# Curtlo Pics



## SHADES (Feb 23, 2005)

I'm looking for any pics of Curtlo's or other bikes that I painted from '89-95'. Especially of interest are the Kahlua womens team bikes (Furtado's would be nice) and any of the Curtlos with corporate race paint ridden by Tom Rogers (KHS etc.)

Thanks

jb


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

SHADES said:


> I'm looking for any pics of Curtlo's or other bikes that I painted from '89-95'. Especially of interest are the Kahlua womens team bikes (Furtado's would be nice) and any of the Curtlos with corporate race paint ridden by Tom Rogers (KHS etc.)
> 
> Thanks
> 
> jb


no way! its shades! are you still painting in the same area? i'll post photos of my 92/93 action tec curtlo as soon as i can get a chance.


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

OK Shades. Here is my Curtlo with the Chumash Fade. Got this while with Team Cycle World. Cycle World had was like the little brother to the Kahlua team. I would love to find one of those Kahlua bikes for my girl ride.


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

oops! i almost forgot the important one.


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

i saw your signature of "jb" so i'm assuming you painted my road bike too.


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## SHADES (Feb 23, 2005)

*Thank You!*

Thanks for the pics. Curtlo and I sponsored so many teams and privateers that it's hard to remember where they all ended up.

I put down the spray gun and reopened my contracting business in '93 but did paint some in '94 and a couple for friends in '95 and '96 I think.

Your road bike was probably painted by a guy named Jim. Sorry, his last name has faded from my memory.

Can't wait to see the Action Tec! I wish that I had never sold the two that I had...or the 10 or so Curtlo Mountaineers...or the TCB Viper...or the Cyclocross...Roadbikes...

Well, at least I still have one Mountaineer left and a former team roadbike built up with parts left over from Tom Rogers' Curtlo (whoops, I mean GT) cyclocross bike.

jb


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

SHADES said:


> Thanks for the pics. Curtlo and I sponsored so many teams and privateers that it's hard to remember where they all ended up.
> 
> I put down the spray gun and reopened my contracting business in '93 but did paint some in '94 and a couple for friends in '95 and '96 I think.
> 
> ...


Tom is pretty active on one of the other mtb forums (can't recall which at the moment)...I'm sure he'd have pics if anyone!


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## SHADES (Feb 23, 2005)

Rumpfy said:


> Tom is pretty active on one of the other mtb forums (can't recall which at the moment)...I'm sure he'd have pics if anyone!


Thanks Rumpfy, I'll look for him.

jb


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## ssmike (Jan 21, 2004)

SHADES said:


> Thanks Rumpfy, I'll look for him.
> 
> jb


Look for Soul Rider on bikemag.com. In fact, right now there's a really old photo of him on an Ibis trial bike.


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## Cycleshark (Jan 21, 2004)

*swiss cow*

hi shades

here's a nos swiss cow.... in the early 90's, we used to be distributor of curtlo and we always loved your painting(s)! there are quite some shades-paintjobs riding around here...more pictures to come.....

greetings from zurich
uncle pete


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

i just found the JB signature on-line. its Joe Bell from right here in san diego.

http://www.campyonly.com/joebell.html


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## First Flight (Jan 25, 2004)

*our Curtlo Action Tec is*

@ http://www.firstflightbikes.com/1995_Curtlo.htm Somewhat interesting paint job but not terribly durable.


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

no way! that was my teamates bike! the story on the fork is a little hazy but the lowers were not made by action tec. i know fat chance made lowers for those forks too but i cant remember who made the aluminum one. more of a prototype than anything as i remember.


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

First Flight said:


> @ http://www.firstflightbikes.com/1995_Curtlo.htm Somewhat interesting paint job but not terribly durable.


who did the paint Jeff? i think it was Lizart?


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## First Flight (Jan 25, 2004)

Hey it was Lizart. I couldn't remember it off the top of my head and was too damn lazy to go upstairs and look at it!! The paint chips real easy and there was a place that had a sticker removed and it pulled the paint off down to the primer.

VDBR do you remember who rode the bike?


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## SHADES (Feb 23, 2005)

Cycleshark said:


> hi shades
> 
> here's a nos swiss cow.... in the early 90's, we used to be distributor of curtlo and we always loved your painting(s)! there are quite some shades-paintjobs riding around here...more pictures to come.....
> 
> ...


Thanks Cycleshark!

The distributor was probably the Fast Feather band of thieves led by front man Bob Anderson. Thankfully Anderson and his movie industry rip-off partners put themselves out of business.

I own the Fat Feather name (w/ the flying pig in the oval). Anderson was going to be my distributor for my PigTail seatpost (that had recently made it's debut at Interbike) and 165g aluminum PiggyBar handlebars, but the money guys had a different idea. I gave them a quick release design for prototyping after they agreed to pay for the first run of 1000 ft. each of five different sizes of seatpost tubing and 3000 finished handlebars. They promptly modified my QR design, built and began to distribute them before testing, and most of them built in the first run broke.

When I found out what they were doing (they had taken out an ad for the QR'S in MBA) and about the same time learned from True Temper that the payment for the seatpost tubing and handlebars was never recieved, I invited Anderson out to the Curtlo shop and then proceeded to go ballistic on him! It didn't hurt that he already was scared to death of me cuz he thought that I was crazier than a loon.

The end result was their name change to Fast Feather, and a new logo, but unfortunately it was also the virtual end of Fat Feather. I had an agreement with True Temper to distribute their T2 process bar under the Fat Feather name well before the release of the product to the other name-brands that wanted them. When I didn't get them the check, and they were already in full production swing, the deal was off.

The only reason that I ever went into business with Anderson and his cohorts was because they were already distributing Curtlo frames in Europe and I was painting them, and because I did a really stupid thing and premiered the seatpost at Interbike before I even had the means to build it. Lots of pics were taken, especially by the Japanese and Taiwanese, and Zap put it in the next issue of MBA. I knew that I would have to build it quick before the round-clamshell clamp design became everyone's (which it quickly did), and Anderson's money guys said that they were willing to invest. It was obviously a bad decision, and one that soured my taste for doing anymore product development at the time.

The only saving grace in the whole incident was the look on Bob Anderson's (yellow-tinted) face when he had to write me 10% monthly royalty checks for everything that Fast Feather sold, and sometimes from his own personal checkbook simply because he was scared.

Well there...I finally got that crap off of my chest. But it still doesn't make me feel any better.

More paint pics!

jb 

PS: Fat Feather will soon be resurrected, so stay tuned.


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## SHADES (Feb 23, 2005)

First Flight said:


> Hey it was Lizart. I couldn't remember it off the top of my head and was too damn lazy to go upstairs and look at it!! The paint chips real easy and there was a place that had a sticker removed and it pulled the paint off down to the primer.


Doug did tell me that he was having some major paint issues. That's probably why he made a mad dash back to powdercoat. Powdercoat was gaining a resurgence in popularity at the time which was probably a good thing for him.

I really do regret not sticking with it. I miss the artistic freedom of expression that I got from painting frames (whether anyone else liked them or not!). It was the best job I ever got paid for.

jb


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## SHADES (Feb 23, 2005)

vdubbusrider said:


> i know fat chance made lowers for those forks too but i cant remember who made the aluminum one. more of a prototype than anything as i remember.


Possibly the same guy who built our original Curtlo / TCB Viper frames. An extremely talented but flakey guy named Chuck with a weld shop in Newhall, Ca.

jb


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

SHADES said:


> Possibly the same guy who built our original Curtlo / TCB Viper frames. An extremely talented but flakey guy named Chuck with a weld shop in Newhall, Ca.
> 
> jb


that chuck guy would be c&b welding. i had a few of thier aluminum curtlo's when i was sponsored by curtlo and easton at the same time.


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## vdubbusrider (Jul 28, 2004)

that would be Tomara Notch. she was the female pro on team cycleworld. the polkadot on the frame matches the polkadot of the jersey. her boyfriend and team manager was Richard Florez and his matching frame is here:

http://www.lizart.net/html/lizart_showcase__custom_bicycle_painting___repair.html

they were the only two people that had that paint job.


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## Econoline (Mar 5, 2004)

SHADES said:


> Can't wait to see the Action Tec! I wish that I had never sold the two that I had...or the 10 or so Curtlo Mountaineers...or the TCB Viper...or the Cyclocross...Roadbikes...
> 
> jb


JB, give me a day or so and I'll post pictures of my 1990 vintage Mountaineer with Action-tec fork and BB. I don't know if you painted it, it's a green/black camo look. I bought it from Doug when he was still in Santa Clarita. It has full braze-ons front and rear for touring racks. I believe the weight came in at 24#. The build is 100% Sun Tour XC Pro w/grease guard.

I just had it out last weekend on a La Tuna canyon loop. The components are dated but everything works. I feel like I want to update it but I haven't made a decision on how to do that yet. SS is another possibility with an eccentric BB retrofit from Vulture or Curtlo and fresh paint.Still love that AT fork.

Don


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## SHADES (Feb 23, 2005)

whoops


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## SHADES (Feb 23, 2005)

i am stupid


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## SHADES (Feb 23, 2005)

SHADES said:


> Doug did tell me that he was having some major paint issues.
> 
> 
> > I wanted to clarify a bit cuz I didn't want my response to look like I was bagging on Lizart's paint quality. That was not my intention. I have seen a bunch of his work, and I'm sure that the paint issues with that frame are an exception rather than the rule. Probably more a result of that particular period in history rather than a question of Lizart's typical quality. LA County was putting on the heat about using Imron, so there was a bit of paint-type experimentation going on.
> ...


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## flyingsuperpetis (Jan 16, 2004)

SHADES said:


> ...I didn't want my response to look like I was bagging on Lizart's paint quality...


 You wouldn't have to, all these people have that taken care of.

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/manufacturers/2835/

Six months ago, Doug had absolutley no reservations about getting a frame from him unfinished & finding a local finisher, indicating that he still wasn't totally satisfied with his painting options in his new location up the coast.

Incidentally, Kleins Chehalis paint guru is still up there somewhere. Might be a pairing if he want's to keep things local.

Love your work JB! Great to see.


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## SHADES (Feb 23, 2005)

flyingsuperpetis said:


> You wouldn't have to, all these people have that taken care of.
> 
> http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/manufacturers/2835/


Wow, I had no idea he was having that much of a problem. I've been getting a hair to paint lately (probably watching too many Biker Build-off episodes) maybe I'll give him a call.

I know that that if I paint them he would have to charge more for the frames though, especially with the extra shipping charges, Imron, etc.

I can't believe some of the wait times I saw for the frames though.  Somewhat understandable though since Dougs in such a remote area. Back in the day, I would handle the frames from the time they left the jig until they left for the customer (cleanup, blasting, painting, decals, facing, chasing and such). I know that when I left the biz that there was one guy hanging out that eventually became an employee and did everything except paint. Dougs probably doing everything himself now, and that's alot to handle!

jb


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## Marzocchi Tech Department (Mar 31, 2008)

*Bring back the past*

Yo Shades,
I was just at the local brewery last night and ran into Mike Troy. He was celebrating his 50th birthday! I had just run into him the night before riding with the local crew out of Cindy from Answer's house. It was good to see him and then to hear that Mike had been talking to you. I thought I'd hunt you down here.

i know this is an ancient thread but here's a pic of my KHS/Curtlo/Shades team bike from 89. It in Moab...getting crazy back in the day. Gotta love it. I even put a rack on it for the big lunches and extra water rations...hillarious. I was there last year with Brian Lopes. We rode all the classics and some of the new flavor too. I like it there on a full suspension bike. We were nuts back then riding rigid. I rode this same line on a 4" bike. I was able to go so much faster that I still though I was going to break the bike in half!!

FYI I still have this frame built up but with the origianal Predetor paint job!! Drop bars, hydraulic road lever/canti's and twist spoke wheels. I will never get rid of it. I also have my original orange craze road bike built up. Doug welded canti's on to it and I was using it as a cross bike for a while. Another ride I will never get rid of....that bike has a million miles on it!! Probably 5 years of pro level training miles on it...so yeah, about a million miles. 
Fun stuff! 
Send me a PM if you actually still lurk here.

Cheers buddy. Riding to Santa Barbara fron the SCV on Saturday for a birthday party, then riding home on Sunday....burning the blue flame most likely. Get this, we are renting a Pirate ship and dressing up like pirates, then once out to sea, jumping ship and swimming to shore where we will dig up buried treasure (a keg o'beer), by way of a treasure map. How's that for a birthday party? Argh mate!!! I just hope to survive the swim. The century going there and coming home will be the easy part. 

Still doing the crazy stuff....all your climbing holds are safe and sound on my climbing wall in my garage. I'm still pulling down too.


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## ShortTravelMag (Dec 15, 2005)

I had 3 killer Shades painted Curtlo's. I only have one 1991 Mountaineer left, my other Curtlo is a 2000 with solid boring black. I have tons of very good pictures of the frames. I contacted Doug in 1991 when I got my frame, and we became phone buddies. I still have the original Curtlo/Action-Tec jersey he sent me. Too small to wear now! I talked Doug into getting a website up and running, and am still running it for him to this day (that was back in 1995-6 when the web was starting to get going...). 

My green/blue/purple over black camo thingee '91 frame is still my favorite paint job ever. I also had the white with black snake skin looking stuff on it for years. The one hanging on the ceiling in that killer original color Curtlo brochure of Doug welding in his horse barn in CA. I still have that brochure. It's so cool seeing it again.

I had a black with blue and yellow tape rips things on it, with Action-Tec fork too. Why I sold that one, I'll never know. It was light and stiff. 

I'll dig up the photos and post all three of them.


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## Ipkiss (Nov 7, 2013)

*Curtlo Team Kahlua*

This is a '92 Curtlo Kahlua Team, 52 cm frame height and 650c wheel size. True Temper decals everywhere, Action-Tec near the BB.
Anyone who's got info or images on the Kahlua team and their bikes/ equipment?


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## Rumpfy (Dec 21, 2003)

No info, but thats a rad bike. Looks like another Shades special!
I also have a soft spot for True Temper.


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## Ipkiss (Nov 7, 2013)

*True Temper*

another rad Curtlo featured in this 1991 ad!


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## Linoleum (Aug 25, 2008)

made in Merica!


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## Veloculture (Dec 18, 2005)

Doug Curtiss of Curtlo came out of the aerospace industry to start making Curtlo bikes. Hence the astronaut ad.


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## oneschnark (Dec 16, 2013)

Bonjour, I am Philippe (French). I'm living in Berlin (Germany), and I am happy to be here. Many thanks.
I want to show you my Curtlo ( 1993). Thanks an Doug Curtis for his help.



Philippe


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## jeff (Jan 13, 2004)

That's very clean Philipee. Great paint.


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## Ipkiss (Nov 7, 2013)

*Olympic Curtlo from the Sports Illustrated Vault*









Olympic Curtlo:
Inga Thompson 1992 team Kahlua from Sports Illustrated


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Really like Philippe's Curtlo up there!


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