. BTW how are you doing these days? Some of us have crowns of yours, still in our stash. Andy

Thanks, Andrew.

Doing well, doing design in the auto industry these days...

Glad to hear my crowns are still in use; crowns are still my favorite framebilding component.

Cheers,
KP

Welcome! Great to have you! The BB shells were my favorite shells. Obviously, many wonderful forks have been made with your crowns but the shells were really great with a 35mm DT and OS ST.

A guy I raced with here in Seattle, Brian Smith, had one of your track frames. I'm overstating that we raced together. We were on the same team, he had pretty much quit racing by the time I joined - maybe he was racing a bit on the velodrome. We'd run into each other on our ride to work and chat for the 5-7 miles that our routes overlapped. If I remember correctly, you knew him/worked with him? I later learned that he was a really good fillet finisher- although I can't imagine he told me that, someone else on the team must have.

Were you involved with match in Woodinville WA?

Thank you. It's always nice to hear my designs are appreciated and put to good use.

Yes, Bryan is a good friend. We worked together at Bontrager in Stanta Cruz for a few years. He worked at R&E Cycles in college finishing fillets. I did work at Match as a framebuilder, mostly the Schwinn 60th anniversary Paramount, Rivendell frames, and also TIG welded frames at R&E as well on the weekends.

I've got one of these shells on my most recent frame and would love to have another (or two.) Framebuilders Supply doesn't seem to stock that size.

Hmm... now that I think about it, the OS shells may have been a design I did (and sold on my site) for Llewellyn.

This shell had PCD engraved on the bottom and I bought it direct from the bikelugs site. Very nice quality. No windows and angles worked out well for a lowish bottom bracket position on the frame. The shells offered by Darrel now look different and have windows.

Gotta imagine that some of these projects must blur together in the memory after some years. I can't remember what I did last week sometimes. Anyway, it's nice to see you join the site Kirk!

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...80d712a76c.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3572070dda.jpg

Wow, you're right! I am frequently amazed by customers who remember my products better than I do...

I have a stash of 4-5. They are near perfect.

Arg....
Wanna sell one?

If Duane dosent want to let any go let me know and I will check my stash. I have a dozen+ of various lugged shells I wonder if I'll ever use. Not sure if I have the one you seek... Andy

You're the MAN Andy! It's 35mm down tube and 31.75 seat, with PCD marking on the bottom.

I've head this before from some really creative people. They finish a project, art piece, job and am already thinking about the next one. In their way it's about the current challenge and past ones are no longer the challenge to be consumed by.

But those around them only see that last one, not the next one. Andy

I think I have what you want. Can we take this off forum? I'm at onetenth at earthlink dot net. Andy

A couple are spoken for which leaves me with only 2 or 3 so I'm holding

So glad to have you here Kirk! Do you dabble in metalworking these days? Not counting CAD, I mean getting your hands dirty. Bike stuff, or other?

Cheers
Mark Bulgier

Andrew,

I think you're exactly right. I recall listening to a David Bowie interview, in which he gave an answer almost verbatim to your statement above. Many times a product doesn't reach the market for a year or more after it was originally designed. (not so much for lugs). By the time the public sees it, you've been working on other projects long enough that you don't or can't recall your original inspiration for the what's currently selling.

Mark,

Great to hear from you! Yes, I still get my hands dirty... no bike related stuff for a few years though. And nothing very exciting. I design packaging solutions for automotive manufacturers. When you hear "packaging" in automotive, think big steel racks that hold components, engines, fenders, windshields, axle assemblies... they all go on steel racks and fed into the production line. I generally have to work on prototypes to test their function before going into production. Again, not nearly as fun as bikes, but I MIG weld and run a plasma machine on a weekly basis. That said CAD is what I do best and enjoy most these days. I've been kicking around a few ideas for frame components recently, but mostly just for my own satisfaction.

PS: I borrowed your Georg Fischer copy from your web site for something I'm selling on eBay.

I've received a couple PM's asking what I do these days.
Below is a picture of a packaging solution (rack) I recently developed. It holds spoilers for the Volkswagen Passat.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4599e8cdf5.jpg