Also the Singer bikes with a frame built by Roland Csuka have the "Constructeur E. Csuka" label at the head tube, since Ernest was the overall constructeur of the whole bike, which seems to be more important for the french constructeurs than the question who actually brazed the frame. The one part usually chromed head lug/tube is a special Singer option, which could be ordered like for example chromed fork stays. You can still get it now and it is just a indication for the customer's taste. As far as I know (and have seen in 4 visits) Ernest Csuka nowadays plans and constructs the whole bike, builds all the special parts, racks, stems but also does a good deal of the frame building like preparing cutting and filing the lugs, making the braze on parts and also brazes them to the frame. If he also personally brazes the frame tubes to the lugs after Roland's death seems to be uncertain, if his son Oliver helps him here or if it is really subcontracted - I don't know. When I was there Oliver told me that they braze the frames in the shop in Levallois. At least the current Singers are still the real deal regarding style and construction while the two pseudo Singers on eBay a few weeks ago are something completely different.
Dirk
-- Dirk Feeken Heidelberg Germany
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Edward Albert Sent: Mittwoch, 17. Januar 2007 16:15 To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org; hersefan@comcast.net; yoonglee@jupiter.livedoor.com; mdschmidt@patmedia.net Subject: Re: [CR]a new Singer framekit ?
I am somewhat confused (this is nothing new). Mike, you say that Roland was the torch till close-up to 1990. It is my understanding that Ernest also built but that Roland was the more proficient of the two. That as it may be, I have a Singer touring frame built probably between 72 and 74. It is likely that it origainally came in through Cuppertino's but they do not have a record for the exact serial # (actually they have one before and one after). The bike is decaled with Ernest's name as the Construteur. The bike also has the head tube and head lugs integrated into a single piece. Now, what is this integrated head tube/lug configuration indicative of? Looking at various pics around the web I cannot find a pattern that says this is earlier or later than then a normally lugged head tube construction nor that it is of better or lessor quality. Why use one approach AND/OR the other? Is it indicative of Ernest's work rather than Roland's? Did Roland also sign the head tube decal R. Csuka? Questions, Questions. Edward Albert, confuesed in, Chappaqua, NY, USA