My 2014 Kona Honzo, and matching NSB Overlord stem, was the second setup that Toxik Harald painted for me. It was all the result of a series of serendipitous events. First, I cracked my beloved 2013 Kona Honzo – ‘Brown-Zo’ – which I think was a shock to everyone because they’re more than a little overbuilt. Then, Kona promptly looked after me under warranty, with a 2014 frame. It was the same chassis painted “raw with a matte lime tint” that looked nothing like the website. I also had a pile of friends riding the same shade.
Then, Toxik happened to have some room in his schedule right around the time that I was taking some time off riding whilst The Clairebarian was preparing to come into our lives. So, I stripped my rig – a single speed at the time – and off I went to see the talented Mr. Strasser. The plan was simple. He was going to paint it ‘Bianchi Celeste’ with orange graphics that would compliment the 44mm King headset that I’d had in a few bikes by then. Then I would build it back up. First, as a multi-speed bike while I found my legs again, and then as a single-speed when I could manage.
I rolled up to Harald’s shop with a frame and a plan. He listened, adjusted his specs, smiled, and said: “which Bianchi Celeste though?” You see, as someone who has done a lot of restoration work over the years, Harald had paint-matched an endless variety of shades off of different model years of Bianchi bikes.
I must have flipped through paint swatches for an hour while he went about his business. I’ll tell you, the next time I visited with my first Waltworks rigid fork and little Claire picked the colours – “Pnk’nd’Pureple” – was a lot easier. Finally I settled on a shade the Italian’s had used in the ’80s. Or was it the early ’90s? I can’t remember now. It would be an understatement though to say I was simple delighted when I picked it up.
I’ve been thinking a bit lately about my experiences working with Harald over the years, and I thought I’d share a couple of my stories over the next few weeks. Since the mid-’00s he’s painted a few frames for me and a couple rigid forks and I’ve also referred plenty of riders to see him. I also see his work around town quite a bit – always signed and dated. Just now I’m wondering if he kept track of just how many frames he’s done.
Harald’s having some health problems of late, and while I already shared his GoFundMe on NSMB.com I figured it wouldn’t hurt to post it here as well. If he’s done work for you in the past you know you received a great value. Maybe you took in a enjoyed the yearly show-and-shine he organized. I’ve talked to some folks who met him at his booth at a local bike show and really appreciated how free he is with his time and experience. In any event, here’s a chance to give a bit back if Toxik impacted you in a positive way.