During The Spoken’s formative years, we featured much of Ezra Caldwell’s simple, honest and subtly stylish work with Fast Boy Cycles. Recently, Horse Cycles, a fellow New York builder, paid a fitting tribute to Ezra’s aesthetic with a new cruiser.
Ezra inspired many of us during those first few years with his craft, which not only included pastel-hued tourers, townies, randonneurs, cargo and mountain bikes, but also his woodwork, photography, and documentation of his battle with cancer.
It was a battle he bravely lost, tragically, in 2014, but not before he left an indelible imprint upon our hearts. Horse Cycles’ Thomas Callahan was similarly inspired by Ezra, sharing a common pursuit, passion and location.
When Dar Patel, a new customer, approached Thomas for a new frame with a reference photo of one of Ezra’s bikes, Thomas saw it as an opportunity to honour his old friend. A street-tough cruiser was formulated, devoid of any extravagant embellishments.
The final product is a stealthy steel Blackbird of a bike, built around a bombproof Rohloff rear hub and infallible Gates carbon belt drive. A swooping top tube lends a sense of motion to an otherwise inexorable presence.
The hand-stamped brass head badge recalls Ezra’s love for the handmade quality, while the sumptuous Brooks leather also provides a contrast against the radar-invisible paint — a fitting celebration of one of our favorite builders.
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