Tom Dalton wrote:
>>>...Richard still makes em the ol' fashioned way, so we talk about his
bikes. Ben and Tom have changed in response to marketing concerns, and
their older bikes have somehow fallen off our radar, perhaps as a direct
result. On the other hand, Schwinn, Raleigh, Masi, Colnago, DeRosa et
al, get tons of bandwidth, yet haven't made a "classic" frame in
years.<<<
And Richard Sachs added:
>>>...the only concession i make to the ol' fashioned
way is that my tubes are joined with lugs. otherwise, they are
not made or marketed to invoke the 'past' unless someone
specifically orders a retro-ish frame.<<<
De Rosa still makes a lugged steel frame, as does Colnago (two, actually). Serotta and Kellogg (Spectrum) also are offering lugged steel frames, as are a host of British marques. Pegoretti, Hampsten and others have new offerings in their line-up that follow suit. And of course, there are the smaller builders, Sachs, Bohm, Ryffranck, Kvale, Hollands, etc., etc., etc., that are building contemporary, lugged steel frames. These may not be "classic" or "old fashion", as Richie points out. We touched on this a while back, but I think the trend toward "contemporary classics", if you want to call them something, is increasing. These are certainly contemporary bikes, but built with a leaning toward classic style and esthetics. Saying that small builders doing it is okay and large builders doing it is only a marketing gimmick is missing the point. It's happening because there is a market for it, and I think that's a GOOD thing.
Wayne Bingham
Falls Church VA