The advantages of a "budget" custom over a used frame is pretty clear to me. You get exactly what you want and it's brand new.
Cheers, Rod Kronenberg
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of joebz@optonline.net Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 8:44 AM To: Emanuel Lowi Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]re: KOF Frames and Growing Old
Emanuel said: <snip> "I was delighted by the responses I got from Mercian and Bob Jackson. They were very accomodating and what they offered had plenty of individuality.
Jackson, for example, will build with 531, 753, 853, with Hetchins-esque lug work at a price that is simply irresistible -- a complete bike for about the price of a frame only from an illustrious neighbour to my south.
The choice was obvious."
I guess this choice is obvious if you are focussed on a price, but you get what you pay for. Even among British bikes a real Hetchins or a Ron Cooper made Bates or such is around $2000. I think a few patient questions to the illustrious neighbors to the south or even questions to the illustrious neighbor to the west (Mariposa) would reveal the differences of a great custom frame versus the Mercian or Bob Jackson type.
Don't get me wrong, a Mercian or Bob Jackson is a fine bike, but unless you are on a strict budget or have a very specialized need I can see no advantage of one of these over a used frame. For a limited budget there are thrifty options in the US also. Franklin Frames, for example, has a simple custom model for $990.
Joe Bender-Zanoni
Great Notch, NJ
> Thomas Adams wrote (in part):
\r?\n>
\r?\n> > How many builders have multi
\r?\n> > year wait lists? Baylis, Sachs, Rivendell, Bohemian, and anyone
\r?\n> > else? (Obviously not Bruce Gordon, now's the time to jump in
\r?\n> > line!!!) Mercian, Bob Jackson, Franklin Frames (and no doubt many
\r?\n> > others) can ship you a custom frame in considerably under 6 months.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> When I decided to shop for a KOF frame last year, I first contacted
\r?\n> some of the most respected American builders.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Not only was I astonished by the wait times, their prices were way
\r?\n> beyond my budget.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Then I checked with some of the remaining old-time British builders.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I was delighted by the responses I got from Mercian and Bob Jackson.
\r?\n> They were very accomodating and what they offered had plenty of
\r?\n> individuality.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Jackson, for example, will build with 531, 753, 853, with
\r?\n> Hetchins-esque lug work at a price that is simply irresistible -- a
\r?\n> complete bike for about the price of a frame only from an illustrious
\r?\n> neighbour to my south.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> The choice was obvious.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Emanuel Lowi
\r?\n> Montreal, Quebec
\r?\n>
\r?\n>
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