Originally Posted by
JulesCW
Been in your LBS recently? Lugged frame complete bike new for $650? That would be astounding! I'm guessing that globally the number of factories set up to produce quality lugged frames is small and shrinking, and as far as I know you cannot buy a new lugged frameset from anyone in the USA for less than a grand -- I'd say this is a deal. Yes, I agree, lugs would be nicer, but this thing is a bargain by today's standards. It is not really for the committed C&V hobbyist, but for those who want to get the feel and look without lots of effort in refurbishing something...
My LBS wouldn't have this bike available either, if one wanted to split hairs about it
But as for it being a deal - I'm not sure I'd call a $150 markup for a saddle and paint job a deal. The deal, perhaps, is the base model State 4130 Road which this is based on - which is currently $499:
https://www.statebicycle.com/product...road-americana. The only thing that really seems to stand out as different (minus the paint job) is the Selle Italia Turbo.
I'm not sure one can generalize that much about what State is thinking with these. There's one thing about marketing to the non-mechanically inclined rider that likes a vintage look, but when your clientele is small enough that your entire run is all of 50 pieces, it feels as if they're testing the waters to see if a vintage inspired paint job will help these move at a higher price.
P.S.: I wouldn't be surprised if at least a few companies in Taiwan (where this is made) have the tooling to do lugged frames, but have had little reason to recommission it. It's probably a bit unusual to gear up for steel production for US buyers, for that matter.
-Kurt