Not what you thought bike shop employees look like?
We didn't either. Especially since we see Elise every day hunched over the receiving desk, or waving mislabeled warranty parts in front of our noses. But here she is, gracing the July page of the TyK Pinup Calendar* featuring Chicago's women cyclists in their Technicolor brightest.
But I bet you really want to know about Elise's bike.
Elise's bike, the "Rossome", is a veritable scrapbook of Rapid Transit employees, past and present. Elise built it herself from scratch with the help of (mechanic) Kevin H. when she first got the job at the shop. The frame is a Ross Signature, which she got from Working Bikes. Ross is a department store brand, with the exception of their Signature line that ran one color per year from the late 70's through the 80's. Elise's believes her bike, which is maroon, dates from '84.
At first she built it up cheap with some old mountain cranks from our (salesman) Brent O., Surly wheels and a saddle contributed by (colleague) Deb. But she has since replaced a lot of the parts with top quality ones. Cotton tape, Japanese brass Crane bell, vintage matching maroon fender w/ racing stripes, Brooks B17 women's saddle in honey, vintage 70's Japanese reflector with custom fabricated mounting bracket that (mechanic) Jimbo made for her, Sugino cranks, MKS track pedals & Shaggy top tube protector. The wheels were hand-built for her by (mechanic) Chris S. with Suzy hubs on super tough DT Swiss RR 1.1 rims, that have never needed to be trued in the 3 years she's ridden them everyday.
"I love my bike!!" says Elise.
How could she not?
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* The TyK (Thought you Knew) Pinup Calendar is scheduled for release in time for Valentine's Day, with a limited
print run to be sold at the 2009 Bike Winter Art Show. In classic 1950s pinup style, emphasizing the art of
the tease and the allure of suggestion, each month features one lady
with her bike, rendered into a world of Technicolor fantasy. Accompanying each pinup image are a series of black and white
photos of that same woman as the world sees her every day. Proceeds from all sales of the TyK Pinup Calendars go to The Chicago
Women's Health Center.
