Bicycles

[culverwood]

I must disagree with your assessment that steel is only good for downhill. My wife and I both have custom framed steel touring bikes and steel is very good at carrying heavy loads whilst giving a comfortable ride. Obviously weight is not a factor when you are loading it with front and back panniers.

[DonB]

The Dutch know a thing or two about bicycles:

http://www.gazelle.nl/nl/collectie/stad ... ulair.html

I thought the Toer Populair by Gazelle deserved being mentioned here.

[Maki]

I must disagree with your assessment that steel is only good for downhill. My wife and I both have custom framed steel touring bikes and they steel is very good at carrying heavy loads whilst giving a comfortable ride. Obviously weight is not a factor when you are loading it with front and back panniers.

Aah that is a fair point. Although in my defence I was approaching it from the angle of the casual commute or free-ride where large weights etc are not usually added. Personally I would prefer an aluminium or carbon frame even for such purposes as they shed weight, I also prefer the feel of those two, even it it's rendered completely obsolete by heavy baggage. My bias as a weight weenie will almost always be towards materials of that nature, however each to their own.

[cathach]

I'd also have to chime in on the side of steel frames. Most modern steel frames are made from SE Asian rubbish but there is still great stuff made in Europe and the States from it. One of the benefits of steel is its high tensile strength which gives it a steadiness and springiness thats hard to describe unless you use one. I have an old Dublin-built Raleigh Roadster that is one of the smoothest and pleasant bicycles to use. And they last and last, mine is 45 years old and still works a charm.

Aluminium frames unless unless you get a racer are still quite heavy and also due to its brittle nature, very good at transmitting bumps and shocks from the road directly to your posterior.

[Concordia]

If I rode more, I'd think about something like this: http://www.dbccitybikedesign.com/swiftblue.php

[cathach]

There is no chain, there is a Cardanic Joint.
Their name is cicli & co.

Does anyone know where these cicli & co bikes can be found? Google alas has led nowhere for me.

[Canuck]

There is no chain, there is a Cardanic Joint.
Their name is cicli & co.

Does anyone know where these cicli & co bikes can be found? Google alas has led nowhere for me.

Maybe you are looking for Cinelli or Cilo.

[robert_n]

My bike. NuVinci hub on custom frame.

[lgcintra]

Great looks, Robert.

What is your take on the NuVinci CVT? It caught my attention...

Best,
Luis

[robert_n]

@ Igcintra:
Thanks. I've always had a liking for hubs for city bikes; less messy and tolerant of rough treatment. This NuVinci was the reason I commissioned the bike in the first place. It's great. Really the best gear system I've used. Efficiency-wise it may be very slightly inferior to the derailleur and certainly heavier, but that's irrelevant to me as the frame is a very light steel number.

[cathach]

robert_n,

Thats a gorgeous bike, do you mind telling us who your frame builder is? I think that the advantages of having the drivetrain directly inline significantly outweigh the weight issue of the derailleur. Lovely copper mudguards and Brooks saddle too!

[robert_n]

@ cathatch:
Thanks, the mudguards are in fact laminated timber. The frame is by Ewen Gellie of Melbourne, Australia, to whom I handed the brief: make me something with this gear case that could pass unobserved in The Bicycle Thief. He came up with the goods. The handlebars are Velo Orange "Montmartre" - very narrow and good for sliding in and out of parked cars, but very sensitive and nervy. It took a while to get my coordination.

http://www.gelliecustombikeframes.com.au/

[Gido]

The Dutch know a thing or two about bicycles:

http://www.gazelle.nl/nl/collectie/stad ... ulair.html

I thought the Toer Populair by Gazelle deserved being mentioned here.

I'm Dutch and I own one of these. I don't like the one that resembles the ladies model, the triangle shaped frame is more solid. This design was made to enable ladies with long skirts to drive a bike. I have no clue why they added a gentlemen's bike with this design, long overcoats are no problem in my experience. In Holland these are popularly called omafiets (grandma bike) which was already a common term when I was born, 40 years ago. This design goes back to the 19th century.

My grandfather was a bicycle-repairman. An 'old fashioned' craftsman, who took pride in doing a good job. He swore by Gazelle, and was passionate about it. And while the quality of this brand has somewhat degraded over the last decades, less expensive plastic parts and so on, it's still significantly better than most of the competition. The frame is fantastic. They still use stainless steel; the tires, wheels, brakes, and so on are of a very good quality.

Personally, I love bicycling. Here in Amsterdam, it's very safe, and often faster than by car. I enjoy cycling outside the city for leisure. Nature, the countryside, and so on. Alone or with good company, I find it joyful and soothing. These classic bikes (especially Gazelle, the frame is different from the rest, different and better balance) allow the driver to sit up straight, which is something I like a lot. Besides more comfortable, it's easier to look around you, especially behind you; you don't have to twist your back to do so. And your eyes are in a higher position, you can look over cars, both enable a better overview in traffic. Or, a better overview of the beautiful surrounding.

Obviously, these bikes are made for our pancake-shaped country. I wouldn't want to drive a classic Gazelle up in the mountains. If you don't live in a flat country, a custom made frame might be a great option, together with a wide range of gears. But if you do, then here's something that has been engineered to perfection many, many decades ago. There's simply no need for improvement, although I sometimes do wish they still would make them the exact way they used to.

Best,
Gido.

[robert_n]

For what it's worth, I was inspired by Bella Ciao's frames and styling. I've heard nothing but good things about them.
http://www.bellaciao.de/en/?page_id=8

[Montesquieu]

Our stable of bespoke bicycles:

Designer: Steve Hampsten (brother of American Giro d'Italia-winner, Andy Hampsten)
Frame: Strada Bianca, titanium, custom geometry
Paint: none, matte bead blasted by Kent Eriksen
Primary use: gravel roads, nasty pavement, rainy days, recovery rides



Designer/builder: Dario Pegoretti (famous maker of a few of Miguel Indurain's Tour-winning bikes)
Frame: Responsorium, TIG-welded stainless steel, custom geometry
Paint: one-of-a-kind creation by Dario using the colors of the Luxembourg lion flag
Primary use: long rides, steep hills, everyday training



Designer: Sacha White
Frame: Speedvagen Road, TIG-welded steel, made-to-measure geometry
Paint: Surprise Me Gold, unique on a road frame, by COAT
Primary use: fast group rides, flats, races



Designer: Richard Sachs
Frame: Road, lugged steel
Paint: TBD by me and Joe Bell
Wait list: 7 years, 2.5 of which have passed. I'll share this one in approximately 2016.

My wife’s bike
Designer/builder: Dave Kirk
Frame: Terraplane, fillet-brazed steel, custom geometry
Paint: unique design by me and Joe Bell