thomas Rawson wrote: MOJO? http://www.cwo.com/
My reply:
Hi Thomas,
Not for me, really, it's just a personal style issue. There are lots of frame builders I consider to have made incredible technical or artistic achievements, contributing much to the collective "art" of frame building, but they have no MOJO for me.
I don't like the style of intricate lugs. I'm a modernist. I like minimal, super clean, pared down, "less is more" designs. I can appreciate all the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into that fancy stuff, but it's just not me. The Zen of reducing things to their bare essence, is, for me, the fact that the basic structure of the tube and lug joint is exposed, is key. Like great architecture that celebrates the method of it's construction, for example, the exposed steel structure of a Richard Neutra house, it doesn't need that structure adorned with "decoration" to make it any more beautiful than it already is. This goes hand in hand for me with the design of bicycles in general, which are by nature minimal and efficient designs.
Not that Victorian, or other styles of architecture haven't made a contribution to the art, I don't plan on living in house of this style.
Grant McLean Toronto, Canada
my list was:
Alex Singer
Bianchi
Masi California
Mariposa
Raleigh
Richard-SAN
Toei
Ugo De Rosa
Yoshi Konno (3 Rensho)
Yoshiaki Nagasawa