Robert Egger has to be one of the luckier guys in the world. Not only is he head of               design at Specialized, one of the best bike companies there is; but they also encourage               him to create what they call "concept bikes," which we would call Kustoms. This is a               very brilliant company policy. These bikes, displayed at bike-industry trade shows,               generate a huge amount of trade-media buzz, which amounts to free corporate               advertising.  And it's pretty tough to beat as a fringe benefit for keeping a brilliant               designer happy in his job.  Speed Queen is this editor's personal favorite of all Egger's               creations. More recent concepts have been rather theme-oriented. With this earlier one,               the theme seems to be purely brilliant retro design. It's form is very reminiscent of a               chopped-and-channeled '49 Mercury, the most glorious example of classic "Lead-Sled"               Kustom Kars, with a dash of XK-120 Jaguar thrown in to add lightness to the mix.               Photographs courtesy of Specialized http://www.specialized.com Copyright 1998.

Robert Egger's Speed Queen: The Ultimate Kustom?

Robert Egger has to be one of the luckier guys in the world. Not only is he head of               design at Specialized, one of the best bike companies there is; but they also encourage               him to create what they call "concept bikes," which we would call Kustoms. This is a               very brilliant company policy. These bikes, displayed at bike-industry trade shows,               generate a huge amount of trade-media buzz, which amounts to free corporate               advertising.  And it's pretty tough to beat as a fringe benefit for keeping a brilliant               designer happy in his job.  Speed Queen is this editor's personal favorite of all Egger's               creations. More recent concepts have been rather theme-oriented. With this earlier one,               the theme seems to be purely brilliant retro design. It's form is very reminiscent of a               chopped-and-channeled '49 Mercury, the most glorious example of classic "Lead-Sled"               Kustom Kars, with a dash of XK-120 Jaguar thrown in to add lightness to the mix.               Photographs courtesy of Specialized http://www.specialized.com Copyright 1998.