September 2023
I have been wanting one of my own Bowman bikes for a while – there has to be some perks. However, I did not want to take any of the stock, but now I am in a position where I can get hold of one.
I just picked up a batch of frames in a Candy Red colour and its time to build my own up. Blue Whippet completed the spraying and I really like the colour.
So I am going for an Ultegra build up. I have got hold of most stuff, but I need a bottom bracket, a headset and some decent wheels. I will be getting road wheels so I can blast around on it, and then I will get some gravel wheels as well, so I can swap them out when I want to do some more rougher stuff.
I will start building it up from end of September / early October and start using it straight away.
Had some movement on a few bits, some easier than others.
Sweatshirts and T shirts was relatively easy. I went to a friend of the family, looked at various blank t shirts and Sweatshirts of varying quality, chose the colours and forwarded the Bowman font and approved the quote. So, hopefully they will be here pretty soon (I went for a T shirt of 180gsm weight and a Sweatshirt with a weight of 350gsm). Placing this order was easy.
I also ordered some trucker caps, because everyone likes a trucker cap (well, quite a lot of people).
I also want some other bits of kit - arm warmers, socks, over shoes and base layers. This takes a little bit more patience, I had conversations with companies in Turkey and China, but just seemed to be going round in circles with quotes, samples, fonts.
So I sent a text to Sam at Paria Clothing and asked if he could help. 30mins later and he has put me a quote together and I have seen samples. So I will be placing the order for them shortly.
Also, baselayers – I have spoken to someone I know and I am looking at samples to see if I like them and a separate company is sending me some water bottles to look at
Lastly, I always wanted to do a steel framed bike and the folks at Blue Whippet Paintworks know some frame builders. So, I have been having discussions about an 853 Reynolds build and then a 931 Reynolds frame. They also can do Columbus and Dedacciai.
These will be in small numbers, I am just waiting for the quote back and then hopefully we can get that organised as well. Geometry has been agreed.
This will also add more content to the Website, I am aware it looks a bit bare, so all of this should fill it out a bit more.
That’s it, hopefully T shirts and Sweat shirts should be fairly soon as well as the Candy Red framesets.
The arm warmers, socks, gloves and overshoes - they should follow on.
Lastly, summer gone, what a wash out. I was in Mallorca in August, it was really hot, way too hot for cycling, I did go exploring though. I drove up Cap de Formentor from Puerto Pollensa, and also went up Sa Batalla from Selva to Luc and then up and down Sa Colobra – as I say, I drove, this was cheating. But I am booking to go next year which should be good.
Take care.
Thanks for reading.
Jim….