A treat to ride, and fun to talk about, this is my interpretation of a current classic:

This is my Kogswell Model "P", size 56cm. Purchased from Matthew at Kogswell Cycles in April this year (2006), mine represents possibly one of Kogswell's last fully-lugged framesets - he only had one left in my size when I placed my order (whew!). Color is banana-leaf green with white headtube panel that typified this production run, and it looks really nice in the sun. I use this bike for commutes, brevets and weekend rides - in fact, it's essentially my primary bike, unless I want to "go fast" on my racer, or I feel like riding my fixed-gear. More often than not, however, I am pulling this bike down from the garage rafters for just about anything - gravel or paved.

Equipped with Sugino RD cranks (technically a single-speed crank, it still has tabs to support an inner chainring with proper spacing), 9-speed SRAM R970 cassette with 11-21 teeth, Shimano Dura-Ace rear derailleur, Shimano 105 front derailleur, Shimano 8-speed Dura-Ace bar-end shifters in friction mode, Shimano aero brake levers, Mavic Cosmos 700c wheelset - w/ substitute Schmidt hub on Mavic MA-3 rim up front for powering the headlight, 28mm Panaracer Pasela TourGuard tires, Thomson seatpost, Selle Italia Flite Trans/Am saddle (still searching for the perfect Brooks for me), Tektro 521AG long-reach caliper brakes, SKS full fenders w/ home-brew leather front splash-flap, Nitto Technomic Deluxe stem, "Rivendell-style" universal brass bell, Easton EA50 handlebars, Spanninga SPXb fender-mounted taillight, Busch+Muller DLumotec Oval Plus headlight with home-brew switch, and topped-off with cork handlebar tape in white and natural, double wrapped for the stripe effect. Baggage is set up with the Carradice SQR system and includes a Carradice Pendle bag (slightly larger than the Barley) in green for brevets or small errands, a larger Carradice Super C saddlebag for commutes and big errands, and a dual-duty Rivendell Baggins Banana-Bag for shorter weekend rides, or flipped around and used as a mini-handlebar bag for longer brevets.

Still shopping for a silver handlebar that I like, just for continuity-sake, as the black handlebar looks odd next to all the other components - but it's unique in that way, I suppose. The side-shot with the other bicycles is in front of ACME Bicycle Company in Kansas City, with the Kogswell enjoying time in its natural habitat: the group ride.

Enjoy!

Keith.W.Gates@sprint.com