Hi John,
Artistic Cycles usually have a steel! stem-bar unit, which somewhat resembles a flipped drop bar. The barends have domes brazed into them, to avoid impaling the riders.
Forks have no rake, the steering angle is steep, and the saddle is bent upward in back (to aid lifting the front wheel when standing on the bike?)
The UCI regulates artistic bikes like they do road bikes, so all the (min- and max-) dimensions should be listed somwhere.
The most prestigeous and expensive brand of artistic (and cycle ball and cycle polo) bikes is Walther in Germany. All components are made by Walther (except tires (continental tubulars), chain (Renold) and spokes (DT)). Walther is the sucessor company of Bauer's competion bike division. Other companies are Langenberg and some Czech brands (Otoupalik, Pospili(?)).
Traditionally also big companies and local framebuilders would build artistic bikes.
There are/were some Japanese manufacturers.
A German ("Kunstrad") or Czech language Google search will probably yield more information.
Tobit Linke, Dortmund, Germany
> Message: 13
> Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:31:44 -0600
> From: john Picard <jpicard616@gmail.com>
> Subject: [CR] Artistic cycling
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
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> Does anyone have any information on artistic cycle frames? From what little
> info i've been able to gather, what makes an artistic frame is the 0-degree
> stem, the 1 : 1 gear ratio, a more compact overall geometry, flipped drop
> bars, and pegs. I'd like to know what companies built these frames, and
> their proper components.
>
> Also i'm a first time poster and new to this mailing list. The e-list rules
> page said that it's encouraged to provide a brief profile so here it is: My
> name is John Picard, I live in Missoula Montana, U.S. and I'm a mechanic at
> Free Cycles, which is the largest bike collective in the state. Bikes I own
> are a Battaglin World Champion 87', a 66 Bottecchia, and a Raphael Geminani
> which I will be posting pictures of soon.
>
> Glad to be a part of your group!
> John Picard
> Missoula MT, U.S.