This just taken outside Box Dog Bikes.. What a lovely Toei…. you guys are killing me.. More here on David’s Custom Toei in this Flickr Set

Nothing beat looking at these fine machine…(s) riding it is still a dream….

I admit that recently I’ve been working a lot and so I haven’t really had much time for bike-related goodness all together. My life is very work-eat-sleep, work-eat-sleep. I really like to build bikes, so recently I’ve been working on my latest project – an Ebisu 700c all-purpose.

If you don’t know what Ebisus are, head over to Jitensha Studio to have a look-see at what types of bike components and frames they deal. Hiroshi Imura is the owner and mastermind behind the shop. He designs the shop brand frame “Ebisu”, but they can also get their hands on custom Toei frames and Shula (a little more high end than Ebisu). Honjo fenders, LED flashlights, Crane bells, custom stems, randonneuring bags and wool knickers are just a few items in the grand selection you may find at Jitensha.

My main ride, the Bridgestone XO-1 is a wonderful bike. I often wish the top-tube was shorter (I’m already using just a 70mm stem) and I wish it had 700c wheels instead of 26″. I’ve wanted an Ebisu all-purpose for a while ever since my junior year at Berkeley, I would walk pass the store to gawk at the Molteni orange frames hanging in the window. The build just seems so practical – low trail to accommodate a little more load on the front, cantilever brakes for wider tire clearance, eyelet galore, flatbars for comfort and handling, front generator hub and hammered Honjo fenders. The ultimate practical bike for all types of terrain.

Since this is about the only big bike event going on in my life, I’m going to share the build process with all of you while I acquire more parts for it and as the days wind down till the frame arrives!

(and yes, that TA crankset is the one that has been sitting on the shelf at BoxDog for the past year!) I finally broke down and bought it!