One of the owner benefits is to test ride every bike I build. On this ride, I took a 58cm Whiskey Jack made from Black Walnut and Ambrosia Maple on the Pallos Verdes, California ocean loop. 25 miles and 2,000 vertical feet. I was glad to have the 44 tooth chainring up front, and a 42 in back. Made those climbs pretty reasonable. I have to say, that every new bike I build, at the time of first riding, feels like a small miracle. I can't say exactly what it is, but the perfect geometry, high end components and smooth riding wood frame have a lot to do with it. And maybe the pride of building it, that can transcend to the pride of owning it. I sometimes have a hard time letting these go to their new owners. Maybe I should just build an art gallery for my bikes and charge admission. I'll put it in Whistler.
