Patric Cafaro, Saint Lactose The Tolerant

[charnleybob]

I met and started travelling with Pat and Phil Scott, in 1988.
I met Phil first, thru a little bike shopper publication.
He said he had this beatnik friend, who always wore a leather jacket and called everybody "Cat!"
Our first meet, we went to the Bill Feasel event, I think in Findlay, Ohio, then on to the Saturday morning meet, in Perrysburg, at a little place called "Memory Lane Bike shop." Then on to the big meet at Ann Arbor, MI.
For the next 10 years or so, I would fly to Dayton, stay at his house, and then we would drive up to the meets.
I have so many stories about those crazy years, traveling with Pat, Phil, Harry Ward, and eventually Ed Popowitz,, Paul Genaro, Jerry Germeau.
One time, after 3 long days of bike meets, in a room at the infamous Motel 6, in Ann Arbor, Pat, Phil, Tim Geodders, me, came up with the term "Death Bike."
This was long before the bike showed up and any literature was scarce.
We were just guys, in our 30's, drawn together to this hobby of endless mystery, that the rest of the world passed by and forgot.
I remember coming back to the motel room once, after a long day of a meet, and Pat had fallen asleep, wearing his boots and leather jacket and holding a head badge in his hands.
I was glad I had a chance to know him.

 

[catfish]

Patirc, Paul Genaro and I spent a lot of time on the road together. We shared many a hotel room. I can still hear Patric's voice remembering some of his stories.

 

[catfish]

Some of Patric's artwork

 

[charnleybob]

1988, Findlay, Ohio.

 

[Arfsaidthebee]

Patric's first post is a great combination of his knowledge and humor:

hoofhearted​

Saint Lactose The Tolerant​

In Memoriam

• Dec 5, 2011

FIRST TIME responding here ... the first frame in the thread is a DAVIS frame ... 1918 model ... under-bar parallel with top bar AND very
little air space between the two top bars ... if there is a serial number, parallel with the chain ... call that frame a DAVIS-built !! If that par-
ticular frame has a single number above the serial number .. that number indicates the model-year ... occasionally, a second single digit ...
in the vicinity of the chain-stays ... indicates the year of manufacture. This particular number IS NOT ALWAYS PRESENT.

PEEP the diagrams below ...

Lil' Knee Scuffer ..... is that pic of bottom of hanger bracket from your mystery frame ?? The model-year-stamping indicates that this frame is a 1917
design ... (because of the single 7 stamped above the serial number) ... but the frame design is an '18 when compared to the DAVIS Catalogues.
Look ... knowing that i am typing on the couch wearing a derby .. an adult diaper and smoking a Tampa-Sweet, PERFECTO cigar ... does not make me
immune from making an error in bicycle-judgement. Indeed ... as i was not present when the numerical-stamping-technician placed a 7 on your bottom-
bracket ... this typist has no idea as to the motives of that technician at the time of the stamping. Further more ... Lil' Knee Scuffer ... because of the
human condition ... there is the possibility that i am wrong.

As i gaze upon that bottom bracket ... i see a lot of numbers ... some overlapped ... was this hanger-bracket stamped by a stamper new to the arena of
stamping numbers ... was the stamper told to stamp a 7 by the DAVIS Director of Numerical Stampings ... was the stamper impeded in his ( her ) stamping
because of ... marital strife ?? ... ack-a-haul over-consumption ?? ... the perils of living in a pre-smart-phone civilization ?? ... a truly-dirty mind ?? ..........
Perhaps we will never know.

The Dayton-Built Elgin is an impossibility ... DAVIS built Daytons ... DAVIS built Elgins for Sear's ... DAVIS built at least a halfa-dozen, other brands for Sear's ...
DAVIS built bicycles for Ward's (Hawthorne) ... DAVIS made bicycles for many privately-owned companies in this country and elsewhere ... DAVIS also-made
other brands i.e., Yale, Snell, National, La France, Dixie Flyer, Duro, H-D 1917-1921 and even a DAVIS-Built Davis in late 1922 ... the last moments of bicycle
production for the Company. Now, if that Elgin Motorbike has what looks like an explosion in the seat mast ... allowing the under-tank bar to enter, and be
attached to the seat mast ... the bicycle was made by Excelsior Manufacturing Company of Michigan City, Indiana. The truss-rods on this Elgin do not appear
to be permanently-attached to the bottom of the fork blades ... terminating in a washer-like appendage ... unlike the other trussed-forks in this thread.

Lil' Knee Scuffer ... the triangulated piece of steel, at the bottom of your fork blades and truss rods, are "cast" with a tennon that fits into the bottom of the
fork blade, and a tennon that fits into the bottom of the truss rod ... both joins being pinned and dip-brazed. This "heavy-duty" fork also sports one-quarter-inch
thick, truss-rod supports. This type of fork is LESS-FREQUENTLY-SEEN ... while another type of DAVIS truss-fork ... which has its truss-rod bottoms terminating in
a neat, little, clipped manner .. all the while being brazed to the top of the fork-blade dropout (hole) AND sporting one-eighth-inch thick, truss-rod supports.
One, other, truss-fork design can be found ONLY on the Dayton and, occasionally, on the Yale ... whose frames are almost-always lugged ... ( just like the Dayton ).

Beginning with the Jan. / Feb., 2012 issue of CBN ... in The Soul Searcher ... Shellac Cassidy and i are gonna do an article on frame-traits of the DAVIS Built Bicycle ...
the reader may also learn HOW the Dayton frame is way-different than other DAVIS-built frames ... including the H-D frame. The annual, subscription-price of CBN
is easily-cheaper than diamonds of equal weight.
........... patric

SCOTT S. .... large package leaving Ohio Dec. 7.

(EDIT ... For SCOTT S. ... while re-reading this diatribe .. I do remember saying that a large package will be leaving Ohio on Dec. 7.

SCOTT .. we now know that did not happen and we both know why. I am very sorry to have held up the shipping with tangent-factors of my OCD ... and I am very
happy you finally got your package in the Spring of 2013. I would like to acknowledge the kind gesture of Mr. SCOTT McCaskey ... who shipped the item.

There are not many things that give me trouble, SCOTT S. ... but managing to ship that large package really slapped me around and shoved a grapefruit in my face.
Although I have apologized to you, personally ... the reality of this particular thread compels me to write a typewritten apology. Again .. I am very sorry, SCOTT S. !!
... patric cafaro)

Last edited: Jul 18, 2013
...................................................
Look .... I don't make this stuff up -- I just notice it.

Since 1947

 

[DrRumack80]

So sorry for your loss. I never met Mr. Cafaro, but when my health was going downhill in 2024 after having COVID, I did a deep dive on old posts on the CABE. I read the Flying Merkel thread from start to finish, and Mr. Cafaro's posts gave me a chuckle and were instructive. What a brilliant man, with a terrific sense of humor. He will be missed.

Thread 'Anyone here own a Miami / Flying Merkel Bicycle?'

Oct 22, 2013

The FLYING MERKEL Thread.

I love the Flying Merkel bicycles and motorcycles alike.

Post your Pictures and knowledge here.

Thanks,
Tyler

• American Vintage Bicycle Supply
• Replies: 1,185
• Forum: Antique Bicycles Pre-1933

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[barneyguey]

Sad news. God bless his family and friends.

 

[chitown]

Okay last post here. I was going thru some files to see if I documented getting the Iroquois head badge from Patric in 2015. Found this and left me with chills. It don't get easier does it?

Cherish the ones you are with and keep those memories close to help guide us to a better, us.

 

[catfish]

I planted two trees in my yard today. One for Brother Patric, and the other for Brother Paul Genaro.

Rest In Peace my Brothers.

 

[Schwinndig]

Patric was one of the first people to welcome me to the CABE in 2018. I found this site while looking for information on an old bike, just like many others. I remember thinking that he was a great detective, and he really enjoyed helping. I remember that he made me feel welcome. He went on to help me out quite a lot.

Thank you @hoofhearted , you will be missed.