If you were going to have a custom, lugged STEEL frameset made...
01-28-11, 08:07 PM
#1
Steel is real, baby!
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If you were going to have a custom, lugged STEEL frameset made...
If you were going to have a custom, lugged STEEL frameset made, who would you have make it, and why?
Criteria:
Must be a frame builder in the United States
Price range of $2500 ~ $3000
Criteria:
Must be a frame builder in the United States
Price range of $2500 ~ $3000
01-28-11, 08:24 PM
#2
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I went with a Waterford years ago and never regretted it. Part is the Schwinn Paramount tradition. The other part is the 853 tubing is still current - my bike with a Reynolds Ouzo Pro CF fork, Chris King headset, and Mavic Kysriums weighs 18.2.lbs with pedals.
It has the classic look and the performance of anything today.
It has the classic look and the performance of anything today.
01-28-11, 09:20 PM
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Dave Kirk or Curt Goodrich.
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Spectrum Ti Super | Landshark Roadshark | Serotta Colorado | Gunnar Crosshairs | Trek 9800 | Santana fillet brazed tandem | K2 Easy Roller | Dawes (BD) Bullseye 1x1
01-28-11, 09:21 PM
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PS. Steel is real.
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Spectrum Ti Super | Landshark Roadshark | Serotta Colorado | Gunnar Crosshairs | Trek 9800 | Santana fillet brazed tandem | K2 Easy Roller | Dawes (BD) Bullseye 1x1
Spectrum Ti Super | Landshark Roadshark | Serotta Colorado | Gunnar Crosshairs | Trek 9800 | Santana fillet brazed tandem | K2 Easy Roller | Dawes (BD) Bullseye 1x1
01-28-11, 09:21 PM
#5
Steel is real, baby!
Thread Starter
01-28-11, 09:21 PM
#6
Steel is real, baby!
Thread Starter
01-28-11, 09:29 PM
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Dave Kirk: sexy Terraplane stays.
Curt Goodrich: A classic's classic. Beautiful lugwork and just timeless beauty.
Curt Goodrich: A classic's classic. Beautiful lugwork and just timeless beauty.
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Spectrum Ti Super | Landshark Roadshark | Serotta Colorado | Gunnar Crosshairs | Trek 9800 | Santana fillet brazed tandem | K2 Easy Roller | Dawes (BD) Bullseye 1x1
Spectrum Ti Super | Landshark Roadshark | Serotta Colorado | Gunnar Crosshairs | Trek 9800 | Santana fillet brazed tandem | K2 Easy Roller | Dawes (BD) Bullseye 1x1
01-28-11, 09:30 PM
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PS. You should see if you can make it to Austin in late Feb for the Handmade Bicycle Show, where you can see dozens (hundreds?) of builders.
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Spectrum Ti Super | Landshark Roadshark | Serotta Colorado | Gunnar Crosshairs | Trek 9800 | Santana fillet brazed tandem | K2 Easy Roller | Dawes (BD) Bullseye 1x1
Spectrum Ti Super | Landshark Roadshark | Serotta Colorado | Gunnar Crosshairs | Trek 9800 | Santana fillet brazed tandem | K2 Easy Roller | Dawes (BD) Bullseye 1x1
01-28-11, 09:42 PM
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Tom Kellog
01-28-11, 09:49 PM
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I'd have to go with the aformentioned Waterford. Long history of bike building.
01-28-11, 10:27 PM
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Does Mike Terraferma still make bikes? You should go with him.
01-28-11, 10:40 PM
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That is such an open-ended question.
There are more excellent steel builders than you can shake a stick at and they all have their own forte. So I'll need to figure out what I am looking for in this custom of mine, and choose the builder whose vision, taste and forte matches mine. For example, even though Richard Sachs is an acknowledged master, I probably won't give him a call if I need a commuter with racks and panniers. And even though another master Mark Nobilette builds Rivendell's customs, I probably won't give Rivendell a call if I needed a crit bike. I won't worry too much about the name on the downtube as long as it is "good enough".
There are more excellent steel builders than you can shake a stick at and they all have their own forte. So I'll need to figure out what I am looking for in this custom of mine, and choose the builder whose vision, taste and forte matches mine. For example, even though Richard Sachs is an acknowledged master, I probably won't give him a call if I need a commuter with racks and panniers. And even though another master Mark Nobilette builds Rivendell's customs, I probably won't give Rivendell a call if I needed a crit bike. I won't worry too much about the name on the downtube as long as it is "good enough".
01-28-11, 10:41 PM
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I'd go with Budd bikes because they're really nice rides, but then I'm a fan of smooth welds and not lugs.
https://www.buddbikes.com/
For lugs I'd go with a Peter Mooney. I know the guy from working with him and have seen his first-rate work and know people that have ridden his bikes and love them. I also know that he has years of experience with truly custom building bikes for people. The orange one in the slideshow on his website is even better in person:
https://www.peter-mooney.com/
https://www.buddbikes.com/
For lugs I'd go with a Peter Mooney. I know the guy from working with him and have seen his first-rate work and know people that have ridden his bikes and love them. I also know that he has years of experience with truly custom building bikes for people. The orange one in the slideshow on his website is even better in person:
https://www.peter-mooney.com/
01-28-11, 10:52 PM
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Chris Kvale. He's close by. Great craftsmanship, not garish, and I like the way he works.
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01-29-11, 08:53 AM
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01-29-11, 09:21 AM
#18
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I made my own. Much more satisfying.
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Last edited by Homebrew01; 01-29-11 at 01:41 PM.
01-29-11, 09:25 AM
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Yes.
My Terraferma should show up soon.
There are lots of good frame builders.
The ideal situation is to go to where he is, talk, take some measurements.
There is one builder that likes to ride with his customers to actually see what they
are doing and what they need.
If money wasn't an issue, Perreira.
My Terraferma should show up soon.
There are lots of good frame builders.
The ideal situation is to go to where he is, talk, take some measurements.
There is one builder that likes to ride with his customers to actually see what they
are doing and what they need.
If money wasn't an issue, Perreira.
01-29-11, 10:18 AM
#21
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01-29-11, 11:23 AM
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+1 for Carl Strong. For fancy lugwork Llewelyn in Australia, Ed's Bikes in Tucson, or David Bohm (Tucson or Phoenix I seem to recall).
You might want to check the net for some customer service "issues" with Curt Goodrich.
You might want to check the net for some customer service "issues" with Curt Goodrich.
01-29-11, 12:50 PM
#23
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I would pick him because I am 1 hour away from his shop.
The correct answer, IMO, is a good framebuilder who is within an hour or two of where you live. Nothing better than meeting the guy who will actually build (or oversee the building of) your frame in person, going over your measurements, riding style, and expectations.
The correct answer, IMO, is a good framebuilder who is within an hour or two of where you live. Nothing better than meeting the guy who will actually build (or oversee the building of) your frame in person, going over your measurements, riding style, and expectations.
01-29-11, 01:10 PM
#24
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Signal Cycles, because they're sexy bikes, a friend with one loves his, and the guys that build them are ex-coworkers.
01-29-11, 01:49 PM
#25
Portland Fred
Eric Estlund. Will take the time to work with you to make sure that the bike you get rides, looks, and functions exactly the way you want. Here's my custom commuter.
Here's the rack I had built for it (naturally, it was powdercoated after the pic was taken). It's practically invisible on my bike, takes my panniers, and weighs only 10 oz including bolts.
Here's the rack I had built for it (naturally, it was powdercoated after the pic was taken). It's practically invisible on my bike, takes my panniers, and weighs only 10 oz including bolts.