This is a story that follows my Richard Sachs bike through nearly 27 years!  It is one of multiple personalities ... mine and the uses I put my bike through. 

It started in 1968, as a young designer, working in New York City.  I lived in Brooklyn and was looking for exercise.  I tried cycling and I was hooked immediately.  I joined the American Youth Hostels Bike Club for their weekend and overnight trips.  With limited funds, a friend guided me through the purchase of my first ten speed, a heavy, off the rack, dark green number.  Day rides graduated to longer weekend trips to Jersey, Pennsylvania and other parts of NY. 

Moving to Queens, I joined the Long Island Bicycle Club.  Living in a small apartment, I kept my bike in the building's storeroom.  Eventually, the bike was stolen.  Just married, in 1972, we purchased off the rack matching racing frames and took our honeymoon cycling and camping in North Carolina.  I had only had one problem, I wasn't comfortable touring.  My heels clipped my rear panniers when they were fully loaded.  Four years later, I chained the bike to a bus stop sign in Queens to run a 5-minute errand.  I took the subway home, needing a new bike ASAP.

It was 1976 and my best friend suggested having a custom frame built.  I was intrigued, the only people I knew that rode custom built bikes were racers.  Also, they were pretty expensive.  He took me to Toga Bike Shop on the Lower East Side and introduced me to the owner, Lenny.  When I told him I wanted a touring frame he was a little puzzled.  Their shop sponsored a racing team and they had their frames built by Richard Sachs in Connecticut.  He showed me a few and I was floored, recognizing the craftsmanship of another artist.

After questioning me, Lenny picked up his phone and called Richard.  Would he even build a "touring" frame?  Richard said "yes" and I left with an order for a new frame #97.  Everybody in the LIBC was talking about the "Sachs" I had ordered.  I began planning how I wanted to build it up.  To save money, I ordered all the components myself and built two sets of wheels in anticipation of the frames' arrival (one clincher set for cycle touring and one tubular set for club riding).

Winter passed as I rode a borrowed Titanium bike.  Its' bottom bracket flexed terribly and bounced around on downhills.  Riding it wore me out.  Eventually, the day came when Lenny called me to pick up the frame.  When I arrived, he was doing a "show & tell" to another customer.  First, he pointed out the special braze-ons on the head tube to hold the cables from bar con shifters away from the frame, to prevent rubbing.  Second, how I had the brake housing for the rear brakes routed through braze-ons on the underside of the top tube, so as to not disturb the lines of the bike.  Third he noted my extra long chain stays, so my heels could clear my panniers comfortably.

It was gorgeous ... everything I had hoped for.  It was painted a silver metallic with black and white decals.  The signature cutouts on the fork were painted yellow, as were the other cutouts.  I built the bike myself, putting on black Dura Ace components, black cables, Sun Tour Bar Con shifters, Stronglight cranks and headset.  When I showed up at the LIBC ride start, everyone gathered around to admire the bike.  I was a first in the club, no one had ever seen a "Sachs" with "touring" geometry.  I did the standard 45-50 mile ride and finished the day knowing the bike was worth every penny.  The bike was responsive, light and fit like a glove.  I only had one problem, I was afraid to let it out of my sight!  I was now officially paranoid.

But, like any good touring bike, it needed a real test.  I switched from my everyday tubular wheels to wider clincher rims.  Flying into Northern Maine I proceeded to ride and camp for the next three weeks.  I moved every day, riding 40 to 80 miles a day.  Only after cycling 35 miles of rough dirt roads to get to Baxter State Park, did I take a break.  The next few years, I cycle toured for summer vacations in Nova Scotia, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Cape Cod, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and the Adirondacks.  It was a beautiful sight to see: a Richard Sachs loaded with full gear and a loaf of bread swinging back and forth from the back bike rack.  This bike never let me down and when we ran into other riders, the bike was always a topic of conversation.  I'd like to think that some of the people I met, left me wanting to buy a Richard Sachs.

Years later, I moved to Westchester County, NY and joined the Westchester Cycle Club.  I spent a week each summer with the Long Island Bike Club, riding 75 to 100 miles, usually in the mountains.  One year I even toured with the original Vermont Bicycle Tours for a week.  By 1982, the paint job was in need of help again ... the summer tours had taken their toll.  I decided my red Mustang and bike should match.  A friend, owner of a bike company, offered to paint the Sachs for me in his plant in California.  He sold me his last year's model frame, while I waited.  I was never comfortable ... I had really been spoiled.

W hen the Sachs came back, I rebuilt it again.  About that time, I moved to a house, where my daughter, was born.  My wife decided to get back in shape by cycling.  Living in a hilly town, she asked for triple chainrings on her bike.  My Sachs was reborn again with a baby seat on the back!  I rode it constantly, taking off the seat for weekend club rides and putting it on again for family rides.  As my daughter grew and my knees began to hurt, I purchased triple chainrings for myself in 1986.  It had become my family/vacation bike.  When my daughter started riding, it became my winter/vacation bike ... for the last 15 years.

About a year ago, on a very hilly ride, while riding an aluminum, off the rack bike (as my second bike), I felt pretty beat up.  Years of hard use had created rust, worn out parts and chipped paint on my Sachs.  My wife offered a new paint job for my Sachs as my birthday present and I got excited.  I found a great bike shop in the next town and we planned the "third coming" of my Sachs.  I selected a rich plum color and off it went for a new Imron paint job.  Together, we decided to replace the headset, seatpost, stem, handlebars, bottom bracket and brakes.  I purchased a new set of high quality clincher tires and rebuilt my wheels with my Phil Wood hubs.  While he worked on building the bike up, admiring the beautiful details and craftsmanship, I emailed Richard for a new set of decals.  He looked up the frame number and sent me a set, that I applied myself.  The day of the club riding Sachs has returned!  I have ridden aluminum, Titanium and off the rack steel frames, but nothing compares to the feel and comfort of a custom built Sachs. 

My first hilly ride with the club was a success.  One of my oldest cycling friends commented, "It looks beautiful ... you should be riding it all the time." Well I'm a little slow, but my "new" reincarnated Richard Sachs is back!  (See picture).  I have ridden over 30 years for exercise and fun.  Recently, I have been riding three times a week and enjoying every minute again.  This summer I'll even be touring Cape Cod for a week.  My wife and daughter joke about the fact that I love my Sachs more than them.  In 2006, I'll be 60 and my bike will be 30.  We intend to celebrate together.