Kenny's frame done, out of the office until 2-10-11 / current build queue.

Kenny C's frame is all done, and it's a real beauty. Off to get a coat of burnt orange with gold nugget topcoat - ooohhhh yeah.......should ship to TX on the 11th or 12th. Get stoked, KC!

Next, we will be gone to Camp Verde from 1-26 to 2-10. Spring break, and hell yes, I need one. I'm super stoked on upcoming projects but my arm joints need a little rest. I'll hit the ground running on the 11th, and here is the current build queue mas o menos, changes occur & people get shuffled a bit as work flow & availability of parts & raw goods dictate, but it usually goes pretty smooth. I'm a bike or two behind from getting the flu & general life issues like we all have, but nothing tragic. SO: upon returning here we go..........1st - Ed H. {VA} Hanna {VT} Amy {AZ} Christie {AZ} Alisha {AZ} Jeffery K {FL} Mike B {NC} Tom C {MI} John G {AZ} Nick K {CA} Jason M {Left Coast} Marybeth {AZ} John A {??} Chris P {AZ} Justin F {NC} Greg B {CO} Hunter S {NV} Mark W {UT} Jim R {AZ - 3rd bike!} Beth R {AZ} and there you go - Steve.

I always forget the detail shots.

Meghan's bike. did i mention that it sparkles?

I'm super happy with how this 700c all-round bike came out. Light, stiff & clean.

Un-filed fillet BB.

Much-filed seat stay junction with hand made cable stop, seat tube sleeve. Very smooth & strong.

Getting there!

Straight-up brazed.

That's it for now! I'll check in with Kenny's bike before we split for two weeks on the 26th. I'll give an updated build queue in a blog post before the 26th. I was going to take a frame to file on with me while I was gone {no, really} but my elbows think a couple weeks off of polishing may be a good idea. - Steve.

Lots of pretty metal.

Man - it's seldom this many bikes pile up here, but they should be thinning out rather quick. Meghan's super-bling blue 700c all-rounder takes the front, all the parts on it should show tomorrow - get stoked!

sussing up Kenny's frame pre-braze.

Cleanly brazed in the setting sun, still very hot.

Cooling down & getting ready for an all-nighter in the dunk tank for de-fluxing.

Kenny's frame all de-fluxed............

............and Pete's all done now that I finally got what I needed to complete the rack mounts.

EP rode by his new roadster he built over the last 5 months or so in the shop - nice work!

Well I guess that was hot! I didn't feel it, only smelled it.

Waaaaayyyyy busy here - I will be out of the shop for the most part & away from almost all communication except for the occasional glance at my e-mail from ~ the 26th of this month for two weeks - spring break! get a hold of me before then & I'll get back atcha. - Steve.

Kenny C's frame coming along, Meghan's frame at paint, Lots of *stuff* going on.......

Here is Kenny's race-ish 29er off to TX. Dedicated one-speed all the way.......

This is rapidly becoming my one-speed setup of choice. simple, light, quick & QR friendly.

This operation tells me two things: My jig is setup properly & my down tube is cut to correct length/angle.

Clean metalwork is good metalwork.

Front triangle knocked out.

Meghan's all-rounder 700c frame knocked out. gorgeous!

Gleaming & frozen.

Ho-Made stuff: center mount canti spigots, web brace, housing stop. Once again, clean metalwork.

H2O diamonds - pretty & functional - they keep the bolts from tearing out of the thinnest part of the tube. Cleanly silver brazed with zero touch-up.

Serial # stamped, housing guides applied, vent hole drilled, un-filed fillet brazed bottom bracket.

Kenny's miter length.........

Brand-new 5 1/2" jaw Wilton Tradesman vise.

Meghan's raffle prize to benefit Paul Benton being held by.............Paul Benton! He's on his feet - good job, all who helped!

A few of us paddled the Verde River for 4-5 hours on Sun from Black Bridge to Clear Creek - it was killer!

Petito & Smithers.

Smithering........

Bammy & I floating towards the Verde rim. Some great rapids, but I didn't get any pics......too wet!

And, on Fri. I got in three hours of pedaling in Sedona. Nice to be back on the bike after sooooo long.

Ripping down the slickrock wash. Check out the grind hole behind me - when it floods the hard rocks spin in the sandstone hole & grind it deeper. very highly polished stones.

Dropping in & ripping it up. D. was impressed!

Chillin' on the rock. It was very snowy/mucky in the shade of the big rocks.

Heading towards Rabbit Ears.

Lots of nice cold, clear water.

Looking out of our Verde house to the south with Pine Mountain in the center.

........and to the east with the old farm next door & the cliffs on the other side of the river. Top soil 14' deep!

That's it for now, faithful readers! Very, very busy. Looking like a good 2011 for the Garros so far. Thanks All! - Steve.

first post of 2011. Meghan's frame, workin', new pad!

This is Meghan's new frame, the one she won in the raffle to benefit the Benton family - Score! It's an all-round 700c bike with canti brakes.

All brazed up with EP in the background working on his frame.

Bam! all polished up, just like that. ready for braze-ons. OK - I gotta say that building bikes with all straight tubes is REALLY easy compared to my "signature" frames with all the curves, bends and two-piece seatstays - like, *days* easier..........

This will see no filing - it's good to go.

Some metal sweetness waiting for Barry W. to pick it up.

"Living the dream"

Our new pad! It's in Camp Verde, AZ - 3,800 feet lower then our little house/shop at 7,000ft. We got it as an investment in our future, it's got a 1.25 acre farm that we will massively downsize to a small personal garden, a huge yard & the 30-ish fruit trees already established. We will retire here someday likely, as it's allot warmer & pretty flat. It's also grandfathered into the river, which is very hard to find in AZ. mountains all around & near to many recreation possibilities. The entire lower level is concrete so I can do work down there as well. Not moving the shop, however!

Home made biscuits with scrambled eggs, elk gravy & homemade salsa - thanks, Eric!

This was 1,700 tomato plants last year. it will get plowed under & be grass with whatever tomatoes can pull through.

Some really great garlic!

That's it for now, everyone. Way, way busy as you can imagine. Working like just crazy - only been biking once since thanksgiving, and only for 1.5mi. before my bike broke, hopefully going out to ride on Fri - be good to get out on the dirt! Thanks all for a great 2010, All you people out there are to thank for what I do. Here's to a great 2011!! - Steve.