Ron works alone ... he doesn't have an apprentice or staff ...
--
Steven L. Sheffield stevens at veloworks dot com veloworks at earthlink dot net aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you double-yew double-ewe dot veloworks dot com [four word] slash
> From: "Moos, Jerry" <jmoos@urc.com>
> Date: Tue, 22 May 2001 08:33:15 -0400
> To: "'Diane Feldman'" <feldmanbike@home.com>, rocklube@adnc.com, "Steven L.
> Sheffield" <stevens@veloworks.com>
> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: RE: Fight pickin' ... Re: [CR]Quiet again
>
> Yes, Ray Etherton, who owns the Bates name, and sells (or doesn't sell, in
> some cases) the frames, confirmed at Cirque that Cooper builds the Bates for
> him. In fact, he suggested that Ron builds them personally, at least in
> part.
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diane Feldman [mailto:feldmanbike@home.com]
> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2001 11:29 PM
> To: rocklube@adnc.com; Steven L. Sheffield
> Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: Re: Fight pickin' ... Re: [CR]Quiet again
>
>
> According to an article last year in Cycling Plus, Cooper builds the
> reproduction Bates frames.
>
> David FEldman
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Baylis" <rocklube@adnc.com>
> To: "Steven L. Sheffield" <stevens@veloworks.com>
> Cc: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2001 7:23 PM
> Subject: Re: Fight pickin' ... Re: [CR]Quiet again
>
>
>> Steven,
>>
>> You may find this difficult to believe, but my sincere opinion on that
>> matter would go with Ron Cooper. I previously owned (an regretably sold)
>> two Ron Cooper bikes. One was a Nervex Pro lugged 1972 road frame that
>> was exactly my size. The other was a costom built for me 47 cm track
>> frame sized for 650c tires and made from Reynolds 653 tubing (that
>> currently belongs to listmember Wes Oishi) which came unpainted. I put a
>> really cool yellow and black paint job on it and it is a great bike.
>>
>> As Ray Etherton can confirm, we had a conversation at some point during
>> the Cirque which centered around the topic of Ron Cooper as
>> framebuilder. Ray like him quite a lot. I told Ray that I think Ron
>> Cooper is the best English framebuilder I can think of. I have always
>> liked that Cooper frames are "Italian in style" when many English frames
>> aren't (not that there's anything wrong with that); it's just my
>> preference. His caliber of construction is every bit the equal of Mario
>> technically speaking; and he has displayed a wide varity of styles and
>> abilities that I never saw from Mario. Of course Mario has a leg up as
>> far as frame number go; no one can compete with that. Personally I would
>> rather own a Mario built Italian Masi than a Confente; but I'd take
>> either and would prefer to have both. But from a framebuilders
>> perspective as a constructor, I see very little difference. Two expertly
>> made brass brazed frames.
>>
>> Had the need for money not been present when the two lucky buyers were,
>> I'd still own those two bikes. But then where would I put them? Amongst
>> 13 OTHER track bikes and who knows how many road bikes? Maybe a Cooper
>> built Hetchins vibrant/helenic track frame I should order; and what the
>> heck, make that for 650c wheels and 49cm C-T.
>>
>> Ducking for cover now.
>>
>> Brian Baylis
>> I'm not telling you where I live.
>>>
>>>> From: "Rick Chasteen" <rchasteen@kc.rr.com>
>>>>
>>>> Somebody pick a fight or get Gilbert wound up or ask a Masi question.
>>>
>>> Okay ... I'll bite.
>>>
>>> Who is a better builder ... Ron Cooper or Mario Confente?
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> Steven L. Sheffield
>>> stevens at veloworks dot com
>>> veloworks at earthlink dot net
>>> aitch tee tea pea colon [for word] slash [four ward] slash double-you
>>> double-yew double-ewe dot veloworks dot com [four word] slash