Just found out that there is a custom builder near me

[joelh]

Charles Lathe of Coho bicycles has a shop about 10 miles from me. I sent him an email about visiting his shop. I have never seen a framebuilder work before, it should be very cool.

[Blue Jays]

Cool, just did a Google search. North Carolina seems like a nice place to ride:
http://cohobicycles.com/cohobicycles/Home.html

[mister]

yeah i sent some emails back and forth with him about getting a randonneuse built. i chose a different option, not because i thought i wouldn't get a great frame from him, but because i wasn't sure a randonneuse would be as good for my purposes as something else.

there is a nice looking coho in the gallery subforum here.
i found a few others on flickr too. chuck is also on the CR mailing list and i think jan heine did a ride review of a coho randonneuse in a bicycle quarterly issue.

it should be a cool experience to get to check his shop and bikes out.

[rnhood]

Several of our club members here have one of his bikes and, they look great and are well thought of. He specializes in Randonneur bikes and builds a nice one. Reasonable too.

[joelh]

Cool, just did a Google search. North Carolina seems like a nice place to ride:
http://cohobicycles.com/cohobicycles/Home.html
My part of the state is a wonderful place to ride. Very rural, drivers are for the most part courteous, enough hills to keep things interesting. Most mornings I see more cows than people on my rides.

[yodelinpol]

thought on checking him out as well... rando/club racer frame in my future?

ps. got any links to rides you do in your area?

thought about coming from raleigh sometime to check it out...

what town do you live in?

[agfachrome25]

Charles has built bikes in both road and rando styles for two of my friends. I highly recommend him as a fine all around framebuilder. I'm just sorry he exited the Northwest.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thbonamici/2837669323/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/archivalclothing/3282981065/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/archivalclothing/1233329864/

Lesli Larson

[joelh]

thought on checking him out as well... rando/club racer frame in my future?

ps. got any links to rides you do in your area?

thought about coming from raleigh sometime to check it out...

what town do you live in?I live in Siler City, which is about an hour west of you. There are some great rides in Chatham County. I have several routes in the county from 20 to 60 miles, with very little traffic! There is a Carolina Tarwheels ride Sunday from Chapel Hill to Siler City and back. If you want the info, drop me a PM and I will send it to you

[rounder]

It's been awhile, but i heard of a frame builder near me when i was living in reisterstown, md. It was John Hollands. I stopped by one day just to see what was going on. He was not there but his wife showed me around. It was great. There was a beautiful old raleigh track bike on display...his wife raved about and showed me the bottom bracket lugs. That was her favorite part. There was an american championship jersey hanging in a picture frame on the wall from a girl who had won the thing riding his bike (i think it was betsy king but might be wrong). Went back a few years later and learned that his wife and daughter had both died in a car accident...super bummer. He worked on my bike and respaced the rear triangle and hung all the parts. Great guy to talk to...great time spent. Anyway...if there is a builder near you, you should check it out.