Those of us that have been in the cycling community for a long time all know it, that one perfect commuter. That one bike that you absolutely love more than anything. The bike you try to convince yourself that you wouldn’t be too heartbroken if it got stolen. Because really, you just secretly dream of someone likeminded starting a conversation with you about it as you’re locking it up somewhere. Or secretly daydream of finding that note of bike-admiration tucked under a cable one day while it’s locked up. And deep down, you know you’d feel super heart broken if it ever disappeared. Like a true hole in your heart. But that’s the best part. It’s just deep symbology of life. Start with something you love dearly, maybe cram the wrong size tubes in from time to time, skimp on investing too much at times, skimp on certain parts, but then put those Campy cranks on, or those Shimano ‘servo-wave’ levers that you’ve been saving forever.
Yeah, it leaks rust out of all the stay’s vent holes, but somehow you can live with it.
These builds, these perfect commuters, they always say so much more about us than we could ever really say about ourselves. The language is a hard one to read for the outside world, but hey, between us? We get it. We all hear you loud and clear.
This Bridgestone MB-2 belongs to one of my favorite long-time friends, John Tomai. I knew John from a brief year back in Boston around 2009, the city I started as a working messenger in around 2002 or so, took some time for some college around that time, and the first city I really tried to get my feet wet in while trying to find my voice as a photographer with a deep love for bikes(although I hadn’t grown wings yet then, and stuck to my BMX bike and track bike for years). My love for cycling and love for photography unfortunately spent years apart before I even tried introducing them to each other. John has been in bike shops and beyond since his high school days, and has spent the last handful of years really honing in a career at Seven Cycles in Boston. Putting his time in on both ends of the manufacturing like with some of the true unspoken legends of the community, and some welders you’ve probably heard the names of if you’ve been paying attention these last ten years.
It was so nice to catch up with you while you were in New York John!! Thanks for bringing one of my favorite bikes to cruise around with me on. Come back again soon please!
