WE have for many years suggested to people that perhaps what they imagine is a custom frame is really a hand built frameset, but components are chosen for the individual, and THEN custom position fit to the individuals needs. Unless the client / rider has physical proportions too far out of "average" so that a good builder's or standard factory dimensions won't allow a good, comfortable, efficient fit and ride, a truly geometry tailored bike is hardly necessary, Ted Ernst. Palos Verdes Est. CA
<classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 12:03 PM Subject: RE: [CR]Vintage bicycles and tiers
>
> Hi Peter,
> I disagree with your analogy of bikes to suits. No one (normally) buys
> used suits or shoes. To me a used bike is more closely akin to buying a
> used car. The used car has seats that you can adjust to fit you, ditto a
> bike with stems and seatposts. I personally love other peoples used custom
> frames. I ride large frames and as long as the top tube isn't overly
> short or long they work fine. I can see no better buy than a used custom
> frame. I feel most people buy custom frames because they want an
> especially nice frame, not becuase the owner had strange body proportions
> and couldn't find an off the shelf bike to fit.
>
> just my 2 cents, cheers,
> Rod Kronenberg
> Fort Collins, CO
> -------------- Original message --------------
>
>> The idea of "tiers" is useful especially for those of us with no real
>> ambition to find our collections fall into the top two or even three
>> "rungs".
>>
>> A lot of folks here are into handbuilt, custom-made frames etc. and
>> that's
>> obviously "top tier". But I like to ride what I collect and buying
>> someone
>> else's custom-made bike, unless they are a mirror image of me, is like
>> buying and wearing used custom made suits or shoes. It's still quality
>> but
>> the "it's all about me" quality is largely wasted on a second owner in my
>> opinion. Of course one can still admire the tailoring of a custom made
>> suit
>> that's two sizes too small.
>>
>> So I guess I aspire to second tier which I might define as the real
>> quality, top-of-the-line machine that was still an off the shelf item. I
>> would suppose my '73 Cinelli SC and '48 RRA would qualify for that. But
>> there are intangables too, what some here call "mojo" so maybe my '74-5
>> TI
>> Raleigh Team Pro gets a notch up for that... I know it was at least owned
>> by a famous pro, if not ridden professionally. Then again what about my
>> '69
>> PX-10? Not quite in the league as a bike if you just look at it (well I
>> love her!) but loaded with mojo associations of Tommy Simpson et. al. and
>> an off the shelf machine that was a racing champion in its day.
>>
>> To me, the most aspired to "tier" is when you've got her out on the road
>> and you get "Man, that's a great looking bike". A '77 Sears "Free Spirit"
>> might get that, but I kinda doubt it. We all know what we like in the
>> end...
>>
>> Peter Kohler
>> Washington DC USA
>>
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