For $12 000 you can have a first class trip around my cycle works, accompanied by the CEO (me). Drink tea made in the company tea pot, test ride my entire fleet of bicycles, have a signed photograph of the entire work force and all our sponsored riders, I will thrown even throw in a custom built frame too! I am taking orders now. In fact for that sort of money, you could live with me for a week, walk the dogs, drive the car etc etc.
What makes a good frame builder? The ability to give the customer what they want.
I have a couple of Lipscombe frames that I want to sell. I mention these frames now as they are hanging in my garage, naked! That is shot blasted down to bare metal. They were built at the end of the 1950s and are avery good example of what, in my opinion, a well build frame is. Neat, clean and efficiently built. No file marks as the brazing was done right the first time. Braze ons in the place the customer wanted them. Used well, but still perfectly serviceable half a century later.
If you are interested in the frames, here are some details. The paint on both was very poor, so I had them blast in order to give them a good inspection. They are both in very good structural condition with no corosion damage. Some braze ons have been modified, but I can correct them to the purchases desires (as would have been done at the original custom build date), using period correct bosses. As these were custom builds the paint would have been to the customer choice, you can now reproduce that process. Transfers are available. I can also arrange for painting to be carried out if required.
Frame number 1: 531 tubes, Nervex pro lugs, 23 " C-T seat tube, 23 " C-C top tube. Chisel point top eyes, brazed on record gear lever bosses, with back plates, pump pegs on down tube, BB shell is drilled for grease nipple (new nipple supplied with frame). Campagnolo long drop outs. $175, plus airmail. Paint or transfers extra.
Frame no 2: 23 1/2" seat tube C-T, 23 1/2" top tube C-C, 531 tubes, cast long point lugs, full wrapped over top eyes, very neatly done, cable bridge on seatstays for centre pull brakes, round section fork blades. $160, plus airmail. Paint or transfers extra.
Please contact off list if you are interested. Thanks.
Regards
Martin Coopland