Frame building suppliers - global - US and Europe - which is your recommendation!?
 

getting cheap materials - eg Tubes for the frame - low cost suppliers in Europe needed - thats allways a important question i think...

oing a bike frame build, having a really hard time sourcing Tubing in Europe, anybody know where to go for getting cheap materials - eg Tubes for the first frame
I love to see bikeframe suppliers in Europe - eg. France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Czech, Poland Ukrain, Bulgaria, Hungary and so on. I need to have some low price suppliers for all things tubing

especially the Main-Frame tube - but also the
Lugs and other things
Shells
Look forward to hear from you Perhaps we can work on a supplier-listduring the christmas-holiday we try to add a little list... - a compilation of suppliers in Europe.

Europe: . some findings...

the most interesting one:
https://www.thecnoitaly.it/store/pro...oly-set-st-286

the damned expensive ones:
Reset-Racing: reset-racing.de or allmost everything - especially tubing
custom-Acacemy: https://www.custom-academy.de/ - allmost everything - especially tubing
UBI - https://www.bikeschool.com/ sells Kaisei tubing and some lugs
Jan Heine's "Compass" -- https://www.compasscycle.com/Framebuilding.html -- sells a couple of fork crowns and fork blades
ciclicorsa: https://ciclicorsa.com/ - allmost everything: E-Mail: info@ciclicorsa.com

aaargh - ceeway: damned expensive
Ceeway: Framebuilding Bicycles. Tubing, Parts, and Tools - allmost everything

muhhhaahhh - Reset Racing - mooon prices
Reset-Racing: reset-racing.de or allmost everything - especially tubing



Bike Europe https://www.bike-eu.com - many parts
Tennant-Metall: https://www.tennant-metall.de/de/gueten/25crmo4-4130 - tubing
Kellys bicycles, gear and accessories | Kellys https://www.kellysbike.com
The biggest Slovak bicycle producer offering wide range of mountain, road, trekking, cross, women and junior bicycles.
FESTKA https://festka.com tube.jpg. Festka bicycles are small technological miracles carefully packaged in unique ...
Corratec Home | Corratec https://www.corratec.com : Shadow Edge Tube 2.0 - worldwide most stable and safest corratec E-Bike frame...
Antidote – CUSTOM HANDCRAFTED BIKES - Antidote https://antidotebikes.com Antidote is a small boutique company based in the south of Poland. ... fiber pieces in them, creating state of art, high performance mountainbike frames.
BIKE TECHNOLOGY - Zumbi Cycles https://zumbicycles.com - tubing etc. from Poland : Mail: shop@zumbicycles.com
RychtarskiBicycleWorkshop: Kajac Custom Rychtarski - Bicycle Workshop [MENTION=217497]Rych[/MENTION]tarskiBicycleWorkshop Mail; info@rychtarski.com
SingleBe Ing. Tomáš Kutin E-Mail: info@singlebe.co

see also: some interesting lists:
https://theframebuilders.com/list/
https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c...g?format=1000w

plz correct me if i am wrong and if i have added some incorrect information: ,,, - i can do (add) the corrections here. Thanks for the help!
📷
see the non European:
ACTOFIVE https://www.actofive.com Frames: core of the bicycle industry - HuangWei Al Alloy Welding - founded in February 1992
Prof. Bicycle Frame, Fork: Prof. Bicycle Frame, Fork, Parts and Wheelchair Products Manufacturer. Bikeframe Welding. OEM Welding. ISO 9001.
Wicks Aircraft https://www.wicksaircraft.com/ 4130 tubing
Aircraft Spruce https://www.aircraftspruce.com/ 4130 tubing

i love to see a global list - that also contains the supplier - of the ones that contains all the one especially those in the easter european countries too..
many many thanks..

update: here i found a map - that might be helpful

https://utahrandonneur.files.wordpre...b5b4e80a06.jpg

note: https://utahrandonneur.wordpress.com...ycling-brands/

The map was created by Andrea Bonfanti from Italy. He a noted De Rosa historian who also wrote the book on De Rosa bicycle history. I have both the map and book, he does an amazing job of research and is very knowledgeable and approachable.

what do you say - which one do you suggest

I don't have any experience with all the non USA sources excepting CeeWay. I order from them every couple of years, and when I do I load up on extra product to both lower the per unit shipping cost and have product on hand in the future (for that next frame or repair).

The map you link to is not the final word on who is currently active in frame building. This map has been discussed on other forums and missing or no longer active businesses have been noted in any number of cases. Not that the map is a poor attempt (I have it and the others he's offered) just that it's not complete and might have outdated references. I believe this is a common issue when trying to compile and publish this kind of stuff in many fields.

The last comment I'll make is the hope for, sometimes seemingly the expectation of, low cost anything. I have read so many posts in a number of on line groups (going back to the 1990s, some are no longer around) about beginners seeking minimal cost. One way to save $ is to recycle old and instead spend your time doing the work to prepare the recycled stuff for your project. Another is to make your own stuff (like lugs, shells, braze ons) yourself from "raw stock", which having had the least added value is the lowest cost and sometimes also available from the recycling arena. Do you have a lathe or milling machine? Do you have basic fabrication skills common to metal workers? If not, then your cost of stuff will be higher as you're paying someone else to do that work (as well as paying the distribution channels their coin). There's a cost to do anything and the more you rely on others that higher that cost, in $, typically is greater.

One way to potentially lower costs is to develop a relationship with someone who is already doing this stuff. Here in the USA, there are fabrication shops, machine shops, worker/maker space groups, vocational classes, and actual frame builders that are friendly to beginning builders. Have you looked into this in your local area too? Andy (who yesterday completed making two pairs of front dropouts).

Here in UK it's Ceeway for everything, including Columbus tubing. I buy Reynolds tubes directly from Reynolds (I usually use Reynolds).

This sounds interesting. Can you provide details? Are they simply cut from plate?

thanks.

1" x.25" hot rolled strip. Here's a shot of the first practice of design from a couple years ago and one of the current pair made. When I decided to try disk brakes the traditional dropouts just seemed wrong with the needed fork blades as well as wanting axle retention lips and slot angle friendly with disk brakes. Andy
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0ba7656a1c.jpg

Those look like you spent a lot of time on them. I keep thinking about getting some laser cut. Is that part of a Campagnolo chain ring?

Eric- yes, the ring webbing was cut near 50 years ago, IIRC from my first Campy bike (Gitane Super Corsa). I like playing with tools and don't mind spending time on a project. So, yes there's a bunch of hours into these dropouts, I am making two pairs so the next time I only have to reach into my shelves:) These still need fit up and the final clean up after brazing. Andy

hi there hi at all

[quick note: due to lack of time - today and here only a short answer - more to come soon]
many many thanks for all the great replies with the awesome tipps, ideas and all your sharing of ideas, experience

this is more (much much more) than expected

many thanks.

ps - i am so glad to be part of this forum