Thinking back, it was eight years ago.
Circles had just moved from its small shop in Fukiage to its current location here in Chiyoda. Back then, I was a frequent customer. While I was slowly becoming captivated by the charm of bicycles, my two main bikes for city riding were both single-speeds. The idea of going on long-distance touring trips was a world I had almost zero interest in at the time. To be honest, I didn't understand the first thing about bikes with gears. I say that like I understand them now, but I still don’t really get them that much. Haha.
One day, although the second floor hadn't yet been stocked with the wide variety of items it has now, everything related to bicycles there looked new and brilliant to my eyes. The frame that stood out more than any other was a HUNTER CYCLES frame. It was from a series called "PAJORO," which was positioned as a kind of second line for Hunter (I don't think they make it anymore, actually). I was struck by its indescribable atmosphere, which was different from any Hunter frame I had seen before, and the coolness of the "PAJORO" logo written in pinstripes. Furthermore, it was a cyclocross bike with disc brakes, which was still rare back then. Since I had no knowledge at the time, I was at the level of "What is a disc brake?" It feels like I understand now, but again, I don't really know all that much. Haha.
"I want to ride this." Whenever I think that, I have a tendency to let my desires take over.
About two weeks after I made the decision, it was finished. At 24 years old, it was by no means a cheap purchase, so I was nervous. My first bike with "gears," "disc brakes," and "drop handlebars" felt completely different to ride, and it became a fun machine that whisked me away to another world. I was able to learn the real thrill of long rides, something I had never been interested in before. Over the following eight years, I took good care of it, using it for commuting, camping, and city riding—it became the bike most woven into my daily life. I was able to visit the builder Rick’s home in Santa Cruz twice, and when he came to Japan, I had him eat my signature breakfast and we toasted to each other many times. Through all that, my bike became more and more precious to me.
After eight years of riding, the frame had become covered in noticeable scratches, and it looked chaotic, buried under layers of stickers. More importantly, the "PAJORO" lettering was hand-painted and one-of-a-kind, so I had a desire to keep it. While that aesthetic had its own charm, I had been debating for the past few years whether or not to get it repainted.
However, in 2018, I decided to give it a fresh start and get it repainted. I reached out to TOMOYUKI WASHIO, who had painted amazing murals for the SIM WORKS ART COLLECTIVE and CULTURE CLUB. I was convinced that if I could entrust this to an artist who was so close to me and whom I loved, this repaint would have real meaning. I told myself, "Worry about the money later!" (This is important).
For the base coat, I naturally entrusted it to kyutai paint, and then had Washio-san pick up his brush and apply the urethane paint.
In the middle of the lively farewell party for Riebo before she left for the US to help launch SIM WORKS USA, "Master Washio" appeared holding the frame and opened the door to hand it to me. I knew instantly that I had made the right choice in asking him. I was floored by the finish, which exceeded all my expectations. He said, "I want to add some white ink to finish it up," and proceeded to paint right in front of us, as if it were a live painting performance. I realized that when white was added to the base black lines, it really made the details pop. The moment he was adding those thin, thin lines was filled with tension, and everyone there held their breath.
As I looked at the frame Master Washio had finished, I felt like a child again, remembering the excitement I felt when I first saw it eight years ago.
For the assembly, Jas from Circles finished it off perfectly. Since he eats more of Aliba's staff meals than anyone else, he put genuine care into assembling even the smallest details, almost as if he were giving back in kind. It’s the result of his daily discipline, of course. In my heart, I whispered to myself that if I’m Sanji, then he’s like Franky.
For tires, I put on the new VOLUMMY 700C×38C from SIM WORKS, and switched the handlebars—which had been flat bars for a while—to the WONDERER drop bars from SIM WORKS. I cleaned up the other parts and used them as much as possible.
And then...
So cool...
My bike, reborn through the choice of a repaint. I’m sure it’s something I’ll be able to keep by my side for a long time to come.
My heart is racing for the warmer weather ahead, and spring is just around the corner.
ps: This was quite a self-indulgent blog post, but what I mean is that repaints and overhauls are the best, and I highly recommend them.