The American economy could very well be rescued by the singlehanded efforts of Thomas Callahan, the New York-based frame builder and entrepreneur behind Horse Cycles. He’s intent on assembling a collection of goods manufactured by skilled craftspeople in Brooklyn.
The Horse Brand collection is a selection of outdoor goods and apparel, like superbly-crafted knives (the handle of the latest is made from reclaimed Coney Island Boardwalk timber), handmade copper flasks, backpacks and dry bags, axes and waxed cotton 5 panel caps.
Of course, Horse Cycles and custom frames by Thomas are still the mainstay of the business. The Urban Assault is a modern steel street slayer, the Urban Tour models are willing weekenders, and there’s even a mixte and a 29er MTB frame available.
This, however, is a pure custom frame, another option for the customer who wants something more specific. It was created for installation artist John Roemer, another NY native, and the paint scheme, applied in-house, reflects John’s latest inspiration.
During the late 60s, there was a strong interest in the effects of color on the human psyche and physiology. Alexander Schuss held the lofty title of Director of Life Sciences at the American Institute for Biosocial Research in Washington, and conducted studies on the effects of the color pink.
One particular hue seemed to have a profound effect, “lowering the heart rate, pulse and respiration as compared to other colours.” For those of a print-oriented background, it is made up from 43% magenta and 31% yellow.
The color became known as Baker-Miller Pink, named after the two US Navy officers who first experimented with its use in the Naval Correctional Facility in Seattle, Washington. Afterwards, it was also called Drunk-Tank Pink…
Roemer’s personal experience with Baker-Miller Pink involved various experiments such as ‘Fighting Seasonal Affective Disorder’ with it and ‘A take-a-way with instructions that explain one way to make use of the positive effects of Baker-Miller Pink in one’s daily routine’.
His portfolio reveals the thinking behind the bike’s color layout. The True Temper OXP frame has straight chain stays for immediate power delivery, with S-bend seat stays for all-day rideability. The stem is custom, connected to a matching ENVE fork by a cotton candy Chris King headset.
Special thanks to Favoreat Design for the photography. Support local industry and browse the entire Horse Brand Co collection on the website.
