smd4

This statement is quite simply just straight-up incorrect. Bikes with chromed lugs are, in fact, STILL being made.

Just not in the numbers, or by the main stream manufactures, that you think they should be. These are not "unicorns." They are readily available if you are willing to look--and pony up the dough--for one.

And personally, I don't think DeRosa, Tommasini or Williers are "boutique."

Rocket-Sauce 

No mention of columbine yet?




While I can appreciate the artistry and skill, my tastes are more towards the functional.

smd4

Yes--these are stunning. Thanks for posting! I never knew they existed.

TugaDude

For those who like to mix a little bit of gold with their chrome

Bad Lag

I don't "think they should be" anything. I am done with your argument, smd4. We must have very different perspectives on production statistics and what constitutes a "unicorn" or "boutique".

Bad Lag

WOW! On all these bikes being posted. Whether it is the age of the bikes, recognizing what use to be available off the rack; or the craftsman's skill and artistry,...just WOW.

smd4

You can be "done" with the argument all you want, but as long as you continue to make BS false statements like "no one is making them anymore," when clearly they are STILL BEING MADE TODAY, then I will continue to post the facts.

If you had said, "hardly anyone makes them today," I'd agree with you. But you continue to make factually incorrect statements that demand correction from me and others.

Andy_K 

fify

steelbikeguy

Originally Posted by steelbikeguy View Post
The Colnago Arabesque is certainly a niche product, as are most other offerings with steel tubes and chromed lugs.

That does suggest the various ways that chromed lugs are a niche product.

In many ways, a metal frame is becoming specialized. I suspect it is primarily at the low-cost end of the range.

Among metal frames, steel seems to be specialized too. Outside of areas like touring frames, I'd guess that they get used for custom frames, and perhaps for very low cost bikes?? I don't know what the market is, but there must still be some basic utility bikes with steel frames.

Among the small market of steel tubed frames for bike nerds like us, a lot are TIG'ed, such as Waterford's Gunnar frames, or a number of Surley frames. For this sort of off-the-rack steel frames, are there any that are built with lugs? As per Andy's "fix", the number that are available with chromed (or stainless) lugs might not be much different from the total number of bikes/frames available with lugs.

So.. yeah... the number of bikes/frames built with lugs, chromed or not, is minuscule. Fortunately, it hasn't reached zero just yet!

Steve in Peoria

swampyankee2

I have this "Sprint made in Italy" bike, bought for the few parts it yielded. I'm told it's most likely built by Chiorda for store brand distribution. It's stripped down to the frame now, headed for the skip. But despite being a gas pipe frame, it's got those lovely chrome lugs. I'm tempted to respray it black and build it up as a tourer, mostly because of the chrome. Too bad the fork tip chrome is too far gone.

OldCoot

Here's my re-badged Volkscycle, made in Japan with faux Nervex lugs. Still think they look great.


As for 'they don't make them anymore'. Of course they still do, but most people don't want to pay extra to have a lugged bike that also weighs more. So at this point, it's about style choice. Welded steel bikes dominate because most of the public wants affordable bikes that weigh the least amount they can.... Personally I like lugged construction.

smd4

Andy makes a great point. Just how many lugged steel bikes can you find at your LBS? My guess is, none. I know there are none in my shop.

styggno1

Mmmm... chrome lugs! Love them!

These I ordered myself



Someone else ordred these - but now I am enjoying them.



And these were standard for their times and makes






I am definitely faster with chrome lugs.

swampyankee2

As the Harley guys say, chrome won't get you home.

Fahrenheit531 

As the posts continue I'm beginning to suspect that even on high-end bikes those beautifully filed lugs I covet were the exception rather than the rule. Keep 'em coming! You're moving me past an overly harsh judgment of my beloved Volare, and I'm pretty stoked about that.

smd4

That might be a fair statement.

Andy_K 

I think this is where the line between our romantic vision of a master craftsman in his workshop and the reality of commercial production comes in. For instance, here's a picture I nabbed on the internet of the seat cluster on a 3Rensho frame.



And here's the same section on my 3Rensho-built Specialized Allez.



It's not bad, but it's not as exquisite as the 3Rensho above. This is one of the reasons I refer to the Allez as "3Rensho-buiilt" rather than "Konno-built". It was a contract job, and Mr. Konno himself probably never touched it. Someone working for him did, and they (the worker or the company) probably weren't being paid enough to labor over the fine details. Likewise, when we see high end frames from names like Colnago, DeRosa, Masi, etc., these are closer to factory frames than they are workshop frames. They are factories that care about quality, but they also care about efficiency.

lonesomesteve

A few Centurion Semi-Pros have already been posted, but you can't have too many pictures of bikes with chrome lugs, right?

Here's my '75-ish Semi-Pro currently set up fixed/single speed...

And a '78 Semi-Pro I acquired a while back that was too big for me, so it now belongs to a friend...

droppedandlost 

My 59 Allegro used to have chrome....

BFisher

Location has a lot to do with it. Online, sure. I've seen tons of them.

Locally, I have seen one in the last ten years - an Atala Grand Prix that suffered severe front end damage.

But, it's usually Huffy Hell around these parts. Torpados don't sprout from garbage dumps here like they do in, say, Thunder Bay.

Growing up, I only ever saw one adult that rode a bicycle regularly.

Fahrenheit531 

Worth noting that the front view is often pretty sweet as well.
...another shot of a Schwinn Volare:

martl

Did I mention that chromed lugs are for poor people?

bamboobike4

I dunno....

bamboobike4

My guess, after several NAHBS shows, is that a customer pretty much has to want the lugged frames, and then spec the chrome lugs.

There are a lot of boutique builders in the US and elsewhere, but I don't see a lot of production-line lugged bikes.

The boutique builders are also calling it quits a little more than they used to.
Other than the Cinelli SC, I know of no "production" chrome-lugged bikes, but I don't swim in that pond.
I'm not even sure what meets "production." I'm still trying to figure out "bespoke."
I don't know if the Soma Stanyan (stainless lugs) is still made. It sure looks a lot like a Semi-Pro.

The day may not be far off when a carbon frame comes out with faux lugs in some synthetic shiny scheme. It would be neat.
Maybe Project Three or something. Cervelo has some lettering that looks like gold, maybe they can do "lugs."
I will probably get a final Cinelli in cream once I get this gravel stuff sorted out.
The new Arabesque, from some things I've read, is limited to the lugs they found in 2015 in a basement.
Could be another internet myth.

droppedandlost 

Must have been a really big box.