[music] Jeremy: I'm here with the owner Hrach of Vello
Pasadena. Hrach, thank you so much for making the time for us.
Hrach Gevrikyan: Absolutely. Jeremy: Great to meet you and to be in this
space. There is so much stuff to go over. Each one of these has some type of significance
to you. There's so many bikes in here that are unique, but are not only collector's editions
and unique, they're in immaculate mint condition. Which says a lot about not just the bike itself,
but about you and how you you maintain them. I would love it if you would take us through
a couple of these pieces so that we can get a sense of just what you do have here.
Hrach: Absolutely. You want to walk around? Jeremy: Yes, sure.
[music] Hrach: First I'm going to show the first few
bikes that was the beginning of this collection. This multicolor De Rosa.
[music] Hrach: This one is over here it's a first
carbon frames that Colnago made. It's double tube ones and they came with the steel forged
tummies they didn't even thought put in a carbon fork on it.
Beautiful TT bike. It belonged to Pavel Tonkov and it's oldest. It's from it's 80s. If you
notice lot of TT bikes come with the 650 front wheels.
Jeremy: This bike was Pavel Tonkov's time trial bike at the Giro d'Italia that he ended
up not being able to race on. Hrach: No. They didn't let him to start the
race because the rear went down here and he had to ride with his road bike.
[music] Hrach: This beautiful Bianchi was a very unique
that's a handful of mate. It's only about 16 pieces. This is when Moreno Argentin won
a world champion in Colorado Spring. Bianchi has engraved head tube. It's so beautiful.
[music] It's a 7-Eleven bike with a Bob Roll's signature
and that Andrew Hampsten's hat. Jeremy: Oh my goodness. I love that.
Hrach: That's when he won the Giro. One of my favorite bike, it's right here. This is
Gianni Motta Aero edition. Jeremy: For the people watching that just
when you look at the bike this way, you barely can see it. It's so lean. It doesn't flare
out. Hrach: This one also has the again 50th anniversary
campy group on it with Campagnolo saddle. This is a non-Campagnolo collection over here.
You'll see a lot of Shimano Centurion, Modolo, and some other parts. That's a 25th anniversary
DURA-ACE Gruppo. This is an old Campagnolo display down here
with the 50th anniversary and Campagnolo saddles and some small pieces. One of my other favorite
friends, beautiful looking frame. You just could stare on them. It's the Magni with the
ICS super record components. ICS is the company and I think they're in Sweden. They take the
existing parts, make them look totally different. Whereas we here, this is another beautiful
Campagnolo part. A lot of free wheels. This Confente. I'm sure you've heard Confente.
Jeremy: Sure. Hrach: Clear beautiful shape. The guy died
when he was 32 I believe. It's a number six frame. I don't think his frame went over 100.
That's how many he made. Look at this beautiful Masi. Look at that. That's a limited edition.
It's only 102 of them that color and that model is made.
I just got this Campagnolo mechanic. Jeremy: Tell us about what's going on with
her. She greets everyone when-- Hrach: She was a good mechanic of which she
retired we brought her over here [Laughter]
Hrach: I love the jumpsuit. I think it was a great.
Jeremy: It reminds me of a different time man.
[Music] Jeremy: Tell me a little bit about what years
are what we're looking at exactly I know this is a--
Hrach: Majority over here is from seventies and up. It's old super record or a novel record
high flange, low flange, Campagnolo hubs. [music]
Jeremy: I was just going to say, Hrach, this Richard Sachs for me has some significance
because Richard grew up-- Well, I grew up only minutes from where Richard Sachs made
this bike. I've never seen this old logo but right in the front of it, it says Chester
Connecticut. I remember having gone there one time but I've never seen this old school
logo. I always remember this new logo. This is before my time.
Hrach: I think this frame over here has got to be one of his productions just the one
reason, it's not a 700 wheels. That's a 27x1 so it's a-- which is like old days majority
time in the seventies. That's the size of the wheels were and they moved up to 700 wheels
and it's a-- When I used building a wheels, I build it and put it there and say, "Gosh,
is something wrong with this," [laughs] but I find out it's not the 700 wheels size. The
forks and the rear triangle is like pretty much with the base. It's built for 27x1.
[music] Jeremey: Let's talk a little bit about the
Major Taylor bike if you're okay with that. Maybe just tell us what you know about it.
We obviously know quite a bit about Major Taylor. He has a lot of significance also
in New England. Hrach: With his name, there is a bunch of
clubs. The good thing in the name is people kept it. They remember and keeping like its
legacy is still here. Jeremey: You've got a Molteni jersey here
as well. Is this a remake or is this original? Hrach: That's original.
Jeremey: Oh my goodness. Hrach: That should belong here and not even
there. That's original. You could tell that stuff on here.
Jeremey: Yes. I'm sorry. I just looked at it from the side.
Hrach: I don't put up fake stuff there. I don't want to. [laughs]
Jeremey: No, no. I didn't know. You hold this. I don't even want to be touching this.
Hrach: No, no. It's like we're holding, touching Eddy Merckx's hand.
Jeremey: That's what I mean. [laughter]
[music] Hrach: Everything started young age of course.
I was 12 when I decided that cycling is my hobby, my sport. In 1980, the family moved
to United States, started New York City. After quitting a year and a half, I met very legend
man, Fred Mengoni and with his help, I start getting back into races again. Then after
that, I went to Santa Barbara thinking I'm going to continue to race again because I
had a knee injury that period of time. Unfortunately, after being in a surgery, I could not recover
very well so a friend of mine, Doug Knox, instead of saying, "Okay, just go home. You
can't race anymore," he wanted me to stay with him and coach young kids over there and
in the meantime work. That's where I started to learn about mechanic-- As a mechanic, I
started and then right after that I decided it's time to move on and open my own, started
my own business. In 1988, the same year I married my wife, Nevrik. I don't know if I
can actually-- I can't. That's how I-- Jeremey: [laughs] That's okay. That's awesome.
That's okay. I know the feeling. Hrach: It's tough. I don't know.
Jeremey: Thank you for sharing with us. It's awesome.
[music] Jeremey: That was a blast from the past. A
big history lesson for me. Personally, I really enjoyed spending the time with Hrach, learning
all about his history in this sport and how he came into all this stuff. What did you
think? Did you like the video? Oh, you're not saying anything. Fine.
[00:09:05] [END OF AUDIO]