It's actually been one year since Gregg's restored Somec hit the roads of the Santa Cruz Mountains. But it was Spring and this is a good time to celebrate.
Gregg was a mechanic at Wheelsmith, back in our glory days. Was he the best mechanic to work in that fabled store? Could be. Anyhow, he met his wife-to-be there, Diane Kim. Diane managed the unruly affair for some challenging years and those two eventually became hitched. Can I take some credit? I don't think so.
Back to the bike! Gregg recently began restoring a 1984 Somec he acquired while at the Los Gatos Wheelsmith. It has a Nuovo Record group with a long range Rally rear derailleur and corresponding triple crank. All it needed was wood rims and fresh air!
The re-imagined bike debuted in March of 2010. What a looker! Gregg says:
"The wheels built-up absolutely great, better than many aluminum rims I can think of (Wolber and Matrix come to mind)!...I was pretty blown away with the near perfect roundness that can be achieved with these rims."
After his first ride: "I rode it forty miles through the SC mountains last Saturday; frankly it rides about as good as anything, including my Record-shod Calfee. The compliant wheels combined with the Challenge tubulars make for a really nimble riding experience!"
Bravo to Gregg and his Somec. Here's to artistic, mobile Spring projects.
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