i (also) bought a Bella from Laughing Alley. i had planned to buy everything else from Bike Nashbar, but Jim offered to sell me a complete bicycle for the same price. i still use the wheels (Mavic-DT-Shimano).

Jim rode it, presumably to ensure that it was assembled correctly, and said the wheelbase was shorter than he expected? i inferred that Ed was still refining his designs (1983).

there were options (e.g. mine does not have seat tube bottle bosses), and constants (chain hanger requests were ineffectual). i prefer the lettering on mine (simpler), and think painted pumps are too fancy :-)

i may have been the last customer to visit Laughing Alley. one night, a friend and i found Jim in the space that had been his store. he had just finished cleaning or something. there was an Irish-ish pub nearby that served Beamish. Jim bought our drinks.