According to an article last year in Cycling Plus, Cooper builds the reproduction Bates frames.
David FEldman
> Steven,
>
> You may find this difficult to believe, but my sincere opinion on that
> matter would go with Ron Cooper. I previously owned (an regretably sold)
> two Ron Cooper bikes. One was a Nervex Pro lugged 1972 road frame that
> was exactly my size. The other was a costom built for me 47 cm track
> frame sized for 650c tires and made from Reynolds 653 tubing (that
> currently belongs to listmember Wes Oishi) which came unpainted. I put a
> really cool yellow and black paint job on it and it is a great bike.
>
> As Ray Etherton can confirm, we had a conversation at some point during
> the Cirque which centered around the topic of Ron Cooper as
> framebuilder. Ray like him quite a lot. I told Ray that I think Ron
> Cooper is the best English framebuilder I can think of. I have always
> liked that Cooper frames are "Italian in style" when many English frames
> aren't (not that there's anything wrong with that); it's just my
> preference. His caliber of construction is every bit the equal of Mario
> technically speaking; and he has displayed a wide varity of styles and
> abilities that I never saw from Mario. Of course Mario has a leg up as
> far as frame number go; no one can compete with that. Personally I would
> rather own a Mario built Italian Masi than a Confente; but I'd take
> either and would prefer to have both. But from a framebuilders
> perspective as a constructor, I see very little difference. Two expertly
> made brass brazed frames.
>
> Had the need for money not been present when the two lucky buyers were,
> I'd still own those two bikes. But then where would I put them? Amongst
> 13 OTHER track bikes and who knows how many road bikes? Maybe a Cooper
> built Hetchins vibrant/helenic track frame I should order; and what the
> heck, make that for 650c wheels and 49cm C-T.
>
> Ducking for cover now.
>
> Brian Baylis
> I'm not telling you where I live.
> >
> > > From: "Rick Chasteen" <rchasteen@kc.rr.com>
> > >
> > > Somebody pick a fight or get Gilbert wound up or ask a Masi question.
> >
> > Okay ... I'll bite.
> >
> > Who is a better builder ... Ron Cooper or Mario Confente?
> >
> > --
> >
> > Steven L. Sheffield
> > stevens at veloworks dot com
> > veloworks at earthlink dot net
> > aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you
> > double-yew double-ewe dot veloworks dot com [four word] slash