bruce gordon chinook
 

Anyone know anything about a "Chinook", by bruce gordon? I recently bought one. I tried calling him, but he wants to charge me 80 bucks to find out anything about it. Well, I was able to get him to at least tell me it was from twenty something years ago. Any info would help. thanks

I have this scan of an ad from "Bicycle Rider" from 1985. It refers to a "Bicycling" road test in the Sept/Oct 1983 issue.

http://home.mchsi.com/~lhufford/gordon10.jpg

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

I feel that I must reply.
Bruce Gordon Cycles has been in business for 30 years this month. In that time I have built about 2000 frames, 572 Lugged Bruce Gordon frames, and 101 Chinook frames. I have all the information including original order forms, specifications, invoices for every frame I have sold. Unfortunately, all this info is in dusty boxes in my loft. It takes at least an hour to locate the info on a particular frame. I work with my hands for a living (which many people don't these days) so any time I spend looking up old info is time I am not making things. Since many of my frames have had more than one owner, I get 3 to 4 calls a week asking for info. I cannot spend 1/2 a day per week looking up specs without getting paid for my time. My shop rate is $80 per hour. People must understand that I only made money when I sold the frame, in the case of a Chinook - that was 24 years ago.
If people respect my work, then I would hope people will also have enough respect my time to realize that it is worth something.
Regards,
Bruce Gordon
Bruce Gordon Cycles
www.bgcycles.com

As an ac****ing friend of mine always says, Time is my inventory, It is what I sell.

Makes sense to me. Waterford charges $50 for a Paramount "Provenance Report" (which is cheaper since they can send the intern after it). ;)

People get used to free info on the Web and forget that some of this stuff is not so easily accessed. Maybe if we all stagger our vacations in Petaluma this summer and Bruce makes a scanner available we could get this info at his finger tips ... :D

We'd better remember to buy a new Rock n' Road while we're there. Otherwise, we'd just be in the man's way.

Thanks Bruce -- for your time and your wonderful bikes!

Now someone dig out that Sept/Oct 1983 issue of Bicycling for superseven!

Bob Hufford
Springfield, MO

Makes sense to me too, although I don't think there's anything wrong with doing some research yourself.

I've got it. But maybe I should be charging for all this info that I've been giving out! :D Seriously though, I can relate to what Bruce is saying. I get flooded with PM and e-mails for scans of old literature in my archives. I used to do it, but it eats up a lot of time and have stopped doing it. It has also taken a toll on the condition of my literature. As for a posting on a website, that takes even more expertise/time/expense.


As Bob states, people have gotten used to free info via the web. Most understand, but in a few cases, people have gotten quite nasty when I've refused their requests. Ironically many of these requests come from people who want to sell the bicycle on eBay or Craigslist. Basically, they want the info so that they will appear knowledgeable about their product and get a better price. Yet they are the same people who are not willing to compensate you for efforts.

T-Mar,

If you could get the frame geometry info to me, I would be happy to do the web conversion and web hosting bit.

I do this for nordic backcountry skis already out of personal interest. See:
http://home.comcast.net/~pinnah/Dirt...r/bc-skis.html

I'm starting a similar table of frame geometries here:
http://home.comcast.net/~pinnah/Dirt...kes/bikes.html

No commercial interest. Just would like to see as many of the older frame geometries documented in one place.

In particular, I would love to be able to post the info on the Miyata and Fuji touring and sport touring bikes.

Posting full component info would be beyond what I can do, but the frame geometry stuff is definitely something I could provide.

thanks bob! Pinnah, I'll work on it!
well, thanks all for your thoughts, and bruce thanks for writing too! I am very happy to learn that only 101 of my bicycles were made. I bought mine on ebay. I still had to sell another bike, and put the rest on a credit card.
All I wanted to know was the frame material.
Before calling mr gordon I had read some interviews with him and did expect a little attitude. But I took it with a grain of salt. I just explained I would take 5 bucks a hour if I could make bikes all day in my own shop. and thanked him.
Personally, I freelance, when I do get work I do get more than 5 an hour. I too work with my hands, dont make 80 a hour shop time though. Still I just skid by with bills. 80 is a lot for me since it could feed me for a week or two. I would pay the money if I could, I would also by a custom from him if I could, maybe a rockn road if I could...bla bla blaaaaa
still love the bike and will ride it till it dies, fix it and ride it again