I have never had Paul anything. I’ve had whatever brakes and levers came with my bikes and didn’t think any more about it. I did get my VO brake levers anodized, but that batch of rose pink ano faded freakishly fast and everything was silver 4 months later.
But I’m giving it another chance. Everyone talks about Paul, and Paul sometimes offers their parts in pretty, anodized colors, but currently, they do not. I emailed the company, asking if they happened to have any of their pink levers laying around that they would be willing to sell me. I got an email back from Paul, like THE Paul, who directed me to an employee I won’t name here. He and I got in contact and he was so fun, right from the start. We chatted and he looked at my bikes (I sent him my pics via email) and we made a plan.
We colored it all.
The bolts, the brake body, the levers, the barrel adjustors ALL of it.
The parts came in 3 boxes, plus one extra little envelope. The envelope had a small personalized gift from my new friend at Paul, just because, with a handwritten note in the prettiest handwriting I’ve ever seen. Swoon! I opened the first box and it was wrapped like origami inside. I uncovered the first gorgeous pieces and the breath left my body. So beautiful. Quality even a novice can’t miss. Just what I wanted. Rich, rose color.
I would need to be with bike people to get the full joy out of this experience. My bike shop knows about Paul Components. A blizzard is on its way to Michigan and I knew my shop would not be busy. I put the pieces back in the box, loaded the boxes and my bike in the van and drove to the shop. I came in and there were 4 mechanics and zero customers. “Guys!” I said, “I have a fun project for us to do, and I can’t do it without you! Who wants to see what is in these boxes?”
So there we were on company time, hovering over these immaculate little parcels, oohing and aahhing. There was extra swag in there, stuff I had never seen.
“What’s this?” I asked, holding up a flat, wooden thing with Paul emblems.
“It’s a carpenter’s pencil,” said the mechanic. I gave it to him.
I left the bike with them and I should have it in the next couple/few days, depending on how long the blizzard rages for. Not that I’ll get to ride and try those beautiful Paul parts out; we are getting up to a foot of snow! For now they are only a visual treat. I can’t even imagine how enamored I will be when I get to actually USE the brakes.
And what nice people. I was not expecting them to be so personable! I have heard they are a small operation, but they are famous in their own right - celebrity machinists, really - yet so kind to a layperson like me.
Here’s the photo I got before the parts shipped. “Whatcha think?” he asked.
Oh, he knew. He knew he knocked it straight outta the park.
Leah
