Framebuilders

If you were to get a lugged steel frame built, and money was not an object, who would you have build it? I am inclined to get a Vanilla bike, but before I commit, I was thinking that I should see what else is out there.

Here is their link. It takes 4 years from order to delivery:

http://www.vanillabicycles.com/about.shtml

Mercian, see mine here
Bob Jackson

4 years - jeez!! I'm quite taken with Moyer Cycles personally.

Check out Robin Mather's site. British and very nice (similar to Vanilla by the looks of things). If I was going to wait four years fro a frame I'd go to Richard Sachs rather than Vanilla.

Jonny Cycles look pretty tasty too.

I'd say Moyer

Momentum If I was going to wait four years fro a frame I'd go to Richard Sachs rather than Vanilla.

Why go to the apprentice when you can go to his Master?

yeah johny cycles look great to me to- saw one when i was in new york there amazing. and the waiting list isnt 4 years.

I love Moyer cycles! Maybe just seduced by the slick photography but his Flickr pages are awesome. Vanilla are cool, I like the integrated stem/bars that they make.

I like Robin Mather site too, the idea of having a shed or workshop and all that stuff laying around appeals to me.

Go Moyer/Mather! (and get something different/special)

I really like the look of this guys work http://www.llewellynbikes.com/main.htm

But i'm getting a Bob Jackson, maybe a Llewellyn in the future...

Moyer and Mather look good, so does Sachs. Looks like Moyer and Sachs do couplers, which is the other requirement. My only problem with Sachs would be being locked into Campy. I am not saying they are bad components, but having a choice is nice. I think it will all come down to calling people and chatting with them. I like the idea of guys who work without assistants, but I am not sure that is the be all, end all of frame building.

Actually, the time frame is not unusual. Last I read the wait for a Sachs is 43 months.

Decisions, decisions...

http://www.kalavinka-bikes.com

Dazza is the man of the moment. He won best in show at Cirque this year. http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Cirque.htm

And he live 5 minutes from me and is a mate.............

This is from Richie Sachs following Cirque:

i just got back and have lots to say and will if time allows, but not now.
whateva'atmo.

what i wanna add to this - in addition to the fact that seeing all my pals
at cirque is so way cool - is that dazza is one fukingc remarkable doode.
he drove back to connecticut with peter, the lovely kendall, and me, and
i just put him on the train for newark airport.

was his (dazza's) seminar the best or what?
that cat is clearly the most well versed and well rounded framebuilder now
lighting up tube ends. his personal experience racing on the continent coupled
with many long stints as the aussie team macanio at several worlds forays and
too many stage races to list, as a member of the support crew at the 1996
and 2008 olympics, not to mention his role with the AIS, and his production
of trainers, work stands, frame parts, and shoe/cleat measuring devices;
all these (and more) coupled with his being the consumate craftsman, put
him in the rarified world of being the complete framebuilder atmo. i betchoo
if he was in the states he'd be busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger.
i'm not heeping this on just because. i rarely get impressed anymore, and this
guy had my attention and interest from the moment the long weekend began.

good on ya' mate atmo.

later.

e-RICHIE®™©
site pics rants zany
nice shweet wassup

Yes I'm biased. Yes, I have a Llewellyn. Yes, it's the best bike I've ever owned. No, I can't figure out how to put a pic on this thread!!!

p.s. All the bling on Dazza's bikes is polished stainless - no chrome - ever.

p.p.s And his wait list is much shorter. Usually 6 - 9 months.

That's high praise coming from RS (who is also a Cat 1 racer I think).

You're lucky to be just up the road from Llwelyn and I bet his bikes are amazing. However, if I was going to spend a lot of money on a custom I would go for local builders rather than the one who can do the fanciest finishes. Getting properly fitted and talking to the builder is more important IMO than the way the bike looks. That's why I recommended Mather as he is English and does some very nice fancy work on his bikes.

dude,

not sure I could or would wait four years for a bike. Seems long, hand crafted, lovingly made, understand all that but FOUR YEARS! Just long. Sure the bike is lovely, but I come back to my previous point FOUR YEARS!

I don't mean to belabour that, who knows what their situation is going to be in four years time, a years waiting maybe, possibly a year an a half, but four just seems excessive. the best bike you have is the one that you can ride, right here, right now, not the one your waiting to come back from the framebuilders, or the one that your speccing up in your head
Since its custom I assume you've been sized, and it'll be custom built to your dimensions and yours alone. But still four years, I'd rather spunk some cash and get a lynskey,
http://lynskeyperformance.com/about
but I'm just in the thrall of titanium at the moment, and I'm pretty sure they've got a waiting list, but if it wasn't shorter than four years I'd buy something else

Richard Sachs

Now try and disagree.

velocity boy Richard Sachs

Now try and disagree.

I am leaning towards him. He seems to be the guy that other frame builders mention. I think I'll give him a call.

velocity boy Richard Sachs

Now try and disagree.

Why did you go with Witcomb's other apprentice, Mr K?

cornelius blackfoot dude,

not sure I could or would wait four years for a bike. Seems long, hand crafted, lovingly made, understand all that but FOUR YEARS! Just long. Sure the bike is lovely, but I come back to my previous point FOUR YEARS!

If I waited 4 years I'd get something I was bored of 3 years ago. eg. 2 years ago I was riding an old kona with slicks round town and loved it. A year ago I put a fixie together and loved it. Then I built up a shiny swift road machine... Who knows what I would want in 4 years time... Probably a tricycle!

i'd say if you want fancy frames go with robin mathers, sure this man can do anything you see from moyer. cheaper and we're in the same country. order a moyer add on shipping and tax all that you could have 2 frames built by mathers or deck the frame out with absolute bling. i also had this discussion with punkpixel the other day about moyer both of us don't want a frame built by an ex-marine.
the XA he built is really one hell of a bike though.

for me i dream about the day i can get a witcomb.

mdja [quote]cornelius blackfoot dude,

not sure I could or would wait four years for a bike. Seems long, hand crafted, lovingly made, understand all that but FOUR YEARS! Just long. Sure the bike is lovely, but I come back to my previous point FOUR YEARS!

If I waited 4 years I'd get something I was bored of 3 years ago. eg. 2 years ago I was riding an old kona with slicks round town and loved it. A year ago I put a fixie together and loved it. Then I built up a shiny swift road machine... Who knows what I would want in 4 years time... Probably a tricycle![/quote]

a christiana to put 4 kids in?

edmundane [quote]mdja [quote]cornelius blackfoot dude,

not sure I could or would wait four years for a bike. Seems long, hand crafted, lovingly made, understand all that but FOUR YEARS! Just long. Sure the bike is lovely, but I come back to my previous point FOUR YEARS!

If I waited 4 years I'd get something I was bored of 3 years ago. eg. 2 years ago I was riding an old kona with slicks round town and loved it. A year ago I put a fixie together and loved it. Then I built up a shiny swift road machine... Who knows what I would want in 4 years time... Probably a tricycle![/quote]

a christiana to put 4 kids in?[/quote]

I'd be lucky!

@ Edmundane

What's his employment history got to do with the quality of his frames? Also what's so wrong with being a Marine?

if mony where no object, where is that 5grand reccord setting carbon dolan...

benanza @ Edmundane

What's his employment history got to do with the quality of his frames? Also what's so wrong with being a Marine?

it's not about the quality really, i just prefer to not have anything to do with anyone who has anything to do with the US military, present or past (starting since the cold war). let's stop here before any discussions on this forum gets political again. and as i have said elsewhere on the forum i prefer to support UK builders. other than that it'll be cinelli or keirin frames