The most awesome Steel Bikes



M

Mark D

Guest
Hi Thought I'd try to stray away from much of the political threads that
are popping up all over usenet, and talk about something many of us love
here, Steel Bikes (Frames)

I truly admire/love frames like Sachs, Waterford, Davidson, Hetchins,
Merckx, Paramount, Guerciotti's and even some of the new Italian
Alberto Masi's starting to trickle in to US.
Some of the new Masi Samples I have heard are a bit rough around the
edges, but I'm sure quality will improve, and prices hopefully will come
down.

One Bike Frame Builder I've lately had my eye on, is a company called
Columbine Bikes, and they're in Mendocino, CA. Got thier brochure a
couple of weeks ago, and I was floored over the museum quality of build,
and the beauty of thier artwork. Does anyone here own a Columbine?

I notice they typically use Stainless Steel Lugs, and I'd like to ask on
how Stainless would hold up versus Chromoly Lugs?

Can anyone else comment about other builders, who are making astounding
examples of bike builder's art here in the US.

Columbines prices start at about $2300 (And the sky's the limit), and I
don't think this is out of line from what others charge for entry level
high quality Steel Lugged Frames.
Mark D.
 
> One Bike Frame Builder I've lately had my eye on, is a company called
> Columbine Bikes, and they're in Mendocino, CA.


<SNIP>

Is this the one:

Columbine Cycle Works

http://columbinecycle.com/
 
Pegoretti
Nobilette
Mondonico

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"
 
Mark D wrote:
> Can anyone else comment about other builders, who are making astounding
> examples of bike builder's art here in the US.

It's not in the US, but you really must see the work of Jan van Dalen:

www.duell.nl

Greets, Derk
 
Mark D wrote:

> One Bike Frame Builder I've lately had my eye on, is a company called
> Columbine Bikes, and they're in Mendocino, CA. Got thier brochure a
> couple of weeks ago, and I was floored over the museum quality of
> build, and the beauty of thier artwork. Does anyone here own a
> Columbine?


Columbine has been around a long time now, catering to those who want the
fanciest frame available.

> I notice they typically use Stainless Steel Lugs, and I'd like to ask
> on how Stainless would hold up versus Chromoly Lugs?


Just fine, better than the chromed lugs some have used previously, which is why
stainless is being used. Waterford uses stainless lugs too, for those who want
the chromed lug look. I think their dropouts are stainless as well.

> Can anyone else comment about other builders, who are making
> astounding examples of bike builder's art here in the US.


If you like fillet brazed frames, look at Curtlo, and of course, Tom Ritchey's
handmade ones. (Does he still make them?) I don't know if Basso still makes
the Gap, but that was a nice frame too -- a mixture of lugs and fillets.

> Columbines prices start at about $2300 (And the sky's the limit), and
> I don't think this is out of line from what others charge for entry
> level high quality Steel Lugged Frames.


No one's getting rich doing this. It's an art/craft like handmade furniture or
jewelry, to be appreciated as such.

Matt O.
 
Wasatch5k <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> > One Bike Frame Builder I've lately had my eye on, is a company called
> > Columbine Bikes, and they're in Mendocino, CA.

>
> <SNIP>
>
> Is this the one:
>
> Columbine Cycle Works
>
> http://columbinecycle.com/


Try <http://www.bikelugs.com/pacentigallery/index.html>
, major bike ****.

many priced well vs. the carbon/AL wonder bikes.
A pretty fancy Columbine is less than a Pinarello Dogma.
My LBS told me that Pinarello pays people who ride their bikes
$100 a year for riding a billboard, the Pin maybe less $$ over time.

Scott "the unsponsored" Goldsmith.
 

> Columbines prices start at about $2300 (And the sky's the limit), and I
> don't think this is out of line from what others charge for entry level
> high quality Steel Lugged Frames.
> Mark D.
>


I just took delivery of a made-to-measure Della Santa frame. It's stunning
with classic but not gaudy detail, custom chosen mix & match tubeset for my
weight/frame size, and light as a feather. The best part? Roland still tends
to undercharge dramatically for his frames. With $100 worth of extra paint
costs for two colors, and another $100 for nickel plating on the dropouts
the price to my door for both frame and fork was $1665. That included, by
the way, a silca pump painted to exactly match the frame. Can't wait to
build & ride that baby!

http://www.dellasanta.com

- Patrick W.
 
g.daniels wrote:

> another long playing record.


I thought those were vinyl, not steel.

--
Tom Sherman
 
Jeff Wills wrote:
> [email protected] (Mark D) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
>>Can anyone else comment about other builders, who are making astounding
>>examples of bike builder's art here in the US.
>>


Cool, a pr0n thread in r.b.t. :)

http://www.rivendellbicycles.com
http://www.vanillabicycles.com
http://www.richardsachs.com


http://www.bikelugs.com
http://www.kogswell.com <- imported lugged frames with a bobish
following. KOBS??
http://www.kogswellowners.com/pics2/album14

http://www.llewellynbikes.com/thegallery/index.php <-aussie that's on
the frame builders list.

I can't for the life of me find Brian Baylis's (B2)'s site. Thought I
had it book marked. He builds some nice stuff and restores quite a bit
too. Cool thing is he's local, and always seems to show up at the
Vintage rides with something really neat.

Here's Chuck Schmidt's site, he got his picture in the Dec. Buycycling
magazine. He's holding what appears to be the Peter Johnson Drillium
bike. :) Nice bike. Peter is also in the article displaying what is a
HUGE collection of vintage campy parts. It looks like steel is seeing a
revival.

http://velo-retro.com/

--
Mark Wolfe Lakeside, ca http://www.wolfenet.org
gpg fingerprint = 42B6 EFEB 5414 AA18 01B7 64AC EF46 F7E6 82F6 8C71
And tomorrow will be like today, only more so.
-- Isaiah 56:12, New Standard Version
 
[email protected] (Mark D) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi Thought I'd try to stray away from much of the political threads that
> are popping up all over usenet, and talk about something many of us love
> here, Steel Bikes (Frames)
>
> I truly admire/love frames like Sachs, Waterford, Davidson, Hetchins,
> Merckx, Paramount, Guerciotti's and even some of the new Italian
> Alberto Masi's starting to trickle in to US.
> Some of the new Masi Samples I have heard are a bit rough around the
> edges, but I'm sure quality will improve, and prices hopefully will come
> down.
>
> One Bike Frame Builder I've lately had my eye on, is a company called
> Columbine Bikes, and they're in Mendocino, CA. Got thier brochure a
> couple of weeks ago, and I was floored over the museum quality of build,
> and the beauty of thier artwork. Does anyone here own a Columbine?
>
> I notice they typically use Stainless Steel Lugs, and I'd like to ask on
> how Stainless would hold up versus Chromoly Lugs?
>
> Can anyone else comment about other builders, who are making astounding
> examples of bike builder's art here in the US.
>
> Columbines prices start at about $2300 (And the sky's the limit), and I
> don't think this is out of line from what others charge for entry level
> high quality Steel Lugged Frames.
> Mark D.


**********************************

Here are some fine looking bikes:-

http://www.donwalkercycles.com

Lewis.

********************************
 
"Lewis Campbell" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (Mark D) wrote in message
> news:<[email protected]>...
>> Hi Thought I'd try to stray away from much of the political threads that
>> are popping up all over usenet, and talk about something many of us love
>> here, Steel Bikes (Frames)
>>
>> I truly admire/love frames like Sachs, Waterford, Davidson, Hetchins,
>> Merckx, Paramount, Guerciotti's and even some of the new Italian
>> Alberto Masi's starting to trickle in to US.
>> Some of the new Masi Samples I have heard are a bit rough around the
>> edges, but I'm sure quality will improve, and prices hopefully will come
>> down.
>>
>> One Bike Frame Builder I've lately had my eye on, is a company called
>> Columbine Bikes, and they're in Mendocino, CA. Got thier brochure a
>> couple of weeks ago, and I was floored over the museum quality of build,
>> and the beauty of thier artwork. Does anyone here own a Columbine?
>>
>> I notice they typically use Stainless Steel Lugs, and I'd like to ask on
>> how Stainless would hold up versus Chromoly Lugs?
>>
>> Can anyone else comment about other builders, who are making astounding
>> examples of bike builder's art here in the US.
>>
>> Columbines prices start at about $2300 (And the sky's the limit), and I
>> don't think this is out of line from what others charge for entry level
>> high quality Steel Lugged Frames.
>> Mark D.

>
> **********************************
>
> Here are some fine looking bikes:-
>
> http://www.donwalkercycles.com
>
> Lewis.
>
> ********************************


Don't forget to look at Albert Eisentraut, the "Godfather of American
Framebuilders". Here's a recent sample of his stuff:

http://www.litman.com/bikes/eisentraut.htm

Have you seen lugs that thin?....
 
[email protected] (Mark D) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi Thought I'd try to stray away from much of the political threads that
> are popping up all over usenet, and talk about something many of us love
> here, Steel Bikes (Frames)
>
> ......
> Can anyone else comment about other builders, who are making astounding
> examples of bike builder's art here in the US.
>
> Columbines prices start at about $2300 (And the sky's the limit), and I
> don't think this is out of line from what others charge for entry level
> high quality Steel Lugged Frames.
> Mark D.


Bill Holland of Spring Valley Ca specializes in titanium bikes but he
builds steel bikes as well. He doesn't have a website, maybe because
he doesn't need one. His phone number is 619-469-1772.

Tom
 
i do envy people commuting in their 904 GTS on odd days and the 250LM on evens
 
Patrick W. wrote:
>>Columbines prices start at about $2300 (And the sky's the limit), and I
>>don't think this is out of line from what others charge for entry level
>>high quality Steel Lugged Frames.
>>Mark D.
>>

>
>
> I just took delivery of a made-to-measure Della Santa frame. It's stunning
> with classic but not gaudy detail, custom chosen mix & match tubeset for my
> weight/frame size, and light as a feather. The best part? Roland still tends
> to undercharge dramatically for his frames. With $100 worth of extra paint
> costs for two colors, and another $100 for nickel plating on the dropouts
> the price to my door for both frame and fork was $1665. That included, by
> the way, a silca pump painted to exactly match the frame. Can't wait to
> build & ride that baby!
>
> http://www.dellasanta.com
>
> - Patrick W.
>


absolutely agree. as the proud owner of a della santa, among many
others both owned & tried, roland is undoubtedly a star among stars in
his art.
 
Mark D asked:

> Can anyone else comment about other builders, who are making
> astounding examples of bike builder's art here in the US.


I have personally seen some really fine examples of bike-builder's art
in the shop of Sacramento's famous _"Man Of Steel"_ :

http://rexcycles.com/

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)