BMC_Kid 

maybe so, but it is a blast to ride now and at the end of the day, that’s what’s most important to me at this time.

himespau 

I love the mechanics of modern Campagnolo, but I'm sort of old school in that I wish they'd still make a level with shiny alloy parts. I guess that's why all my bikes get built up with 10-speed Campagnolo triple stuff (well, looks and I need the range of a triple - or 12-speed, but that's not in my budget).

BMC_Kid 

i too appreciate the silver anodized groupsets and at the same time want the benefits of modern components. That’s why I used the 11-speed Athena on my Zullo.

Ago15

1979

Ago15

1993

smd4

Now that's what a proper road bike should look like!

Ago15

1985

smd4

That's got to be a bear to thread that rear derailleur cable.

Ago15

Have you seen this kind of detail in the past?
No, because you have never seen or heard of him before I published pictures of his work ....
He was the first and only one on steel...

smd4

True. Hard to believe I never heard of a one-man, low-volume Swiss frame builder.

Still, that cable bend can't be good for for the cable or for shifting.

cudak888 

I'm glad someone started a fillet brazing appreciation thread. Here is my contribution. 😈



This is a 1973 Schwinn Super Sport expertly hand-built in Chicago by master craftsmen and women so exclusive that they have remained nameless to the world, unlike the glorified celebrity puffs who built the Schwinn Paramounts.

Just look at that fillet job. The Imperfection is Perfection.



This frame is exceptionally unique in it's inclusion of an oversized "Ashtabula" bottom bracket, usually seen on kids bicycles, but adapted into this handbuilt design. You won't see this type of detail on European steel bicycles.

It is also an unusually heavy frame, made heavier through the inclusion of the compulsory Ashtabula crankset with the sexy mag wheel chainring. it is conveniently designed so that the entire assembly may be wielded as a sickle if you happen to be a bike mechanic in a rough neighborhood.

This is most certainly not a bike of function. It was made exclusively for fashion, clearly indicated by all of the young ladies from OfferUp who have come to see it in their quest to find the perfect two-wheeled accouterment to their impeccable wardrobes (or lack of wardrobe).



With the searing Sunset Orange paint job sprayed onto this frame in glorious solid lead, it ensures you will either become colorblind or poisoned, whichever is more stylish and trendy at the moment.

You will be able to learn more of the secrets which I will not share with the likes of mere forum commentators in in my new book entitled My Flamboyant Red Boat Anchor: How I Paid $1,000 for a Schwinn Varsity, available at the Amazon affiliate link below:
https://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Stee...f_=as_li_ss_tl

-Kurt

jamesdak 

^



I'll also admit I want and old SS just for how cool I think the frame looks. One day....

cudak888 

This one is for sale, but I won't sell to any plebian on this forum who hasn't bought the Book of Secrets.

-Kurt

Ago15

But why am I not surprised to read this from you?
You confirm, after reading some of your posts, that you are a beginner in the world of high end bikes.
There are already Mercets in collections in the USA (he had a very good customer in NYC), but also in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Italy and UK and Switzerland...
In short, the cradle of the racing bike is here in Europe...


Don't worry, there is no friction...
Once again, you say something without having seen it in front of you...
You didn't even pay attention to the sheath diameter...
Let you imagine the one of the cable...

P.S smd4 has mastered the art of quarrelling and takes pleasure in sowing discord everywhere he goes.

smd4

Just not Switzerland. Y'all make a great knife, though. I have many, including one in my pocket right now!

I would have asked a question about it but...well, you know how that goes.

Sounds like that came out of a fortune cookie.

cudak888 

Oh, friction. Friction!

Everybody is a beginner in friction except me...!




Only high end people like myself, the auteur of 1001 Ways to Hide Your N = N + 1 Acquisition From Your Wife, understand the cradle of perfection that is friction shifting. All others chatter their lowly Sedis chains! because they don't pay attention to the housing diameter... like I do !!

I only use the Finest Spiral Wound Stainless Cable Forgotten About In The Back Of The Local Bike Shop and that is why I am not surprised when I read the ignorance... of beginners...!

-Kurt

billytwosheds 

What time does the wine open in Switzerland?

Atlas Shrugged

This thread has all the makings of a pump and dump scheme. The OP has a basement full of these things and due to all the quirky design features usability is compromised. My theory is this thread is an attempt to create brand awareness and demand. Pretty soon will be seeing these pieces of performance art on eBay and Pinkbike asking crazy prices.

cudak888 

I don't know, but you don't need a schedule for the trains.


-Kurt

Dan Chase

Hi guys,
I`m going to weigh in here - to the casual observer that does not have a dog in the fight its quite clear that the OP started a great thread with details of a gorgeous bike made by an artisnal builder that very few people have come accross. Then its obvious that smd4 has a previous issue with the OP (Ago15) and starts baiting him. Are we 12 years old again?

SMD4 - your posts in this thread are borderline trolling.
Ago15 - posting on forums often attracts posts from di*ks - you really must ignore them as agravated responce/point proving is what they are all about.
Forum Moderators - surely this sort of thing should be dealt with at source.

For what its worth, the original frame is a work of art - no idea if rides as good as it looks.
I`d put a 1989 Passoni Animus Titanio TT in the mix for filet work - I`m working on a 1989 TT made by Luciano Passoni himself and it is incredible.
I`d also put my 1980 Moser Sanson team bike in mix for lugged brazing - the frame built by Ugo De Rosa himself was a masterpiece when inspected bare metal - an exceptional ride.
If we need to put credentials on the table (WTF happened in this thread????) I`m a professionally trained gold/silversmith so understand a thing or two about brazing/soldering and finish (though engineers are much better at understanding the mechanics of a good joint - I see the finish).

I thought we all just loved all things vintage bike - maybe I`m wrong, though I`m off to ride the Sanson De Rosa...

Dan.

billytwosheds 

exiting the convo.

icemilkcoffee 

Interesting that the brake bridge and the fork have no through holes for the brake mounting nut. How are the brakes mounted?

miamijim

cudak888 

Maybe you'd like to see how they got to this point before making a judgement call:
https://www.bikeforums.net/22587937-post117.html

Teasing pictures and then using said pictures to shill a book on the forum with barely 100 posts to one's name, well - that's more or less fodder for the Sales forum in the first place.

Secondly, regardless of how much @smd4 may have prodded the OP after their first spat, the fact is that the OP has acted extremely rude and extremely snooty in return - enough so that it's clear that the language difference isn't a factor either; Ago15 knows exactly what they're saying. We don't need that attitude on this forum.

Regardless of how exclusive the bicycle, we expect humility and a level of respect around here, even when we disagree, and the OP certainly isn't showing any of it.

-Kurt

Ago15

Thank you Dan for your message which breathes intelligence.
I can confirm that Mercet's are jewels to roll.
An American friend of mine with over 40 years of experience in bike sales and who has ridden all types of bikes was lucky enough a few years ago to buy one, obviously it was not made to his measurements because Mercet only made bespoke bikes, and this same friend told me verbatim "Listen, since I got the Mercet, all my other bikes, Pina, Trek and so on, whether they are carbon or titanium, are all in the back of the garage and I'm not going to ride them tomorrow. ..."

In fine, as far as I'm concerned, this is what I did with SMDA

Let him do the same with me and the forum will be better...