Great things come to those who wait.  

The cycling world lost a true master in February of this year, with the passing of Brian Baylis. Tributes to the man and his work are plentiful, but none are more poignant than the one epitomized by this bike, unveiled to the public today, June 12, at the Classic Rendezvous Weekend, in Greensboro, North Carolina.  

It is a New Old Stock Baylis frame adorned with a collection of components that would have made Brian smile. It is an unwittingly posthumous collaboration between R. Brian Baylis, CR Weekend host Dale Brown, and Jon Williams of Drillium Revival, who modifies racing components, milling and drilling them, per the fashion of the 1970s.  

The bike began in the late 90s, when Brian Baylis built a made to measure frame for Dale Brown, owner of Cycles de Oro. As a former frame builder, Dale knew what he wanted, and provided dimensions to Brian, based upon one of his favorite bikes, a McLean Fonvielle/Silk Hope. Dale gave Brian a lot of artistic license in the finished product, which has Reynolds 531 tubing, and features Nervex lugs that Baylis ornately modified, along with a Cinelli bottom bracket shell, and Campagnolo 1010A dropouts.  The fork crown features Baylis’s Makers Mark, which he also used on the knives he made.  

The frame actually made its public debut at the Cirque du Cyclisme in 2000. Baylis was invited to speak about frame building, and this frame was brought as an unfinished example. You can see the frame and Baylis’s presentation in this video taken by Ken Toda. The frame went back to San Diego with Brian for final touches; Baylis shipped it back to Dale a year or so later, where it went on display in Dale’s office at Cycles de Oro. While Dale intended to build it up and ride it, it sat on the back burner for many years.   

In 2014 or so, Jon Williams was visiting Cycles de Oro and saw it on display in Dale’s office. Jon suggested Dale finally build it utilizing parts that Jon would "breathe on". While they agreed to the project, things got dragged out, and unfortunately no progress was made.

Shortly after Brian died, Jon reminded Dale of the project; Dale sent Jon components, and work commenced immediately. The guiding principle was that the frame would be the star feature, and that the finished bike would be something that Brian would have gladly made for himself. The end product is stunning!

The paint scheme Dale and Brian chose is Pearl Caramel with Baylis Blue with gold lug lining, accents and chrome, which have not suffered a bit in the many years since Baylis painted the frameset.

Jon drilled, milled, modified and refinished the USED Campagnolo & Cinelli components. The brake calipers were re-radiused; both the seat post and crank arms were re-fluted (including matching flutes on the back of the arms). However the coups de grace may be the derailleurs. The rear derailleur has flattened knuckle bolts, plenty of holes and flutes, which all are easily missed since the face plate has all 4 card suits cut into it. The front derailleur not only has holes of increasing diameter, but also a uniquely modified clamp plate. Unlike traditional pantographing, the components are all high polish silver without fill-in paint, which would have caused distraction from the complete bike.

Finishing things off is a drilled Brooks Saddle, some really trick Barelli pedals, and Brian’s favorite bars, the Cinelli Model 65 Criterium bend.

Some mobile phone users will have to click here to view the Flickr slide show.

Patience is a virtue, and this bike completely represents Brian Baylis’s philosophy and aesthetic sense.