The major difference, I believe, in the buying public's eyes between Richard and Bruce's bikes is one thing, perception of their uses. Richard's bikes are generally perceived as go-fast bikes, racing bikes.
99% of folks buying road bikes want a go-fast bike. This perception
is held out when you actually look at the non-custom road bikes being sold in shops. Bruce's bikes, right or wrong, are perceived as touring
or go-slow bikes and the market for touring bikes in the U.S. is damn close to nonexistent. When I was researching to start Ivy Cycles Bruce's bikes were one of my main influences. I wanted to produce rough-stuff and touring bikes because that's the kind of cycling I like, but after looking at the market I had to rethink that area. Sure
Richard is one of the true wizards of marketing in the bike industry but that only explains a small bit of the extra folks on his wait list.
Like many things it all comes down to perception. best, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives VAncouver, B.C.
On Thursday, Mar 9, 2006, at 07:17 US/Pacific, mmeison@aol.com wrote:
> To start let me say right off the bat that my
> only connection to the bicycle industry is through my wallet.
>
> That said I sit here and wonder what is the difference
> between say a Bruce Gordon and a Richard Sachs?
> For the sake of arguement (and reality) framebuilding skills should
> be taken out of the equation as both are artisans (ableit in different
> mediums).
> e-RICHIE© is all over the place, he is in magazines (and not just
> cycling
> magazines), he is on websites (i.e. campy only), he is participating
on
> various internet forums.
> Other than his own web site, I really can't recall seeing Bruce's work
> advertized, written up, reviewed in quite a while.
> Marketing. Richard has something like a 4 or 5 year waiting list, yet
> people still pony up even though there are other just as skilled and
> gifted framebuilders starving for work.
> I really think that the small builder has to promote themselves in
> order
> to survive, it's this exposure in the media other than the
> framebuilders list or
> here that get the names out there. Just out of curiousity I'd ask how
> much
> increase in contact did Brian receive after Bicycling©
> wrote that small piece on his operation?
> And that leads me to my final point. Back in the 70's and 80's I would
> read
> these wonderful articles about custom builders in magazines like
> Bicycling©
> (Before it became an MTV soundbite) and Bicycle Guide and I wanted
> those bikes.
> I knew who was building custom frames, whether they were race geometry
> or
> full blown tourers. We just don't have those magazines anymore, and
> with
> the exception of Cycling Plus one hardly sees any write ups on touring
> bikes,
> its all go fast carbon fibre (at least as far as the magazines
> available both commercially
> and locally). The CR lister who reads VBQ and Rivendell Reader already
> knows, or
> has a pretty good idea about, the small artisan builders, it's the
> general cycling public
> who needs the education.
>
> Marty Eison
> Frisco, Texas _______________________________________________