As I’ve been putting together my list of builders and other characters I’d like to interview for The Pull, I’ve been reviewing some of the bikes that wowed us at NAHBS and I never had the opportunity to expand upon.
Were anyone to attempt to put the Chrysler Building on wheels, I’d nominate Brooklyn-based Tom Porter to do it. In my years of writing about frame builders I’ve seen a great many noteworthy lug designs, stuff that showed a true creativity. Porter’s decision to draw inspiration from Art Deco made this townie a one-of-a-kind.
The bilaminate or half-lug design of the head tube with top- and down-tube lugs, and chromed is one of the more striking designs I’ve ever seen.
This seat lug looks like it could have been a lighting sconce or elevator trim. That Porter chose to make a separate lug for the seatstays gave him the opportunity to make more of the lines of the seat lug.
Carving the wings of the top tube and down tube lugs showed real artistry, but creating these plugs for the seatstays required some very exacting work. I love how the bolt for the seat binder is all but hidden.