Duke7777

This is so much a matter of personal preference, and I find that lighter frames work best for me. So Italian frames earlier than roughly the late 1960s have generally disappointed me. Even high-end frames feel overly stiff to me. I'm sure they work great for other riders. The only British frame that disappointed me was a 1953 Hetchins Magnum Bonum, curly stays, full chrome. This was a bike I lusted after and searched for, so maybe it was a case of overly high expectations. In reality, the frame was heavier, and the workmanship less inspiring, than I had expected. I still think the over-the-top lugs are great, but overall this bike was not as nice for me as several other British lightweights of this time period, especially Carpenter, Gillott, Baines and others. Still, Hetchins are unique and quite special, so I understand the following they have. So far I have been careful and lucky with my choice of French bikes from the 40s to the 70s, and haven't had any disappointments. Well, that's not including my late 1960s bike-boom French 15-speed with steel rims and Svelto derailleurs. But at 16 years old, I didn't know enough to be disappointed with this clunker.