It’s getting crazy over here at BikeRumor headquarters (which may or may not be a super-secret underground base housed in an active volcano) with the 11 NAHBS-Related Questions submissions; we may have to start doubling up, doing two a day. Today we’ve got Nicholas Crumpton of Crumpton Cycles. Nicholas won’t be traveling far for this year’s North American Handmade Bicycle Show — his studio is in Austin, Texas.
In this case I am kind of sad that the 11 NAHBS-Related Questions are the same for every builder. I would have liked to ask how insane with rage it made Nicholas back in the late 80’s when people changed the lyrics of N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” to “Straight Outta Crumpton.” Given Nicholas’ sense of humor and lack of punch-pulling, it might have made for an interesting response.
And speaking of interesting responses…
11 NAHBS-Related Questions:
BR: Are your plans for NAHBS a secret, or can you tell us a little bit about what you’re showing?
NC: No secret, cool new options to the SL, long awaited next iteration of a carbon 29er.
BR: What about the booth, anything extra-special-crazy in the booth department?
NC: extra crazy? the people occupying it.
BR: What do you see as the hot trend at NAHBS this year?
NC: Fancy booths, not mine.
BR: What is the lamest frame building trend ever?
NC: The claims “greatest”, “best” or heaven forbid, “worlds lightest.”
BR: What is the most challenging or horrible thing you’ve had to do as a frame builder.
NC: Clean out my dust collection.
BR: What is your favorite type of bike to build?
NC: Slamming road bikes.
BR: As a frame builder is there anything you absolutely will not to? Like a not-without-a-gun-to-my-head type thing?
NC: Put flames on my bikes.
BR: Sum up your entire bicycle building philosophy in one word or less. Kidding. How about three words?
NC: Continual improvement yeah.
BR: If you weren’t building bikes, what would you be doing?
NC: Hiding in the 3rd world somewhere.
BR: Who is your bike-building idol? Who do you look up to?
NC: Let’s not play favorites Anyone who continues to do a good job.
BR: This one is important. Of the people showing at NAHBS, who is the last frame builder you would ever want to fight? Like physically.H
NC: Honestly? Not DW [Don Walker], he is a big teddy bear. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. It’s the quiet guy you gotta look out for, I’d run screaming from Ira Ryan. I bet he has an explosive front kick.
For more information check out Crumpton Cycles’ website.
