Hello List
E-Richie-SAN and I had a quick off list chat about the fact that Yoshiaki Nagasawa is "the real deal".
All one has to do is look at an example of his work and you will understand that he must be one of the finest builders of all time. Talk about MOJO... he's got it all. I'm personally a fan of many things from the Far East, so I got to wondering what's lost in the translation here. This list doesn't seem to care for things from Japan at all. Am I off base here?
I think the Japanese really understand bicycles: Function, production, design, aesthetic, quality, tradition, performance, it all adds up to so much MOJO. The fact that in Japan they appreciate it all: Track, Road Racing, Randonneur, whatever, makes them qualified to build some really cool stuff. In Europe, bikes are mostly tools, and without pressure from America, finish quality wouldn't be even what it is (mediocre at best) It's hard to say that the USA even has a "style" because the builders are so fragmented, there are hardly even "schools" of style. To my eye, seeing these fine Nagasawa frames that are like hardened steel blades and a pieces of fine porcelain at the same time, a perfect balance of fine craftsmanship and precision engineering. This balance is something a lot of bikes lack.
I searched the CR archive, and came up with only a few references to Nagasawa. One reference to Nagasawa included several list members all time top builders lists, so after my little rant here, I thought it would be fun to start that one up again for those who didn't do it before, so here's my top 10 MOJO list:
alphabetical:
Alex Singer Bianchi Masi California Mariposa Raleigh Richard-SAN Toei Ugo De Rosa Yoshi Konno (3 Rensho) Yoshiaki Nagasawa
(I've never seen a Confente, so it can't be on my list, which remains un-laminated)
Grant McLean
toronto, canada