Framebuilders

Each to their own and all that. :-)

I totally agree with supporting UK builders, we need those skills to remain around and be passed on and if we don't buy from them then they may eventually disappear which ain't great.

i think we should out source everythign to the thrid world to be mass produced... think of the unexpolited labour market in all the under 5yr olds... think of the profits muh ha ha ha ha

Lewellyn is in australia, right?

vegansdontneedgears i think we should out source everythign to the thrid world to be mass produced... think of the unexpolited labour market in all the under 5yr olds... think of the profits muh ha ha ha ha

that's the corporate american in you vegan, ha!

i'd get a bob jackson, midnight blue, with green lug lining.

oh wait - what's this?

and surely if you want to wait four years for a bike you could just go to condor?

benanza Each to their own and all that. :-)

I totally agree with supporting UK builders, we need those skills to remain around and be passed on and if we don't buy from them then they may eventually disappear which ain't great.

Yeah but they have to lower their prices, otherwise they will disappear.

It's already happening with everything else.

I think I'll go with the sachs. I don't mind the wait, really. In 4 years my taste may change, but then I only need to decide what to build when it comes close to the time.

I am a few weeks from deciding what to have made, if I order anything. I am pretty happy with my bike as is and I may decide I don't need another. It's changed a bit. I got red Phils laced to gold Velocities in Atlanta, and a proper track bar:

http://ckdake.com/gallery/events/bikes/fm2407/img_9654.jpg.html

edmundane [quote]vegansdontneedgears i think we should out source everythign to the thrid world to be mass produced... think of the unexpolited labour market in all the under 5yr olds... think of the profits muh ha ha ha ha

that's the corporate american in you vegan, ha![/quote]

well it all make cents

Alex Lewellyn is in australia, right?

Ja.

peejay78

and surely if you want to wait four years for a bike you could just go to condor?

if you want a 2010 model then yes.

Dario Pegoretti ! Marcelo Pista ? handcrafted that would be my choice .. can't be that bad a frame builder / designer if the likes of Miguel Indurain, Marco Pantani, Stephen Roche among others have ridden his frames .. and he's got some crazy / great paint jobs !

Dario has cancer and it seems is still working but at the moment to finish outstanding orders: http://www.bikyle.com/pegoretti.asp :(

yep hippy .. I know and was very sorry to hear he was ill but like many I hope he pulls through .. check out ( http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=DARIO_SUMMARY&PAGE_NUM=12&PRSET_VERSION=3 ) there's a short note from him to everyone who has wished him well if your interested.

id get a ron cooper, hes english, thats local. he dosent ever use jigs because he thinks they put pressure on the bars and stuff and he made my fixie one of the last he made for gillott.

its not custom for me because it was made in 1967 and i wasnt born then, but it fits pretty nicley.
http://www.veloworks.com/roncooper/

Momentum 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.

Ol' mate Dazza would agree. Buy local if you can. Support your own local economy etc, etc. Buy your veges at the market, and get a few chooks. I swear he's a closet hippy. (Sorry hippy, no'fence) However, if you do stop into Bris-Vegas, you can get fitted up by Dr Brian McLean, who did all the bio research for the AIS. He and Dazza work together a lot. But if you are going to buy OS, check the exchange rates first. Llewellyn might be a lot cheaper than a Sachs. Our $ sucks to your BP! (my keyboard doesn't even have the symbol, thats how bad it sucks!!)

Aside: I once asked Dazza who's bike he would ride if he didn't build his own. Dario & Peter Weigle were top of the list. Maybe Sacha too.

Money no object? Give Andy Walser a call. If he's good enough for Jan Ulrich....

http://www.walser-cycles.ch/

If there are any northeners out there - I'd go to http://www.vernonbarkercycles.co.uk - near sheffield.
He's been building bike frames for almost 30 years, and really knows his stuff.
Pretty flexible too. The sites not the most stylish, but don't let that put you off!

Vanilla it is.

The other builders are great, and I doubt I could go wrong with any of them, but no one else's bikes give me the gut reaction that Sacha's do. They are just absolutely beautiful and everyone seems to have a lot of respect for him.

now all you have to do is wait is 4 years!!! :)

dt now all you have to do is wait is 4 years!!! :)

Well worth the wait.

lpg [quote]benanza Each to their own and all that. :-)

I totally agree with supporting UK builders, we need those skills to remain around and be passed on and if we don't buy from them then they may eventually disappear which ain't great.

Yeah but they have to lower their prices, otherwise they will disappear.

It's already happening with everything else.[/quote]

I think custom frames are good vaule for what you get. Someone who has spent years learning a craft, who needs lots of expesive machinery, own their own biz, has a to pay big public liability insurance, builds you a custom frame for your style and sizing, takes hours to build and finish your frame, keeps uptodate with the lates info . A hand made suit (which you don't get made in China) will cost the price of many frame builders frames and they don't have the same costs like insurance and expensive machinery e.t.c.

you can't get into the oscar's after-party wearing a Vanilla bike though

anyone mentioned THE BEST??? Pegoretti!

you might get in riding one though :)