Jan,
Just a question out of curiousity; do you think an order for a Singer track frame would be accepted? If they would build a track frame with the one piece headtube/lug effect I'd be inclined to considering do such a think. I'd be more than happy to wait a year for it(so I could rathole the balance). A nice celeste blue would be very nice in my opinion. Interested in pitching Uncle Ernie for me??
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
Just back from Velo Rendezvous II. Report after I unload my car. Just
took the trike off of the roof.
>
> M. Csuka is 74 or 75, and he doesn't make many bikes any longer -
> 15-20 a year, he says. So he chooses his customers. Half of the bikes
> seem to go to Japan, where people know exactly what they want, and
> are willing to pay for it.
>
> That said, I have been able to order a bike or two each year for
> friends and acquaintances. These bikes are imported through Il
> Vecchio in Seattle for insurance and other reasons. Cost for a fully
> spec'd randonneur is about $ 5000-6000, depending on the exchange
> rate (which is getting less favorable all the time). That is for a
> complete bike, and includes a front and rear custom rack, a
> fillet-brazed stem with your name on the "bouchon," fenders, etc.
> About 1/4 of the total is for assembly. It takes days to assemble a
> bike like that, unlike a racing bike, where one afternoon is enough
> to bolt on the bits. (Nothing against racing bikes, they are
> wonderful!)
>
> A racing Singer would be a lot cheaper, and you might be able to get
> a frame/fork kit only. On a randonneur, you can't. Singer says he
> breaks even on the frame, loses money on the racks and stem, and
> makes money on the components and assembly.
>
> The price I quote includes figuring out what you want, which
> components, etc. Some components are harder and harder to find -
> Japanese customers provide their own. This includes classic lights,
> and anything older than about 1970. Obviously, you can find JOS
> lights on e-bay and send them to Singer, if you want a 1950s bike. It
> can be done, and it is being done for Japanese customers.
> Unfortunately, lately, Maxi-Car hubs also are impossible to find. I
> know Singer has a very small stock, but once they are gone... There
> are a lot of things to a randonneur (for example, bar-end shifters
> don't work with the handlebar bag, and the French feel that if the
> bike handles well, it isn't a problem to take a hand or two off the
> bars once in a while...), so it takes a while to figure it all out.
>
> Delivery time is very variable - sometimes as little as 4 months, but
> we've waited a year, too.
>
> You could get on a plane to Paris and save a little - if M. Csuka
> builds one for you. He has been known to tell people that he doesn't
> make bikes any longer... And he usually has little patience if you
> don't know the details of randonneur bikes.
>
> In case you wondered, my real job is technical writing and
> translations. I do this on the side, not to make money, but to keep
> the craft alive. The same applies to the newsletter... although that
> might break even with a few more subscribers (not counting my time,
> of course). So does Il Vecchio - he makes a lot more on a new De Rosa
> than on a Singer order!
>
> If all this sounds good, contact me. We have one more on order, so
> another could be ordered soon. (I don't dare to have more than 2
> orders in at a time.)
>
> Finally, the lugs. Csuka said in the interview in Vintage Bicycle
> Quarterly that the lugs just were popular because they were elegant.
> Today, he makes the lugs by hand from tube sections welded together.
> You can't buy these lugs any longer. No idea who made them. I asked
> Csuka, but either he didn't remember or didn't want to say.
>
> And finally, finally, I, too, think Singers are on par with Herse.
> More functional, no features that don't do much to enhance the
> function (like the concealed cables). Very fine lines. Wonderful
> ride. My favorites of all bikes.
>
> C'est tout.
>
> Jan Heine, Seattle
>
> >
> >Ok, the indoctrination is complete and I'm starting to think Alex
> >Singer's are at least as interesting as Rene Herse's. The Paris
> >show pics were the last straw added to make the flames of desire
> >burn from "want" to "need." A touring Singer is now on the "must
> >have" list, maybe I'll have to get Mitzi one as her Ph.D. graduation
> >present. So here are a few questions for the Singer scholars: What
> >are those lugs they use? I've seen them on Herse's too, they have
> >such a nice fluid look. How much would a new custom Singer cost?
> >Why don't they build tandems any more?
> >enjoy,
> >Brandon"monkeyman"Ives
> >SB, CA
> >
> >PS: If you search on Google for -Levallois Alex Singer- you'll also
> >get Screamin' Jay Hawkins' bio. Just one more reason to like Singer
> >bikes.
> >--
> > ++++++++++++++
> >"Nobody can do everything, but if everybody
> >did something everything would get done."
> >--Gil Scott-Heron--
> > ++++++++++++++
> >Elfie and Monkeyboy's Wurld uv Wunder
> ><http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~mkirklan/>
> > ++++++++++++++