Evelyn McHale

July 11, 2016

Article By: Jimmy Frizzell

Photos By: Mark Velazquez

Originally Published In The February 2016 Issue Of Cycle Source Magazine

“Only after disaster can we be resurrected. It’s only after you’ve lost everything that you’re free to do anything.” – Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

It’s safe money to assume that right about the time cable television wraps its cold sweating hands around a culture’s throat it might just be time to find your escape plan and find a new gravy train. Ryan Gore’s Paper Street Customs is the phoenix that rose from the ashes of the absurdly flooded market of high dollar bikes. Ryan found himself in numerous shops from Florida to California bowing to the greed of a billet polluted market feeding off the obsession of the white collar chopper fad. Routine repairs and part swapping in the name of originality was so far from his game plan, and soon even the hours would become mind numbing. Luckily the bubble would soon pop and cooler heads would prevail and the foul taste of freedom would ignite a fire of mechanical creativity. Deep in the bowels of a blue collar town given the distinguished title of fifth worst city in Colorado lurks an oasis of late night metal artistry. Like many of us Ryan is forced to swallow the reality of a 60 plus hour work week, but while this may be enough to cripple the average slob, Ryan Gore is just getting started. No longer forced to rely on the budgets of clients whims, Ryan now has the freedom to choose what fabrication projects hit the bench and how long he has to finish each creation. Everything is made to order, and everything from tanks to struts are handmade. And when you are given that much freedom the art is sure to show through…

Evelyn McHale is Paper Street Customs latest creation. She is named after the subject of Robert C. Wiles’ picture of the week “A beautiful suicide” appearing in the May 1947 issue of Life magazine. This two wheeled bombshell might just be as shocking. Designed to be a well executed slim lane splitting bar to bar monster it was always Ryan’s intention to build a bike of his birth year. Purchased from the hallowed pages of Craigslist the mostly stock 77 shovel was yet another fallen victim of the imagination of an ignorant hand. Ryan had blind faith that with a little work he would be able to reverse the previous owner’s pipedream expectations and get the FXE to suitable foundation for the madness that would soon ensue. When asked about how much work went into the Evelyn, Ryan is quick to respond, “More work than is sensible”. Twelve hour work days soon mated with late night shop sessions. Weekends also fell prey to a social life suicide, drawing a fine line between passion and obsession. As luck would have it Ryan opened up the motor and found that, true to the previous owners word, the motor was in excellent condition. With the hurdle of a time consuming engine rebuild graciously avoided the guilt free grind and cut of fabrication could begin. The slender sporty styled gas tank took form from a piece of 18 gauge steel and a weeks’ worth of hand forming. Another full day was used in window paining the neck. These are just a few examples that add to many old school accents. The hardtail and other countless fine detailed pieces including the stainless steel struts, clutch release and jockey shift were all hand shaped by Ryan in his shop. The machined down tubes were trusted to a close friend. With a dual sport tire hugging a twenty three inch rim the fork tubes were shortened, the lowers were shaved, and when coupled with the stock rear wheel set up the perfect stance was achieved.

The entire bike was completed and running in time for the Handbuilt Show in Texas where it made its debut. It was in its raw form with absolutely no finish work that would hide all the hand made detail, except for the Paper Street Custom seat pan covered by the talented Curt Greene over at Bare Bones Leather. After the show was over, it was back to the shop where under the aroma of Cuban coffee and the back drop of a television blaring classic cinema of the 70’s and 80’s it was all torn down again for all the finishing touches to be added. Ryan chose to have the frame of the shovel ceramic coated. The custom Paper Street tank was painted by Scott Takes who took artistic freedom in order to compliment the seat without over shadowing the rest of the details. Evelyn McHale is truly a work of art and when she appeared at Vegas BikeFest this year she took Best of Show at the Cycle Source show. It was always Ryan Gores intention to turn the suicide blond over to a new owner when he was done having his way with her. But after six long months, endless hours, and the self destruction of what ever social life he would allow himself to have it doesn’t look like he’s going to allow this girl to drop out of his sight anytime soon. When you own a shop that allows you the freedom of doing what you want you don’t always have to sell a labor of love to keep the lights on….