Allure
I have owned a lot of bicycles in my time. How many? Well, enough that I intended to actually start today’s post with “I have owned XX bicycles in my time,” but every time I try to count, I get lost somewhere along the way.
So we’ll stick with: I have owned a lot of bikes.
Each of these bikes has had one thing in common: they were good, workman-like bikes. Bikes I could and did (and do) treat roughly, without much in the way of regard for the paint job.
Take for example that sexy new Waltworks / Twin Six Custom Stock I talked about earlier this week. Well, currently that bike is in the back of my truck with three rides worth of dried mud on it. Drivetrain’s still good, though, so I have no intention of cleaning it anytime soon.
The Ibis Silk Carbon road bike I have? Drivetrain’s clean. Definitely some grime on the underside of the downtube.
Hey, they’re bikes. Whether I’m riding on the road or dirt, I fully expect the bike to get dirty, and for the paint to get chipped.
And that is why I will not allow myself to get a Vanilla Bicycle.
Elegance
I found out about Vanilla Bicycles via a comment on this blog, actually, just a few days ago. One of you were talking about how you just got one. So of course I went to take a look at what this bike manufacturer I had never heard of has to offer.
And then I spent ninety minutes, just looking at the photographs.
I mean, I’ve always thought lugs were kind of cool, but I have never — until now — spent ten minutes just drooling over a photograph of them.
And apparently, I’m not the only one who’s doing some serious drooling over Vanilla Bicycles. The website mentions there’s currently a four-year wait list.
That is quite a while.
You know what, though? Four years isn’t that long. I could wait four years for a bike this beautiful.
Excuse me, I need a moment to myself while I look at this dropout.
Okay, I’m back.
So, while I was looking at this website, poring over the works of art Sacha White — the sole builder for Vanilla Bicycles — creates, Dug IM’d me. “Have you been over to the Vanilla site?” he asked.
“I’m there right now,” I replied. We then IM’d for the next twenty minutes over what kind of bike we’d have built — we both gravitated toward a SS road bike to keep the look as pure as possible — and what kind of color schemes we liked best and what kind of upgrades we’d want.
The consensus was that if you’re going to wait 4+ years for a bike, you may as well get your ultimate dream frame. And since you’re going to spend a whole lot of money on it no matter what, you may as well not pinch pennies anywhere: get the polished dropouts. Get the polished, hand-carved lugs. Get the polished “Vanilla” script.
Hey, why not? You’ve got four years to save up for it.
The Problem
Here’s the thing, though. I couldn’t have a bike like this. If I bought it, I wouldn’t ride it. I’d be afraid to. What if I crashed it? What if it got stolen? What if the bike had ordinary wear and tear?
I couldn’t bear it.
I’d leave my ultimate dream bike at home, safe. Probably hanging on a wall, with track lighting pointing toward it. I would then ride one of my other bikes, one that could be replaced (and which are in fact quite regularly replaced, which I’ll talk about next week) without my feeling sad or bad about it.
The Questions
I expect that some of you readers do in fact have bikes that are works of art — whether they are Vanilla Bicycles or some other gifted bicycle maker. I’d like to ask you the following questions: Do you ride it? And if so, how? Are you able to somehow put aside the worry that you could lose, damage or destroy your bike?
I’m not being facetious. I really want to know how you do it.
And, for the rest of us, I have another question: What other small bike manufacturers are out there making mind-blowingly beautiful bikes? Let’s see some links.
I may never own one, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to look.
PS: As a couple commenters have noted, Bike Snob NYC and I have some weird synergy going on between our posts today. Be sure to take a look at what he has to say.
Comment by Canadian roadie | 10.26.2007 | 8:14 am
Haha! First to post! Okay, so I now that I’ve cleaned all the drool off my keyboard, I’d like to post my endorsement of Guru bikes http://www.gurubikes.com (sorry, don’t know how to post a link). I can’t explain it, there’s just something incredibly sexy about them. I’m not sure when I started thinking bikes are sexy, but these just are. Mmm. One day I hope to maybe have enough money to put a payment on one.
Comment by Sean | 10.26.2007 | 8:16 am
In addition to Sacha White you need to check out other Portland noteables like Ira Ryan and Tony Perina(sp?). Somewhere there’s a cool six or ten minute movie on Sachan, it was up on my blog at some point, I’ll give a link later when I’m not writing from my phone. Also, don’t forget the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show in Portland this November.
Comment by Sean | 10.26.2007 | 8:16 am
In addition to Sacha White you need to check out other Portland noteables like Ira Ryan and Tony Perina(sp?). Somewhere there’s a cool six or ten minute movie on Sachan, it was up on my blog at some point, I’ll give a link later when I’m not writing from my phone. Also, don’t forget the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show in Portland this November.
Comment by cyclingphun.blogspot.com | 10.26.2007 | 8:17 am
I have to say, I would go for bike number two. I happen to be a fan of the look. I would have it in Orange and white, with the caveat anything that could be polished, should. I would then sell my home and car o pay for it. That is my short answer on the subject.
Comment by RJ | 10.26.2007 | 8:19 am
For my money, Richard Sachs is king. Check out Badger Cycles (Lawrence, KS) also…he makes some suweet 29ers…can’t find the joints they are so beautifully brazed.
Comment by Chuga Chuga | 10.26.2007 | 8:20 am
Richard Sachs’ bikes are stunning. http://www.richardsachs.com. The wait is 3+ years.
Comment by cyclingphun.blogspot.com | 10.26.2007 | 8:32 am
By the way… what about http://oswaldcycleworks.com/index.html? About the same price as vanilla, maybe a bit less, but pretty nice looking work.
Man Vanilla’s look hot. Like, kick the wife out of bed and make room for the bike hot.
Comment by nick | 10.26.2007 | 8:36 am
check out Jonny Cycles (http://www.jonnycycles.com/) and Pereira Cycles (http://www.pereiracycles.com/).
both make beautiful bikes…
Comment by Ryan | 10.26.2007 | 8:41 am
Circle A Cycles makes some nice eye candy too.
http://www.circleacycles.com/
The wait is about 6 months.
Comment by marc | 10.26.2007 | 8:52 am
back in the 80’s i had the pleasure of owning a handmade fuso from the legendary dave moulton (this, the only bike over nearly 30 years that i ever regretted selling). regardless, at the time i raced (a hack cat 3) and had done time on guercciottis, vitus-es and bianchis; my fuso, however, was a work of art. admittedly, the first few months of ownership saw it only on rollers as i too was afraid to scratch the beeea-u-ti-ful midnight blue paint. one day i decided it needed to see the road and that was it for me. it was afterall, a bike. and as lovely as it was, it could only be happy being ridden. a few crashes later, i got over the idea of maintaining it’s pristine-ness, and switched to marvelling over how such a work of art rode. that’s my suggestion with the vanilla: enjoy it visually for a moment, remember that moment, and then ride it hard, the way it was meant to be ridden; be like camus or sartre and don’t look back and definitely don’t look ahead, just ride (admittedly hokey, but when does get a chance to throw down existential about bikes). on a side note, my porn viewing dropped 87% after being introduced to sacha’s stuff a while back…take a look at the cross bike he put together for the hand made bike show this past year; he’s a cruel cruel man.
Comment by Anonymous | 10.26.2007 | 8:52 am
http://kirkframeworks.com
Comment by Rick S. | 10.26.2007 | 8:55 am
Have you seen Jamie’s BlackSheep Ti single speed?
http://www.blacksheepbikes.com/
The “Highlight” is the coolest bike i’ve seen yet. And it’s Ti which means no worries about scratches…just buff them out.
Comment by Willie Nelson | 10.26.2007 | 8:59 am
check out jonesbikes.com, also out of Oregon.
pretty interesting frame designs.
Comment by ErikR | 10.26.2007 | 9:03 am
That was my comment, and I’m glad you got to the site! I hear you on “the problem” – I just rode to work today in the leaves and fall goop, and the bike is now nasty. I feel like a schmuck doing that, except for 2 things. First, the bike rides as good as it looks – its a road fixie (two brakes and road geometry) and is just fantastic to ride. Second, I had 2 colors I really liked – I went for a blood red with cream panels, but also really liked a robin’s-egg blue with cream (for sort of a 50’s Italian look). I figure in 5 years if the paint’s getting a little beat, I’ll switch ;-). I’m not gonna think about what that would cost, though, the paint is Pebble Beach car show quality and must have taken a ton of work. Part of the reason I went with a fixie (it was sort of a combo 40th birthday, 15th anniversary present) was that it’ll never be obsolete. Or maybe more accurately, it’ll never be more obsolete than it already is. There are some beautiful bikes out there (I saw a Columbine on the road a few weeks ago – they’re worth checking out too), but I’m sure happy. One thing that doesn’t show on the Vanilla site is that Sacha’s in the running for world’s nicest guy as well. Anyway, sorry to blather on about my bike on your blog, but glad you got to the site and got to see Sacha’s work.
Comment by KT | 10.26.2007 | 9:05 am
Portland seems to be a hot-bed of custom bike makers. I’ve seen several Vanillas at one of the local crits, they were gorgeous bikes being ridden to within an inch of their lives. Amazing machines.
Joseph Ahearne makes 29-in MTBs and more
Daedalus makes bamboo bikes and more
Ira Ryan, as mentioned previously
Pereira Cycles, also as mentioned previously
Signal
Stites
Strawberry Bicycles
Sweetpea Bicycles
Tonic Fabrication Group in Hood River
Stewie Bicycles in Camas (props to you guys!)
Vertigo— bikes made of titanium. Woot.
This is just the list I got off bikeportland.org, in the “links” section. Except for Stewie, I added them myself.
I would recommend staying away from any discussions on bikeportland, though; they tend to start out all common-sense like and civil, and degrade into name-calling flame wars. :)
As for what kind of bike I’d get, if I was going for custom: Gosh. Too many choices!!! :) I’d probably stick with Vanilla, they make some seriously nice bikes.
Comment by James | 10.26.2007 | 9:10 am
Vanilla, Sachs et al are gorgeous bikes, but they also have gorgeous product photography. Those professionally lit detail shots really set them apart from other builders. See the Masi Clone Project at Speedplay (http://www.speedplay.com/speedplaylabs/masi/) for another example of how to shoot a bike.
As for other builders of gorgeous bikes, I gotta put a plug in for my man Doug Fattic, who is so cool he doesn’t even need a website. You can see some of his work at http://www.cyclesdeoro.com/Interbike/2002/bike_show_pg8.htm (below the Rivendell). Doug does his own paint and is a wizard with both torch and spray gun.
Columbine Cycles http://www.columbinecycle.com/ does some unique stuff with metal and paint. See http://www.columbinecycle.com/pages/image045.html for an example.
Comment by Tim D | 10.26.2007 | 9:13 am
I am definitely in the use ‘em and abuse ‘em school. My commuter gets cleaned about once a year, the chain maybe twice a year. The mountain bike might get a dunk in a lake or stream and a spray of WD-40, if its lucky. If I get another bike it will possibly be a Hewitt (http://www.hewittcycles.co.uk/), probably an Alpine. Nothing too fancy but a good solid Audax bike.
Comment by Big Boned | 10.26.2007 | 9:15 am
Those dropouts on that Vanilla stopped me dead in my tracks. I….m…u…s…t have them!
Comment by fatty | 10.26.2007 | 9:20 am
erikr – how about a photo of your bike?
everyone who’s been posting other builders so far: thanks. i am really enjoying seeing how much talent is out there. i had no idea.
Comment by Robb | 10.26.2007 | 9:26 am
ParleeBamboo!!!
Comment by Bobby | 10.26.2007 | 9:27 am
http://www.moyercycles.com/
elegantly simple
(since you’ve been into fixed/single speeds lately.)
Comment by Robert Higdon | 10.26.2007 | 9:38 am
I ride my Independent Fabrication Crown Jewel every day on my commute. It fits me too well, and it is too damn gorgeous not to be ridden. I was a little anal about the daily wear and tear at first, but I got over it pretty fast. Honestly though, I treat my bike better than any car I’ve ever owned. It gets lot more miles on it too.
Just spend the money. You only live once.
Ride the snot out of it.
http://www.ifbikes.com
Comment by Pete | 10.26.2007 | 9:42 am
Local (to me) framebuilder Bob Brown has made some remarkable frames lately. Two that stood out for me were one with a copper plated finish:
http://www.bobbrowncycles.com/images/gallery/frame_cu1.jpg
and ones made with Reynolds and Columbia Stainless Steel
http://www.bobbrowncycles.com/stainless_frames.htm
Comment by dd | 10.26.2007 | 9:49 am
http://www.moyercycles.com/
like these
sorry, nothing else to say really.
Comment by Kris | 10.26.2007 | 9:54 am
Those bikes are simply beautiful. I appreciate the art and craftsmanship, but I doubt I’d ever own an eye-candy bike – why would I pay so much money for something I’d be nervous to ride? My bikes are work bikes – I maintain them, but don’t baby them and my rides are worry-free.
If you want to protect a bicycle, you can cover it with that same 3M protective film used for car ClearBras. Here’s one place you can buy a kit for a bike: http://www.blockachip.com/bike.php
Comment by FatPaul | 10.26.2007 | 10:06 am
Here’s a good jumping off point for custom builders, 62 links provided by the master himself.
http://www.richardsachs.com/howframesaremade.html
Comment by jdannettel | 10.26.2007 | 10:09 am
When I came back from the Middle East the first time, my then-wife-now-ex-wife had bought me a Trek 5200 road bike. One day it was stolen out of the back of my truck. I called every bike shop that was in the Phoenix and Tucson at the time because I wanted my bike back. In the process of calling the shops, I found a local bike builder. The insurance covered the price of the bike and the first place that I went was the bike builder to get sized up for my new roadie. I got sized and fitted for a bike that was build for me. Made of Reynolds 853 steel, it is a little heavier than the beautiful full carbon road bikes that are out there. So judging from my experience, it is worth the wait and the ride is great.
Comment by eunicesara | 10.26.2007 | 10:18 am
Went to the Vanilla web-site, and looks like the photos of Cross bike 3 are your answer!! Either they put up a picture of a dirty bike to show it was more than just eye-candy, or that’s one really clever paint job so you won’t feel guilty about the slush and mud.
Personally I liked the pink hearts with the horse.
Comment by Clydesteve | 10.26.2007 | 10:21 am
I drool over Vendetta Cycles, who do business about 10 minutes from where I work. I try to resist the temptation to drool over the picture of Bethany, who paints the frames, under the Friends of Vendetta link.
http://www.vendettacycles.com/vendettacycles/default.htm
Comment by Logan | 10.26.2007 | 10:36 am
Vanillas are too good looking for sure. The kicker is: back when I was first looking at them, the wait time was just under a year and they cost a few hundred dollars less. My twisted logic at the time was, oh, I’ll wait until the wait time is less. So I’m an idiot.
Comment by mark | 10.26.2007 | 10:38 am
I can’t believe you call your Ibis silk or your Waltworks “workman-like.” Those are dream rides for many of us. I just put the first good ding in my Lemond Buenos Aires and was mad at myself over it for a couple of days, since it was totally avoidable.
Love the eye candy, but I’m nowhere near the point of kicking my wife out of bed for any of it. Hope none of your wives read this blog…
Comment by scott spitz | 10.26.2007 | 10:39 am
I second the Circle A Cyles site – http://www.circleacycles.com – and i am a proud owner/rider. I purchased it with money i had saved up for a trip to cuba that fell through and received it just a couple months after starting my bike messenger job years back. I cringed and internally screamed at each initial ding and scratch, but as time healed my wounds, i got over it and enjoyed the ride. Each ride feels like the first and after years and years of riding, the bike feels as solid, quick and responsive as ever. And yes, they look amazing.
also, see BikesnobNYC’s post today regarding treatment of bikes and drooling and scratches, etc.
Comment by Clydesteve | 10.26.2007 | 10:41 am
I also drool over the frames & paint put out by southern Oregon framebuilder John Slawta of Land Shark Bicycles
http://www.landsharkbicycles.com
John has made frames for many racers and celebrities. He does fillet-brazed steel, steel 7 carbon fiber, and all carbon fiber frames. He does his own painting, and has soem of the most outrageous paint jobs in the universe. Really.
Do not miss the galleries. Dug should look at the SS MTB on gallery 3, first series. Wild paint job with handlebar tassels.
Comment by Caloi-Rider | 10.26.2007 | 10:43 am
Fatty,
I saw an ad in Mountain Flyer (I realize most haven’t even heard of it) for this custom bike manufacturer named Ruegamer. I wish I could show you the ad—the website doesn’t do it justice. They had the most aerodynamic-looking time trial bike I’ve ever seen on their ad—and it was custom-painted with the coolest bike paint job I’ve ever seen.
The bike shop owner who got me into road biking (all right, so I was pretty self-motivated already) has his own custom bike business—Kelson Cycles. He does mostly road bikes, but I know he’s done some mtb and TT frames (including his own wicked-cool TT bike). Never mind that he’s also a really cool guy.
I’d be too worried about smashing up an expensive bike, which, I suppose, is why I’m still riding the mt bike I bought in the late ’90s and an entry-level road bike. Still, it’s fun to look.
Comment by scrooge | 10.26.2007 | 10:50 am
There’s a big world of beautiful bikes out there that most people know little about.
If you’re into the classics, you should look up Mariposa (http://www.mariposabicycles.com/), Curt Goodrich http://www.curtgoodrich.com/gallery.html , Cycles Tournesol, http://www.hampsten.com/Tournesol/words.html .Also in the rolling art category (imho) is Pegorretti.
For my money–I’d get a Kirk. I can’t quite afford the Vanilla (or stand the wait), but its a beautiful costum frame that’s supernice–but not too nice to ride. (But I would ride the Vanilla–it’s been my dream bike for years.
Oh, and one more thing–do a search for “Vanilla Trike” to see the trike Sasha built for the NAHBS a few years ago. Amazing. I think that’s when his wait list jumped from under a year to over four.
Comment by Caloi-Rider | 10.26.2007 | 10:51 am
Wait, I just found it: http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2007/shows/nahmbs07/?id=/photos/2007/tech/shows/nahmbs07/nahmbs075/Ruegamer_Blackbird_concept_full_side_view
Comment by mark | 10.26.2007 | 10:52 am
Fatty–Interesting dichotomy comparing your post today with BikesnobNYC. It’s as if you planned it. Either way, a welcome grounding in reality (at least mine).
Comment by Kronda | 10.26.2007 | 10:56 am
Fatty, I hate to do this to you but you did ask…
Just stop messing around with all these links and come to the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show Nov 11th. There you can happily spend your life savings on the bike(s) of your dreams. Have fun.
Comment by Sean | 10.26.2007 | 11:00 am
Sacha White short film can be found here:
http://www.butteredmuffin.com/
Comment by jill | 10.26.2007 | 11:01 am
Wow … you must have inspired BikeSnobNYC’s post today. At least in part.
That is a beautiful bike. I would support the notion that bikes such as that have souls. If you wreck such a bike, you can at least take comfort in the idea that your bike is in heaven.
Comment by LanterneRouge | 10.26.2007 | 11:02 am
This Corima Puma was my dream bike http://flickr.com/photos/87175104@N00/562587187/
I rode it as much as possible. With every scuff mark and every chip of paint I died a little inside. It was worth every moment. Best comment I ever got was at the tour of elk grove. I was a spectator and one of the pros on Team Slipstream came by and said, “That is pure bike porn.”
Trackback by Dave's Good Stuff | 10.26.2007 | 11:13 am
Art Cycles
There’s a post over at Fat Cyclist today about “alluring” bicycles. His call for links resulted in (as of right now) some fantastic referrals. As of right now, this is what I’ve picked out…
Vanilla Bicycles
Guru Bikes
Ba…
Comment by K-Man | 10.26.2007 | 11:13 am
Here’s a video about Sacha. (The dropouts on the custom Gentle Lover’s bikes rock – not to mention that they are an absolutely hilarious team) Ira makes an appearance as does Laurel the kick butt racer.
John and Jenni Slawta (Landshardk) are awesome folks too- and racers to boot.
Tony Pereira is a great builder and another CCX racer. (Veloshop)
Little known Brian Marcroft also makes custom bikes out of Salem, OR. Great custom CCX bikes.
Comment by K-Man | 10.26.2007 | 11:16 am
Almost forgot… here’s some more CCX pron for you.
Comment by Rob | 10.26.2007 | 11:18 am
right on about Vanilla bikes! Frickin’ crazy beautiful works of art!!
Fatty….forget about how many bikes you’ve ever owned. How many do you currently own? Doesn’t the Walt Works make you second new bike this MONTH?
Comment by cyclingphun.blogspot.com | 10.26.2007 | 11:18 am
Or even better… http://www.calfeedesign.com/bamboo.htm
For those of you into nature, who don’t mind if a tree gets whacked. I would love to have one of these just for the fun of it.
Comment by Mr. Toad | 10.26.2007 | 11:19 am
I know a guy who has an orange and cream Vanilla road bike, and it looks even better in person. I ride an older, steel frame Hampsten, built by the now defunct Match Bicycle Company, and likely by Kirk Pacenti, who now does lugs for a number of companies, including Vanilla. http://www.bikelugs.com. Even though it’s used, I was afraid to ride the Hampsten for a while. But then I realized that if I only rode it on perfect days, when I wasn’t training on my race bike, or out in the mountains, etc., I’d hardly ever ride it. And that just doesn’t seem fair to me, or fair to the bike. To paraphrase others, and marc’s comment above “love your bike by riding your bike.” Besides, if you ever actually wear out a finely crafted steel frame bike, you deserve to buy yourself a new one.
Comment by TIMK | 10.26.2007 | 11:20 am
I’ve lusted for a Calfee Design for a while http://www.calfeedesign.com/cross.htm
Now I’ve added several more makers to my list. There is nothing vanilla about Vanilla (unless we’re talking about Ben & Jerry’s Vanilla)
Comment by Anonymous | 10.26.2007 | 11:28 am
Check out this amazing frame builder:
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/road/
Fatty, while you’re jumping onto band wagons, slip into a set of these:
http://www.skates.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=25
You know that they would look stellar with that new pair of tight pants that you just bought so you could hang with the indy crowd at the Starry Night on Center Street in P-Town.
“I mean, I’ve always thought lugs were kind of cool…â€
Specialized cries itself to sleep every night because you have sold them out for nothing more than a few tubes of chromoly and a handful of lugs. How long has it been since the Allez was lugged?
Comment by Monica | 10.26.2007 | 11:35 am
The trick for me to not worry about getting a bike dirty (I don’t think even if I had 10 bikes I’d not worry about damage) is to have only one bike. Okay, I just outed myself, it’s horrible, I know, I have ONE bike. So it sees every ride I do, and I’m not tired of it, and it’s absolutely filthy right now but still okay… . When I finish my PhD I want to get a custom bike for commuting, and I’ll get a jonny cycles one because it’s local, with fenders. And it’ll be green. Maybe faded green and pink to go with my pink FC jersey. It’d be neat to have a “Hi!” painted on it. And I will ride it all over and it’ll get dirty too. It’ll be like the wedding ring of bikes! (graduation ring?) I can’t wait!
Comment by fatty | 10.26.2007 | 11:45 am
mark – you make a good point about the WaltWorks and Ibis Silk Carbon. They are dream bikes to be sure. However, the WaltWorks is built to be ridden roughly and often, and has a one-color paint job to match (with some awesome decal touches by Twin Six). No lugs, no polish. And the Ibis isn’t even painted. It’s naked carbon color. Though I did just notice that Ibis is offering paint on the Silk Carbon for 2008, and they look gorgeous.
Comment by pipebaum | 10.26.2007 | 11:50 am
Way to go Fatty,
I just plunked down the cash on a Look 595. Demo’d everything I could find and the Look was the winner. I was sooo excited to get the new ride. Now, everytime I hop on my ‘workmanlike’ Look, I will have Vanilla Envy.
Wait, I don’t want a work or art, I want a bicycle I can ride everyday and not worry if it gets a little muddy. Plus, I am mister instant gratification, I want it asap.
My question is how do you wait 3-4 years for a bike, and not know if you are going to enjoy the ride or not? What if you get it, and you find out it doesn’t fit? What happens if you give up cycling in the 3-4 year wait. Or you decide that your new thing is recumbent bikes?
Comment by Michael S | 10.26.2007 | 12:03 pm
Curt Goodrich
Cycles Tournesol
J.P. Weigle
Check out the Tournesol website and tell me you don’t experience unadulterated lust…
http://www.hampsten.com/Tournesol/audax.html
Comment by Al Maviva | 10.26.2007 | 12:14 pm
Feh.
Ride whatever you want, but just ride the damn thing. Ride it until the wheels fall off. Then ride it some more. Just remember my one basic rule: Never buy a bike you couldn’t afford to replace if you broke it doing what you love on it.
My personal breaking point is about $3k. This puts me on a nice carbon road training bike with okay wheels; or a utilitarian Alumi-racer with powertaps and sweet, light wheels. Or a crumbo cross frame with nice gruppo and upscale tubular wheels.
Since wheels matter more than anything else if you’re racing, then the gruppo, then frame, you could class this as a utility knife approach to bikes.
Unfortunately, I’ll probably never own a real beauty of a bike because of this approach – a set of Zipps alone blows the budget and consigns me to cheap frames. But maybe someday I can swing an Independent Fab cross bike, throw on some beater wheels and go racing. Wonder how their black & white “cow” paintjob would look all slopped up with mud?
Comment by jamie p | 10.26.2007 | 12:15 pm
I feel like an idiot too. My brother mentioned Vanilla to me about 4-5 years ago and told me I should check it out for my next bike. (My brother works at Seven Cycles so that’s high praise coming from him) I waited and now am totally bummed about the wait time for their frames. And the price went up to boot.
I am not crying too much, as I own a Blacksheep and have another model Blacksheep on the way. I highly recommend them, he does beautiful work and gives you what you want, with a 2-3 month wait instead of years. Blacksheepbikes.com
Comment by Jerry H | 10.26.2007 | 12:38 pm
How about environment friendly bamboo and hemp.
Calfee is doing a sustainable bike project in Africa I believe with Bamboo Bikes.
I really do like my Tetra Pro (currently my only road bike)
http://www.calfeedesign.com/bamboo.htm
Comment by Lins - Aust | 10.26.2007 | 1:15 pm
Darrell McCulloch of Llewellyn Bikes in Brisbane Australia. The link below is to the gallery which includes a bike that he won him “Best Lugs” at the 2006 Cirque De Cyclisme bike show in the USA.
http://www.llewellynbikes.com/thegallery/lugcutting
Why don’t I have one? I’m with you…because I would hang it on the wall and look at it for fear of damaging it whilst riding or transporting it.
We’re having 2 frames repainted by Joe Cosgrove (who does the paint jobs for Llewellyn Bikes) and it remains to be seen, once they are done, if they ever make it outside again.
Comment by born4felt | 10.26.2007 | 2:03 pm
I am a bad person because I don’t find bikes sexy, don’t care what they look like, and don’t enjoy talking about them?
Any others like me out there?
Comment by born4felt | 10.26.2007 | 2:42 pm
Oops, I meant to say “Am I a bad person . . .” I guess I’m a bad person because I don’t proofread.
Comment by Jeremy | 10.26.2007 | 2:44 pm
I actually bought an “art bike” from a guy. Pinarello with full carbon record. He put 6K into it, and never rode it because he was afraid to. I beat the hell out of it. The top top has a chip in the paint, and it doesn’t even bother me.
Comment by monogodo | 10.26.2007 | 3:01 pm
I own a mid-80s Colnago that I’ve had repainted white with a blue pearl clearcoat. At the time I had it done (1990), it was the best looking bike in the local club. When I crashed it on a club ride one afternoon, everyone was shocked when they heard me say I didn’t care about the condition of the bike. I knew that I’d had it repainted to look like it was, and I knew that I could get it repainted again if anything happened to it. Nothing did (I was lucky).
I also own a mid-90s Team 7-Eleven Eddy Merckx (that used to belong to Tommy Matush). Because he’d crashed it (and repaired it) prior to selling it, I had to have it repainted. I had the 7-Eleven colors replicated. I ride it whenever I get the chance. I don’t worry about crashing it. It’s just a bike. It can be repaired or replaced.
I will admit that I worry about my bikes getting stolen when I go on the Sunday evening Pub ride. I lock up with two different locks, and try to lock up with someone else, so that we’ve got 3 different locks securing our rides.
I’ve owned a total of 4 road bikes and 2 MTBs, and am in the process of building a 3rd MTB. Of them, I’ve sold 1 road bike and 1 MTB. Of my current stable, I’ve crashed the Eddy Merckx & the Colnago. The Vitus and the Catamount have yet to go down. Of the two that were sold (both Bianchis), only the MTB was crashed (twice), but it received no damage in either crash.
Comment by gc | 10.26.2007 | 3:06 pm
I have a Vanilla from before the time that Sacha was famous and they are every bit as sexy in person as they are in print. They ride like a dream as well.
I like being the only kid on the block with one, with wooden fenders and disc brakes.
I heart you, Sacha.
Comment by Another Canadian Roadie | 10.26.2007 | 3:09 pm
I was wandering through bike stores in California recently while in San Francisco and saw an Independent that made my jaw drop.
http://www.ifbikes.com/
Comment by Greg | 10.26.2007 | 3:10 pm
I have two Kirks. Amazing rides and craftmanship. Not just pretty bikes; great performing bikes as well. One was a show bike at NAHBS this year. I ride one or the other almost every day. I don’t worry about scratches etc., they’re meant to be ridden. They both have chips and scratches. They can be repainted. They get wiped down once a week or so. Check out the website and the gallery. Mine are nos. 95 & 98. I am careful here in Eugene bike theft capital of Oregon – if I go in a shop, office etc., they go with me. No one has kicked me out yet. I take the town bike with Kryptonite to the grocery stores etc.
Comment by Terry | 10.26.2007 | 3:17 pm
You really must have a look at the work of an Australian bike artist at http://www.llewellynbikes.com/main.htm
Go straight to gallery for some beautiful and original work.
Terry
Comment by Anonymous | 10.26.2007 | 3:20 pm
sweet pea bikes are beautiful AND built by a woman. Gilrs rock!
Comment by Anonymous | 10.26.2007 | 3:20 pm
sweet pea bikes are beautiful AND built by a woman. Girls rock!
Comment by seth | 10.26.2007 | 4:28 pm
It’s called titanium love and it’s found at http://www.moots.com
I have a one of their compact road bikes and its a beauty. Its hard to appreciate it from the pictures on their website but in person their welds are absolute works of art, just perfect. Luckily there is no paint to scratch cause titanium is meant to be naked, and its virtually indestructible so I don’t hesitate about riding mine all the time (except in really poor weather but thats more to protect the components which unfortunately aren’t titanium). Its truly is a perfect frame, now I just need to figure out a way to get my hands on one of their 29ers with YBB no pivot suspension (http://moots.com/bicycle.php?ID=9), with slider dropouts to run it as a single speed.
I love Moots
Comment by Carl | 10.26.2007 | 4:52 pm
You have to check this out. Ive never seen anything like this singlespeed road bike. Bamboo and steer horns! I have to think I would laugh if I saw this on the road!
http://www.calfeedesign.com/singlespeed.htm
Comment by Congo | 10.26.2007 | 5:37 pm
I’ve been waiting for a post on this subject for while. Ever since Kaiser Jan’s TdF performance clad in the classic old school Bianchi team kit I’ve been a Bianchi fan. My regular road bike is a Bianchi L’Una “white” carbon (actually silver). I’ve got the Pantani Mercatone Uno team kit, the aforementioned Bianchi kit as well as pumps, bags, t-shirts and lots of other stuff.
About two years ago I was hunting around eBay for more stuff to waste money on when I found a 1985 Bianchi Centenario which was made to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Bianchi. You can find some great photos of the model (its not my bike but this guy is a much better photographer than I’ll ever be) at this site:
http://www.raydobbins.com/bianchi/index
Thanks Ray Dobbins for the photos. Check out the pantographing on everything from the pedals to the hubs and the hand stitched leather handlebar wrap. I have ridden it once on a perfect sunny day and yes I am seriously considering a glass case and downlights!
Comment by domestique | 10.26.2007 | 5:51 pm
Great topic fatty!
I favor titanium framed bikes & have a crush on Roark’s full aero bike. You can check them out at http://www.roarkcycle.com
Lynskey Performance also makes some sweet frames. As I understand it, he is the fellow who started Litespeed. You can check his new bike company out at http://lynskeyperformance.com
Comment by Wild Dingo | 10.26.2007 | 6:08 pm
Ok, you got me. I don’t normally post comments, but I’m sucka for custom bikes, ever since my husband (who was my boyfriend at the time) bought me a Ibis road bike 6 years ago. I too, have lusted over Vanilla Bikes. And have added it to my list of dream bikes to get before I die. But here is my baby that I had custom made by Brent Steelman. I just love this bike. It fits like a glove and pedals like butt-ah. And yes, I intend to race it, when I return to racing (I’m on a health hiatus). I’ve ridden it plenty of times and got it dirty too.
http://wilddingo.com/2006/11/01/spankin-new/
http://www.steelmancycles.com/Julie%27s%20cross.html
Be sure to scroll down for the last photo! The dingo that lives with me always threatens this.
Comment by Caloi-Rider | 10.26.2007 | 6:20 pm
Rouge, I agree with the pro—very smooth. I’ve seen track bikes with similar tubing, but that’s definitely one of the slickest road frames I’ve ever seen.
Comment by rubeboy | 10.26.2007 | 6:24 pm
I have a used Sachs and am thinking seriously about getting in line for a Vanilla. Amazingly beautiful – both. The best thing about them is they can be repainted by a master painter and they are steel so in the event of a crash they can be re-built good as new. Get one and ride, ride, ride…. Theft is whole nother concern though. I think both builders are up to a six year wait.
Comment by Big Mike In Oz | 10.26.2007 | 6:44 pm
Man, you’re a killer. I just popped in for a quick read… 3 hours ago. I’ve been bike-perving all over the internet for all that time.
I’ve worked my way through a plethora of bikes over the past 25 years.
It all started with a simple supermarket junker that became grandpa’s ax with various upgrades. Then with my first summer job in high school I got an Italian off the peg frame with a full Ofmega Mistral groupset (you always remember your first one). There’s been many since. I can remember them all including most of the component brands. My garage currently has a stock of 4 operational machines and enough spares to creat at least 2 extras (complete extras… wheels, frames, the lot).
Throughout all the time and for all those bikes, one thing has remained constant: I love them, I clean them, I polish them, everyday, after every ride, often even if I don’t ride I still wipe the dust off. E v e r y s i n g l e d a y – without fail.
That first date intensity lasts about 3 weeks. Then it’s a good wipe down the night before races. And maybe some lubricant in vital places once a month, more often if it gets noisy after rain, less often if I forget.
In honesty, once a bike’s over 6 months old I replace the tyres and handlebar tape more often than I clean the thing.
Pingback by RocBike.com | The RocBike Review » Links Of The Day: 26 October 2007 | 10.26.2007 | 7:48 pm
[...] Allure [...]
Comment by Dom | 10.26.2007 | 8:09 pm
Becareful what you wish for….
A while ago I posted a reply on a cycling forum thread “What is your dream bike?”
My dream at that time (it changes regularly) was a Merilin Lunaris. Sexy carbon tubes and engraved ti lugs. Exactly a year, to the day, I made that post I won an ebay auction for a Merlin Linaris frame. I had to get a loan to pay for it and the build… Record all the way to compliment such a work of art.
And what did I do with my “dream”???
Rode it three or four times and that was it.
It was sooooo precious that I couldn’t enjoy the ride even though it was one of the best bikes I ever rode. I eventually stripped the frame and put the group on one less worthy. The frame was hanging in my LSB waiting for me to pick it up. I got a call from the LBS owner saying he’d been offered a few hundred more than I paid. “Sell it” I said with tremble in my voice… I just sold my dream bike….. sniff.
Now my dream bike is the one I ride everyday :D
Comment by boots | 10.26.2007 | 8:37 pm
Fatty, If you live in the great NW, as I know you did for a spell, you will sooner or later encounter a Davidson. Bill Davidson is the dean of NW frame builders and the
nicest guy you could ever meet. (I met him some 30+ years ago). And if you were to
stop by my house, you would see a steel frame (Reynolds 853) with stainless steel lugs, dropouts, and a Ouzo Pro carbon fork painted to match. Red of course. Fitted with a mix
of Campy components it weighs just under 20 lbs – heavy by today’s standards but
what a ride. And I ride it. Bill’s philosophy is first of all you have to finish and his
frames bear that out, whether they be steel, carbon or titanium.
Comment by boots | 10.26.2007 | 8:49 pm
Fatty, If you live in the great NW, as I know you did for a spell, you will sooner or later encounter a Davidson. Bill Davidson is the dean of NW frame builders and the
nicest guy you could ever meet. (I met him some 30+ years ago). And if you were to
stop by my house, you would see a steel frame (Reynolds 853) with stainless steel lugs, dropouts, and a Ouzo Pro carbon fork painted to match. Red of course. Fitted with a mix
of Campy components it weighs just under 20 lbs – heavy by today’s standards but
what a ride. And I ride it. Bill’s philosophy is first of all you have to finish and his
frames bear that out, whether they be steel, carbon or titanium. I, obviously, prefer
the appearance of steel tubes, top tube parallel to the ground, held together with proper lugs. And I own a scritchy wool jersey too!
Comment by boots | 10.26.2007 | 8:49 pm
Fatty, If you live in the great NW, as I know you did for a spell, you will sooner or later encounter a Davidson. Bill Davidson is the dean of NW frame builders and the
nicest guy you could ever meet. (I met him some 30+ years ago). And if you were to
stop by my house, you would see a steel frame (Reynolds 853) with stainless steel lugs, dropouts, and a Ouzo Pro carbon fork painted to match. Red of course. Fitted with a mix
of Campy components it weighs just under 20 lbs – heavy by today’s standards but
what a ride. And I ride it. Bill’s philosophy is first of all you have to finish and his
frames bear that out, whether they be steel, carbon or titanium. I, obviously, prefer
the appearance of steel tubes, top tube parallel to the ground, held together with proper lugs. And I own a scritchy wool jersey too!
Comment by Tony Pereira | 10.26.2007 | 9:35 pm
What’s your worry about messing up the paint? Beat the hell out of it and get it re-painted in a few years. These handmade bikes, while clearly more soulful, don’t cost any more than a high-end carbon disposable bike. But don’t take my word for it, I just build them. And race them:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79122810@N00/435255508/in/set-72157600028462436/
Come to the Oregon handmade show in November or the NAHBS in February and learn about the fine handmade options out there.
Comment by K-Man | 10.26.2007 | 10:33 pm
As my great friend Eric Vickers says… bikes are tools, not jewels.
Comment by barry1021 | 10.27.2007 | 3:58 am
Dont forget vintage porn
http://raydobbins.com/
and yes he rides them
and
http://www.zanconato.com/gallery2.html
hurry before his wait times get up to Sacha and RIchie.
What’s with the azspritzens??
b21
Comment by El Animal | 10.27.2007 | 4:18 am
Fatty,
This year I bought a beautiful Salsa Dos-Niner with one of the cool paint jobs they do. The problem is that they are made with scandium, and I read many reviews saying that the paint does not stick very well. Before i used the bike (it took a lot of self control), I bought a product called “Bonk Paint Protection Film”. Let me tell you that this product is awesome. I really recommend it, is not that you are going to protect all your bike, but there are some areas that normally take more hits than others. Check the link, and if you consider taking a little bit of extra care of your Waltworks try it.
http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/14620-400_BNKDI6-3-Parts-47-Bikes/Bonk!-Paint-Protection-Film-Do-It-Yourself-Kit.htm
Comment by Night Hawk | 10.27.2007 | 4:18 am
I missed my ride’s start this morning, I got to start reading you after I ride. How do you balance all those great bikes with the traffic deaths in Portland lately?
Comment by Flying Penguin | 10.27.2007 | 4:42 am
Having only ridden my bike rescue projects over the years (I rebuilt my first one when I was 13 with “my pay” of bike parts for doing set up for a local bike shop) I did not realize how beautiful a person could make the dropouts and a bike. Always love a lugged frame and the detail …ahhh the detail. I find all bikes sexy in their own way but following some of these links I know I have found the super models of the bike world. Strap some Victoria Secret underwear on them and I might even propose. I agree with some of the others that a bike feels bad when you do not ride it and I never want my bike to feel bad. Thank you for this topic it was kind of eye opening for me but sadly now I have bike lust, terrible, insatiable bike lust.
Comment by Dobovedo | 10.27.2007 | 5:24 am
I am more of the “ride it until it makes an annoying noise” type of person. Not that I don’t care about my bikes… just that I am OCD personified. When I set to cleaning, it is an all day project. I break down the bike completely and bring it back to like-new. Besides, ya can only keep bikes so clean when you ride 10000+ a year in all weather kinds of weather. Besides… eventually it rains and the dirt washes off.
So… my bikes are for utility and performance first, appearance is an afterthought. I drool over those sweeeeet custom bikes but I would NEVER own a museum piece like that. I am content to admire others from afar.
Comment by Teebone | 10.27.2007 | 7:42 am
El Animal,
I used Bonk on my Salsa (Mamasita) as well. That stuff is amazing!
Comment by Miles Archer | 10.27.2007 | 8:11 am
Paint is for keeping the bike from rusting. These aren’t bikes, they’re rolling pieces of gingerbread.
Comment by Jan | 10.27.2007 | 2:26 pm
I have what you refer to as a “dream-bike”, a Richard Sachs, as well as a couple of other more transportation-oriented bikes (I live car-free).
I used to subscribe to the “one bike for all needs” philosophy. Back when I had a car I only had one bike, a Cannondale, and was always worried when locking it up around town, half expecting it to get stolen. It was almost a relief to finally let that one go.
The Sachs gets a lot of miles in, but only for training and enjoyment, not basic transportation. Richard Sachs fitted me to this bike better than I thought humanly possible, and I could not be happier with it. The comfort and feel of this bike is hard to convey, it is simply put one of the best purchases I have ever made; I consider it a bargain.
The waiting list is now six years. Why not get on it, though, and just enjoy what you ride in the meantime. I’m sure you can put some serious wear and tear on your current bikes in a course of six years, and you will have something great to look forward to. I will forever be glad I did.
Comment by Stomper | 10.27.2007 | 2:51 pm
be careful Fatty – you could end up like this bloke….
http://tinyurl.com/35mzyo
Comment by Al Maviva | 10.27.2007 | 5:30 pm
Oh yeah, one other thing. You want reasonable priced custom beauty that’s meant to have the bejeezus ridden out of it? Check out Rock Lobster. *Great* custom cross (and other) bikes at the same price as a lot of the factory-churned Eye-talian “entry level” luxury bikes. Not the lightest – but light enough for world champions. Unduly pretty as well.
Comment by Ted | 10.28.2007 | 9:47 am
Elden, those Vanilla lugs are truly gorgeous.
Me? I got a nice Waterford about ten years ago after years of riding an old, heavy Schwinn. It got babied for a year or two, and then I started racing on it. Over the years I’ve become less obsessed about its mantenance, although I still use paraffin on the chain.
One idea you could consider: an old buddy of mine has a beautiful Schwinn Paramount from the 1960s. He rode it for many years, and after putting over 100,000 miles on it, he had Waterford refurbish and repaint it, then he hung it up for display. Seems like a good compromise.
Comment by Claire | 10.28.2007 | 5:26 pm
I’ve got a Hampsten and I love it. I ride it on the roads and in the mud and on gravel. The only thing I’m uncomfortable about is commuting with it as I don’t have a covered, lockable place to keep it. Yes, it’s a work of art, but it’s one you can ride. In fact, it’s the most comfortable, best fitting bike I’ve ever sat on and I feel guilty whenever I leave the house on something else. I do keep it clean, though.
Comment by redfrogs | 10.28.2007 | 5:46 pm
For Aussie flavour – if you want a steel trackbike with polished antique campy gear “deus ex machina” http://www.deus.com.au
or a ti custom bike http://www.baumcycles.com (gallery attached to the blog blog.baumcycles.com)
and you might like to check the http://www.shifterbikes.com/ gallery!
Love your work – keep it up.
G
Comment by NN | 10.29.2007 | 4:18 am
I had a Vanilla and sold it on eBay. I had no attachment issues to it whatsoever. Not to bad mouth Vanilla, but I didn’t like the geometry at all and my riding preferences changed during the course of my ownership of the bike. I do have a beautiful, hand brazed frameset that replaced it – though the wait was 3 months and the price was under $1500 for the frame/fork. That said, to my eyes, it is every bit as lovely as a Vanilla – and for my tastes, more appealing as it’s not over-the-top in detail. Do I ride it? Of course! Am I worried about crashing or scratching it? No!
Do I clean it? Yes, but certainly not every ride or even every week – maybe once every other month or so. I’m definitely fussy about what I ride, how it looks and how I set it up but I refuse to baby my bikes and have no interest in owning wall hangers. Great post!
Comment by hades | 10.29.2007 | 5:50 am
Silly beautiful lugs and frames – his site used to have more pics, but he’s redoing it, I guess. Just sit through the slide show for now…
http://www.bohemianbicycles.com/
Comment by hades | 10.29.2007 | 7:02 am
For some reason its not letting me post links for David Bohm’s stuff (on his old site) from the wayback machine @ archive.org – one more try with tiny URL:
http://tinyurl.com/32pw29
http://tinyurl.com/3ckj3g
Comment by Fish | 10.29.2007 | 9:41 am
I visited Sacha about three years ago, after his bikes were features in Dirt Rag. The wait was only a year back then. Based on how beautiful his bikes were, I was hoping that he’d be a pompous wind bag so I could avoid the expense of buying a work of art that I won’t ride much. Not so. He’s one of the most gracious people you could meet. The next time I saw him in person he was wearing a speedo while racing ‘cross with his friends (who were similarly dressed) during a cold and wet day. I’m going to start saving my money now, regardless of what else comes along.
Comment by MtMann | 10.29.2007 | 10:23 am
A true Sacha Story:
Yesterday I was at the Cross Crusade race in Astoria Oregon and after racing Master B’s, I hung out and watched others. I found myself at the big ride-up/run-up hill during the regular B’s. This being the annual Halloween race, lots of costumed riders, beer hand-ups, etc (trust me – you just have to be there…) So here comes Sacha up the hill, dressed in old fashioned knickers, white shirt, vest. He stops, parks his personal Vanilla, drapes a folded towel over his arm and calls down the hill “Mr Stewart, Mr Stewart!” Mr Stewart arrives, Sacha takes his bike, does a valet run-up for him, wipes the bike down (another Vanilla, naturally), and hands it over. One of the classiest moves on a course I have ever seen.
Comment by System6 | 10.29.2007 | 12:05 pm
Fatty, it’s all a matter of one’s perspective.
To own a piece of two-wheeled art and not ride it preserves it as leads provides limited enjoyment — like owning a picture of a beautiful woman. I’m sure you can follow where this analogy goes next, so I’ll stop there.
Similarly, it’s emotionally difficult to wear out such a machine — unless one remembers that each scratch and ding is another grain of sand in an hour glass of time until you get a NEW ONE.
Comment by System6 | 10.29.2007 | 12:41 pm
WHAT I MEANT TO SAY WAS….
To own a piece of two-wheeled art and not ride it provides limited enjoyment — like owning a picture of a beautiful woman. I’m sure you can follow where this analogy goes next, so I’ll stop there.
Comment by donna connell | 10.31.2007 | 10:05 am
I ordered my Waterford R-22 lugged bicycle in early January 2005. The day after, I awoke feeling like I had done something I might regret….kind of like you feel the day after your wedding. In early April one of the employees of Allanti Bikes in Nashville hand delivered the frame and fork to me at the end of one of our regular club rides. A handful of us awaited it anxiously and weren’t disappointed. It was gorgeous.
http://allanti.com/page.cfm?PageID=293
But of that enthusiastic crowd (which included my mechanic from the LBS who built the wheels and was building it up) only I was looking at the bill. It was so scary I have not to this day run an exact total. I have a rough estimate and know when I put it in the trunk of my 2001 VW Jetta it doubles the value of the car. Unless I am on it, that’s usually where you find it.
In two and a half years I have logged nearly 10,000 miles on it, including about 15 centuries. I ride it almost exclusively, except when there is salt on the roads, I need lights or am riding my new/old toy, a Raleigh fixed gear. When it rains I put a Target bag over the green leather Brooks saddle. I was once told on a rainy century ride “I’m surprised you’re riding your Waterford in this weather.†To which I replied, “It washes….besides, this bike was built for me, why would I want to ride anything else 100 miles.†I bought it to ride and that’s what I do.
With just a little care (and careful parking) it still looks new. It has a small nick on the downtube where the brake cable hit it in transit. I ordered matching paint to touch it up and gave it a try, but touch-up is harder than it looks. Besides, It’s hard to find time for touch ups when you’re spending most of your free time riding.
This bike is a real joy to ride and I would hate to lose it to a thief or a crash. However, half the fun of having this bike was having a part in it’s conception. Deciding on the frame, the colors, the lugs, the components, and all the many conversations with friends (before and after the actual production) was a great experience no one can take from me.
Comment by Ron George | 10.31.2007 | 8:00 pm
All the above mentioned bikes look really good,
I’d like to point out :
1) Colnago steel, the Master X Light in particular. The ride is like floating on clouds, and the paint is immaculate, really flimsy I heard that you better take good care of it…
2) Naked Bicycles, very interesting name, they make some really neat lugged steel frames. Not sure of the website, but I remember posting an article on it in my blog. http://cozybeehive.blogspot.com/2007/10/are-you-ready-for-naked.html
First of all, I’d never buy a bike I would have to wait for 6 years. If I did get one, I’d still ride it, but only on those royal occasions when I can donn Assos all over, put on my oakleys and go out for a 100 miler, with a calvacade of other riding buddies. I think a bike like that would be best for some of the best places to ride in the U.S, so I’d take it to many special places too. :) -Ron
Comment by Kerri | 11.2.2007 | 7:37 am
Waterford Precision Cycles (www.waterfordbikes.com) built me a bike two years ago. Until then, I was riding a Bianchi that was technically too big for me and miserable on it. I decided if I was going to pay $1800 just for a custom-built frame, I may as well have the cool paint job. So it has the clear-coat car-type paint in purple with rainbow sparkles in it. In bright sun, it looks fabulous. I also had them paint my name along the top tube. It’s been in a few crashes, but so far, the paint looks good. I’m not too worried. Bikes are meant to be ridden, not put on a pedestal.
Comment by Phil B | 11.27.2007 | 6:52 pm
I guess my sentiments echo that of Donna 2 posts above, being involved in the design and production of your dream bike is a really unique experience. Al Bergman of http://www.bergbikes.com/ built me an awesome blue custom touring bike, and I’ve been using it every day since. If I had the $$ again I’d order another bike from him in a second!
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Eric
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Comment by Anonymous | 02.7.2008 | 5:11 pm
I have to say, my problem with Vanilla is the upcharge for “hand carved lugs” when every other well-known and good framebuilder hand finishes every lug ANYWAY.
I suggest one take a look at Chris Kvale’s work here in Minneapolis. Lugs thinned practically to paper-thickness, by hand, the way it should be done. He’s been building frames for over 30 years and it shows.
Good example here:
http://www.velostuf.com/ckcheadlug.jpg
Trackback by Tramadol. | 03.5.2008 | 3:32 pm
Tramadol.
Tramadol.
Comment by Vic | 03.26.2008 | 1:46 pm
Hi
I own the White Vanilla that Sasha used in this years NAHBS.
I comute on it daily, but I am able to keep in in my office. When I use it on the weekends, I look ahead to where I am staying so I can be sure it will be safe.
As far as wear and tear, I belive that anything that is meant to be used should be. That is partly why I got this bike. To leave it hanging on a wall or such just seems wrong to me. In the end, we leave this earth with our lifes experience in our hearts. Every time I get on my bike to ride it, I feel very lucky and happy that I have such a fine bike, and that it is being used well.
Take Care and keep the rubber side down.
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