Roger M

I didn't see any thread on fillet brazed bikes, that aren't standard production. I know a few folks here have some nice examples. Any how, post em up.

I have one a 1984 McElroy tandem.

Flog00

2015 Tomii Touring
20150915_193802 by flog00, on Flickr

Fillet brazed stem.

Scott's Touring by Nao Tomii, on Flickr

BB

Scott's Touring by Nao Tomii, on Flickr

Seat tube

Scott's Touring by Nao Tomii, on Flickr

Brazed fork details and fillet rack

Scott's Touring by Nao Tomii, on Flickr

KonAaron Snake 

That's a beauty Roger, and it's a fun thread idea.

1st up - Bilenky/Sterling








Schwinn Triplet town n country - I'm not sure if you'd call this custom or production; they were made in the paramount section in very low numbers.









Lotus Aero Pro - I'm not sure if you're counting this or not....they were production, but very low production, by hand.

Flog00

@KonAaron Snake
That Schwinn is cool as hell, those chain guards.

Chrome Molly

Condor 731

gomango

Bilenky Midland Tourer

[IMG]Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]

[IMG]Untitled by gomango1849, on Flickr[/IMG]

Roger M

Great looking bikes so far. Hey Grady and Aaron, are those paint jobs of the same design on your Bilenkys? Very nice.

One thing that seems to hit me about the Fillet Brazed bikes, they have a 'heavier' look to them(in my eyes).

gomango

They do look similar.

Maybe same process by Fresh Frames?

I agree with you on the "look heavier" part. My Bilenky is a stout frameset though, designed to carry some serious loads.

Including this well fed rider in my case.

KonAaron Snake 

Roger - both were fresh frames paint. Very thick, glossy and durable.

peugeot mongrel

Early 90's custom by Steve Hujsak in Austin. Fillet brazed Columbus EL over size. Builds up about 18 lbs. No garage queen.

The Golden Boy 

Do you think it might be because you associate the look with Electorforging- and then associate it with a Varsinental?


I love the look of fillet brazed bikes- I'd love to get a custom built fillet brazed bike- fully chromed- I'd love the way the tubes just flow together like Terminator 2.

jbchybridrider 

Early 90's Olympia brazed el-os

icepick_trotsky 

Wow! Where's the rest of it?

Paging @MZilliox and his Berthoud.

KonAaron Snake 

Seriously - that's gorgeous.

I think it's because most of the bikes pictured have unusual tubes - mostly OS and shaped tubes (many meant for heavier loads) - that lead to the fillet brazing. Lugged would require casting specific shapes for low volume bikes.

poprad

Never too many pics of this (the Tomii) bike. Love it.

Vinnems

As a lug lover, these are pretty nice.
Also, as a guy who prefers bikes built using lugs, these are some very nice bikes. I can't stand the painted over welds of modern steel and other metal bikes. Just looks so sloppy. These look like the frame is just one solid piece.

icepick_trotsky 

TIG can be done well, too, in my opinion. It takes a very careful hand and looks better with matte paint job. But to each his own. Check out this Bruce Gordon from Interbike.

KonAaron Snake 

+1

gomango

I would love to try this bike for a weekend.

Johnny Mullet

Believe it or not...........

jbchybridrider 

I don't have a current pic, just gone back to a quill and changed bar tape so update pic's soon.

jbchybridrider 

Internal fillet brazing.

Roger M

I don't know, may the Varsity has something to do with it? Not saying it's a bad thing, just 'looks' heavier. I am surprised though, that more people don't order fillet brazing on custom builds.

The Golden Boy 

My theory is that the people that would have the "discerning taste" to order a custom, also would have an affinity for the signature of lugwork- additionally, there's the whole "Varsinental" appearance to overcome. Schwinn fought that uphill battle with their fillet brazed offerings- where the riders that would have benefited from the nicer quality bike- couldn't distinguish a Super Sport from a Continental. I'm not saying people who order customs can't tell the difference- but that you'd want the bike to have a unique and distinct appearance and quality lugs and the fashioning of those lugs give that immediate perception that only increases the more you look into it.

I see the lug-less, seamless joining of tubes as a work art in itself. Again, the way tubes can flow into one another is imaginative to me.

79pmooney

Only the OP's McElroy really does it for me of the photos above. That tandem has some gorgeous fillets. The rest? I actually like the Bruce Gordon painted TIG weld as next best. Might change my mind if I saw more of the Olympia.

Except for that McElroy, nothing here touches me like the old Strawberry I saw every day at Cycle Oregon with its beautiful understated lug work. (The frame was donated to Community Cycling Center, a bike shop that exists to get bikes to the underprivileged. The best bikes are sold to fund their efforts. Shop employees can buy them, at the same price you and I would pay; only edge they get is seeing them first and they are allowed two purchases/year. This one was picked up by an employee who was working the CCC bike detail for Cycle Oregon and was parked in front on their rack every day. Lucky me! Beside it was a chromed and gold plated forked Colnago with some of the best lug treatment I have ever seen on an Italian bike. Obviously built for a show or special event. Again, lucky me!)

Ben