Good morning from Austin Texas.

It’s early on day two of the show and I’m sitting in the hotel room looking out over Austin with a sleepy cup of coffee in my hand. Yesterday went very well with lots of folks coming through the gates and everything working like it should. I was able to get around the show floor quickly yesterday morning and look at all the work and I must say I’m pleased – the level of craftsmanship and professionalism has gotten better every year but the jump this year is notable.

Last night after the show Karin and I went to dinner with old friends and than made our way to Mellow Jonny’s bike shop for a party they had going on there…….. cool shop with live music and free beer brought everyone out. It was interesting to see the cycling ‘celebrities’ the most notable being Mr. Andy Hampsten. Very cool. There were some odd things going on that reflect just how big NAHBS has become in our little world. The fact that Gary Fisher (in a dashing purple leather suit) was in attendance at the party (but not in any way showing at the show) speaks volumes. the fact that Trek can’t show at the show but would fly in Fisher just to hang out at the ‘after party’ means that ‘our’ lil’ show is on their radar.

Today – Saturday – is the big day here and will be the busiest by far. I feel lucky that our booth is in a section of the show floor with good flow around it so people should be able to get by and into the booth. Some isles are narrow and clog very quickly giving the feeling of being busy but really just being stuck in traffic.

I’d hoped to get a few photos of the booth but just didn’t have time and hope we can make that happen today. We’ll do our best.

I’ll try to update stuff later tonight after the Serotta Forum dinner.

Time for more coffee.

Dave

Karin and I made it to Austin just fine today and are loving the fact that it’s 75 degrees warmer here than at home. It’s well over 70 even at night – we aren’t in Montana anymore.

We walked into the show venue and were pleased to see that the crate was right where it was supposed to be and for the most part unscathed. It does have small hole that was punched in one side the shape of a fork lift tong but nothing inside was hurt. Lucky.

The crate set up just as I’d hoped it would and frankly I was a bit surprised. I thought something would come up but it all works. It only took a short time to get it set up so I went of to help friend Carl Strong put some bikes together in his booth and then off to Serotta to catch up with Ben.

A few slices of pizza for dinner and then an early night and Karin and it now time for some sleep. I’ll try to get some photos tomorrow and post them here tomorrow if I can make the time.

If you come to the show please stop by and say hello. Thanks for reading.

Dave

In the lead up to NAHBS in Austin late this week I’ve been getting some questions about how we will be handling certain things. So here is a special FAQ show edition –

Will fittings be available at the show?

No. I’m sorry but I will not be doing any fittings at the show. I’ve tried this in years past and it’s never worked out well. It’s so busy during the day that taking time away from the booth is very hard to do and once the day is over all I can think of is having a beer, eating too much and not talking.  The show is just not a conducive place to give a good fitting.

What are your travel and show hours?

I will be in the office here in Bozeman until this Wednesday afternoon. After that I will be out of touch by phone and will have limited email access so I will not be able to return emails quickly. I will be back in the office on Tuesday the 1^st of March.

The show itself is open to the public from 10-6 pm on Friday and Saturday and from 10-5 pm on Sunday. The show opens 1 hour early to press and industry on Friday and Saturday but you will need credentials to get in before 10 am.

FWIW – the show is by far the busiest on Saturday and it can get pretty crowded and hard to hold a good conversation. If you want to have a deep conversation with me or any other exhibitor then Friday and Sunday are best for that.

What is your current lead-time for a frameset/bike and will the show affect it?

My lead-time at this point, right before the show, is 11 ½ months the best I can predict. Will the show change it? If history were a guide then I would say yes. The question is by how much.  It’s hard to say but it’s not unusual to add a few months to the wait list at the show so if having the shortest lead time is important to you then getting a deposit in before the show will assure you the shortest wait. The ‘order’ page of my website can walk you thought the deposit process if you are interested.

Will there be bikes available to purchase at the show?

Yes and no. If you look back a week or more in my blog you will see that there are two bikes that are still for sale at this point (Monday the 21^st). One is a complete lugged bike and the other is a fillet-brazed frameset that will be shown without paint. Once sold the complete bike will be coming home in the crate and then be shipped off to a new owner. So while you may be able to walk up and give me a deposit for it you won’t be able to take it with you. The fillet frameset will also be shipped back to Bozeman and then it will go off to Joe Bell’s for paint.

Can I give a deposit for a bike at the show in person?

Yes. In fact it’s encouraged! I can take cash and check deposits at the show and am told that there will be internet service in the convention center so we will be able to process credit cards also. If you want to be 100% sure, bring your checkbook – it never fails.

Is photography allowed at the show?

Absolutely. While some shows restrict photography NAHBS isn’t one of them. So please feel free to take photos and share them. It would be good if you didn’t take photos of me with my mouth full of food and trying to talk at the same time but otherwise go nuts.

Will there be accessories available to purchase?

Yes. We have T shirts in two colors and the famous Kirk Brass cable adjusters for sale in the booth. Cash sales only please.

I think that should cover many of the questions that may be on your mind concern Kirk Frameworks and the show. For more general show questions you should check out the official NAHBS site -    http://www.2011.handmadebicycleshow.com/

Karin and I very much look forward to seeing old friend and making new ones so please stop by and introduce your self and ask as many questions as you’d like.

See you soon.

Dave

There is a very cool place out there on the internets called Bike Rumor and they cover everything bike related. I was asked yesterday to take part in an interview series they are running pre-NAHBS.

It’s a fun series of questions and a bit different than the normal stuff I see so I was very happy to dive in. Here are the results -

Kirk Bike Rumor Interview

While there take a few minutes to look around and read the other interviews – there’s some good stuff there.

Have a great weekend,

Dave

Hey there,

There have been some serious tire kickers on this available show bike but so far no one has signed on the dotted line – so it is still available. I am offering a very special discounted price on the build kit on the complete bike. The normal retail for this bike is $7895 and I’m discounting the build kit so the special show price is $6995 ($900 savings) as it sits. I feel confident that by the time this bike is headed home from the show it will have a new owner but I wanted to put it out here one more time so that my loyal readers would have first shot at it.

Please let me know if you are interested. I’ll happily play with saddle height, stem lengths and spacer counts in the BikeCad image so you can get a better idea how this would fit you. Just send me a note or call and we’ll make that happen.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Dave

This is another bike that I’ll be bringing to the show – in fact it’s in transit right now.

It’s a JKS X prototype and I’m pleased to say it’s mine. It’s JB’s super rich cobalt blue with matte panels and is built up with a SRAM kit. You’ll notice that the group is all Red except for the crank with is SRAM Rival. I chose the Rival crank for myself because it’s the only SRAM crank that comes in a 180 mm length. It also uses Reynolds carbon wheels with the decals removed (I do not like those huge decals and feel they overpower the look of a bike) and they work very well.

I hope you’ll stop by my booth (#701) and take a close look at this and the other bikes.

Have a great weekend.

Dave

Well – the crate is packed and was picked up this afternoon and is now making it’s trip to Austin. Hopefully it holds up well.

Having the crate gone means I can take the weekend off (!) and then next week get back to what I like and feel I might be good at – building bikes and not building crates.

I hope you all have a good weekend. Get some sleep – you look tired.

Dave

I thought it was time to give a bit of an update on the Overstocks I listed for sale the other day. Many items are gone and there a few new ones that I just found. Here they are -

1) XXL old school Kirk shirts. I have 2 that I just found and they are $15 each.

2) I have one Reynolds Ouzo Pro fork left. 1″ steerer and 50 mm of rake. Retail was $350 and this one can be had for $150

3) SRAM Red crank – 172.5 arms and 39/53 rings. Includes SRAM ceramic BB. Retail is $570 and this set is marked down to $475.

4) SRAM Red cassette –   11-25  Retail is $235 and this one has been further marked down to $175

All items are new and prices include shipping to the lower 48. I will not ship overseas. Payment if by paypal only. First come, first served.

Thanks for looking,

Dave

P.S. Update 2/11/11 Friday

At this point the almost everything is gone. All I have left is the Crankset/bb combo and a 130 mm stem. If you are interested in either of these items please let me know. Thanks to all who have bought stuff. I can now eat well at the show!

Hello,

I have all my show bikes done and assembled and ready to lock into the crate and thought it time that I look for a new home for them. You’ve seen the fillet bike in detail and it had had many that are interested but so far no one has signed on the dotted line for it.

The other bike that will be available immediately after the show (first week or March) is this JKS Classic. Joe Bell and I collaborated on this paint scheme and to see it in the sun makes me weak in the knees. The depth and luster of paint is one of the things JB is known for and he outdid himself on this one. The seat stays on this bike are traditional straight stays with my Kirk style fabricated full wrap caps.

As you can see it’s all built up and ready to ride. Here’s how it is built up -

* Full Campagnolo Super Record 11 speed kit.

* 172.5 crank with 39/53 rings.

* 12-25 Super Record cassette.

*Fulcrum Racing Zero clincher wheelset with ceramic bearings with Maxxis Detonator tires in 23 mm and ultralight tubes.

* 3T Rotundo Pro (classic bend) 42 cm bar and matching 3T Pro 120 mm stem. Currently has 20 mm of spacers under stem.

* Handlebra leather handlebar wrap.

* There is plenty of room for most 25 mm tires.

Take a look at the image to get an idea of sizing. The stem in the image is a 120 -6° with 20 mm of spacers below it and 8 mm above it for plenty of adjustment room. If you’d like me to plug in your saddle height to see where things land just let me know.

This frameset, with this build, retails for $7895 but seeing as this is a show special I am willing to make someone a very good deal on the build kit. If you are interested call or email and we can talk price.

The bike is road ready once pedals are added  and can be ridden just minutes after being pulled from the box. My current lead time at this point is pushing a year so this bike represents an opportunity to get on a new bike 11 months faster – this spring.

I look forward to any questions you might have and am excited to get the first ride report from the new owner.

Thanks for looking,

Dave

I do my best to run a very tight ship and to have very little inventory on hand but over time stuff can collect despite my best efforts. So it’s purge time and a good time to get a real deal on some varied stuff and for me to make some beer money for the upcoming show.

All prices include shipping in the lower 48. I will not ship these items overseas. Payment is by paypal or personal check. If you are interested in an item and want to pay by check be sure to contact me ASAP and let me know that the check is in the mail so I don’t sell your item to someone else. If you want to pay by paypal send payment to   info@kirkframeworks.com    and be sure to include a note telling me what item you are paying for.

All goods are new and in original packaging. All sales are final.

Now without further adieu -

1) Sram Red carbon crank – 175.2 – 53/39 chainrings. Includes SRAM Red ceramic BB  English threading. Retail price for the two is $570. These are available for $495.

2) Sram PowerDome cassette – 11-25. Retail at $235. This can be had for $195.

3) Brooks leather handlebar tape – Honey color. With cork bar end plugs. Retails at $65. This can be purchased for $45.

4) Reynolds Ouzo Comp alloy stems. I have three 120′s and three 130′s. These stems fit a 1 1/8″ steerer (1″ with shim) and a 31.8 mm bar. They retail for $70 and you can have them for the Crazy Dave price of $20 each. Buy all six of them for $100.   Two 120′s and one 130 still available.

5) Reynolds Ouzo Pro carbon forks. 1″ steerer and 50 mm rake. When these are gone there will never be more. They retailed for $350 and these two can be had for $160 each or buy both of them for $300.    One still available.

6) Kirk 2xl T shirts – gray with red logo. Old style logos. These sold for $30 originally and are now $15. Buy them both and you can have them for $25. SOLD

7) Kirk Jersey by Champion systems. Size medium race cut. Retailed for $90 – this one is $55. SOLD

8  last but not least – Kirk ball caps with the original logo. These sold for $30 and these 3 are available for $15 or all three for $40. SOLD

Remember that all proceeds with go to a very good cause – good food and drink at NAHBS!

Thanks for looking.

Dave

P.S. – Update -