Boris Johnson Gets a Custom Bilenky!
#1
Boris Johnson Gets a Custom Bilenky!
Apologies for the typo in the title.
Story here: https://theweek.com/boris-johnson/10...-boris-johnson
The bike:
Sweet ride! I would love one of Stephen's custom creations!
Story here: https://theweek.com/boris-johnson/10...-boris-johnson
The bike:
Sweet ride! I would love one of Stephen's custom creations!
Last edited by Rolla; 06-12-21 at 09:49 AM.
#2
Forum Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 20,845
Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista Vitus 979 Duralinox
Liked 6,926 Times
in
3,953 Posts
Typo fixed
__________________
Likes For cb400bill:
#3
Bilenky used to have a band. Steve’s daughter was in it.
I visited the shop back in 2008 to have them enlarge some rack holes so I could retrofit it to a new touring bike. Great group of guys at the time, although I know one left to start his own business. They gave me a tour of the shop and offered me a pastry. At first they refused money for the one minute of work they performed. I insisted, so one of them said “Give me $9.” I opened up my wallet to discover in contained exactly nine one dollar bills.
Since then I have always wondered if anyone would pass on one of their bikes if they saw the building and where it’s located. It’s literally up against the tracks next to an old junk yard.
I visited the shop back in 2008 to have them enlarge some rack holes so I could retrofit it to a new touring bike. Great group of guys at the time, although I know one left to start his own business. They gave me a tour of the shop and offered me a pastry. At first they refused money for the one minute of work they performed. I insisted, so one of them said “Give me $9.” I opened up my wallet to discover in contained exactly nine one dollar bills.
Since then I have always wondered if anyone would pass on one of their bikes if they saw the building and where it’s located. It’s literally up against the tracks next to an old junk yard.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Chapel Hill NC
Posts: 1,683
Bikes: 2000 Litespeed Vortex Chorus 10, 1995 DeBernardi Cromor S/S
Liked 797 Times
in
446 Posts
Apologies for the typo in the title.
Story here: https://theweek.com/boris-johnson/10...-boris-johnson
The bike:
Sweet ride! I would love one of Stephen's custom creations!
Story here: https://theweek.com/boris-johnson/10...-boris-johnson
The bike:
Sweet ride! I would love one of Stephen's custom creations!
#5
I visited the shop back in 2008 to have them enlarge some rack holes so I could retrofit it to a new touring bike. Great group of guys at the time, although I know one left to start his own business. They gave me a tour of the shop and offered me a pastry. At first they refused money for the one minute of work they performed. I insisted, so one of them said “Give me $9.” I opened up my wallet to discover in contained exactly nine one dollar bills.
Since then I have always wondered if anyone would pass on one of their bikes if they saw the building and where it’s located. It’s literally up against the tracks next to an old junk yard.
Since then I have always wondered if anyone would pass on one of their bikes if they saw the building and where it’s located. It’s literally up against the tracks next to an old junk yard.
Last edited by Rolla; 06-12-21 at 11:20 AM.
#7
Hand built by a fine frame maker in less that two weeks. I’m assuming someone gave them some approximate fitting data for Boris. IIRC, Bilenky put in its own paint shop in 2008, so the paint job is unique as well.
Likes For indyfabz:
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 524
Bikes: 2015 Felt Z75 Disc, 2008 Fuji Cross Comp, 2010 Trek Navigator 1.0, 1974 Raleigh Sports, 1974 Schwinn Le Tour, 1981 Schwinn Super Le Tour, Surly Cross Check, 2021 Giant Talon 2
Liked 71 Times
in
60 Posts
Apologies for the typo in the title.
Story here: https://theweek.com/boris-johnson/10...-boris-johnson
The bike:
Sweet ride! I would love one of Stephen's custom creations!
Story here: https://theweek.com/boris-johnson/10...-boris-johnson
The bike:
Sweet ride! I would love one of Stephen's custom creations!
__________________
check out the Frugal Average Bicyclist
Frugal Average Bicyclist – The goal here is to help you keep cycling on a budget.
check out the Frugal Average Bicyclist
Frugal Average Bicyclist – The goal here is to help you keep cycling on a budget.
#9
Senior Member
How big is that big ring in the rear? That's insane!
Likes For guachi:
#10
cowboy, steel horse, etc
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The hot spot.
Posts: 45,343
Bikes: everywhere
Liked 8,013 Times
in
4,259 Posts
#12
cowboy, steel horse, etc
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: The hot spot.
Posts: 45,343
Bikes: everywhere
Liked 8,013 Times
in
4,259 Posts
#13
Clark W. Griswold
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: ,location, location
Posts: 14,066
Bikes: Foundry Chilkoot Ti W/Ultegra Di2, Salsa Timberjack Ti, Cinelli Mash Work RandoCross Fun Time Machine, 1x9 XT Parts Hybrid, Co-Motion Cascadia, Specialized Langster, Phil Wood Apple VeloXS Frame (w/DA 7400), R+M Supercharger2 Rohloff, Habanero Ti 26
Liked 4,264 Times
in
2,849 Posts
Not a fan of BJ or JB but love Bilenky and love the concept of the bike, could have gone a bit more "Murican on some parts but pretty neat and way better than a box of chocolates or a photo or something like that. Plus good publicity for Bilenky and hope they see some extra business. They makes some really top notch frames and the fact this was pulled off so quickly and looks so good is a testament to the shops skill.
It may have some older standards and such and may not be ultra flashy high end everything but in the end if you know Bilenky and know some of those parts you have a pretty rad bike that any of us would love to have especially if we could get it for $1500. That is a high dollar bike even if it may not immediately look like it at first glance.
It may have some older standards and such and may not be ultra flashy high end everything but in the end if you know Bilenky and know some of those parts you have a pretty rad bike that any of us would love to have especially if we could get it for $1500. That is a high dollar bike even if it may not immediately look like it at first glance.
#14
Tragically Ignorant
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: New England
Posts: 15,612
Bikes: Serotta Atlanta; 1994 Specialized Allez Pro; Giant OCR A1; SOMA Double Cross Disc; 2022 Allez Elite mit der SRAM
Liked 9,099 Times
in
5,054 Posts
Likes For livedarklions:
#16
It was (and may still be) also known for these:
Viewpoint Semi-Recumbent Tandem (bilenky.com)
Last edited by indyfabz; 06-15-21 at 12:31 PM.
Likes For indyfabz:
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Walnut Creek, CA
Posts: 766
Bikes: 1969 Peugeot PX10, 1992 Della Santa, Linus Roadster 8
Liked 515 Times
in
328 Posts
I think that’s a pretty ugly bike. Single chainring and gigantic rear gears. I suppose some people think that’s the latest in cool and I guess it does eliminate the need for a dork disk but yuck.
Likes For Joe Bikerider:
#18
Bikes are okay, I guess.
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Posts: 6,938
Bikes: Waterford Paramount Touring, Giant CFM-2, Raleigh Sports 3-speeds in M23 & L23, Schwinn Cimarron oddball build, Marin Palisades Trail dropbar conversion, Nishiki Cresta GT
Liked 2,452 Times
in
1,559 Posts
Bike scandal hits. Boris owes big time on his gifts, but the photo accompanying the article shows a different bike and helmet than what he received from Biden.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/boris-joh...153648589.html
https://www.yahoo.com/news/boris-joh...153648589.html
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 7,010
Bikes: Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS, Trek CheckPoint SL7 AXS, Trek Emonda ALR AXS, Trek FX 5 Sport
Liked 1,890 Times
in
1,075 Posts
Jeez, people need to pull a stick out of the butt and stop the gotcha politics.
Likes For jaxgtr:
#20
Senior Member
#21
Veteran, Pacifist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Seattle area
Posts: 13,441
Bikes: Bikes??? Thought this was social media?!?
Liked 4,980 Times
in
2,291 Posts
….. how many guys are left who can hand torch like that?
Still quite a few ‘most excellent’ USA builders welding frames. (And so many around the globe.)
…..and some fine carbon frames made, too.
__________________
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Vintage, modern, e-road. It is a big cycling universe.
Last edited by cb400bill; 10-24-21 at 02:51 PM.
#23
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 7,010
Bikes: Trek Domane SLR 7 AXS, Trek CheckPoint SL7 AXS, Trek Emonda ALR AXS, Trek FX 5 Sport
Liked 1,890 Times
in
1,075 Posts
I personally think the bike coloring is meh. Not a fan of the silver rims or components, but, not my bike, and I was not asked to make the bike, so whom am I to complain.
#24
That cassette size is insane.
#25
Senior Member
Yes I started a thread about this a few weeks ago. I see it has been completely erased it from the website, it's not even in my search results.