I can't believe you live in Claremont and haven't seen you riding that bike. I live in San Dimas. My wife manages Bud's and I have been going there since 1988. I do know Bud but the old manager of Bud's (no relation), Andrew Hillman, is the one that hooked up a bunch of those frames. You are right though, you have a Merckx and think all of those guys have the Calois.