Retro Bikes of Quality

[novekili]

not in my opinion. Example... lugged Tommasini, beginning of the 90s. Build quality: incredible. And FTW said this, not me.

Geometry road, top tube: short, chainstays, too long.

Result: unridable.

Now Tommasini has made great bikes from 1995 on, however it's not the anally retentive quality which makes a bike. However, the Ultimate had oustanding features, like those bent stays. FTW again was telling me how difficult is to find people able to bend those tubes so well, without crimping or provoking those waves on the steel which are so frequent when tubes are bent. Again, that manually ovalized top tube, and those little tubes and that tiny triangle, a nightmare to build, to join the elevated stays and the seat tube.

But as you said, let's avoid discussing on Yeti quality...

 

[doctor-bond]

Getting a bit leery in the saloon, so had to pop into the snug for a couple of quick shots of Fillet Braze.

Ahh, that's better.

 

[one-eyed_jim]

Lugged Columbus Max from 1987:

http://www.oldschoolmtb.com/v/rossin-max-87/

I'm just a sucker for a pretty paint job.

 

[Rod_Saetan]

That is freaking mint!

 

[sinnerman]

fillets

Reynolds 753 all terrain tubing, fillet brazed, vintage 1989.

Handbuilt to order, using Reynolds... newest mountainbike specific tubing at this point in time, and the builder used silver brazing for the fabrication of the frame.

 

[sinnerman]

Below is the actual M.B.U.K, magazine interview/review, with the legendary 70s road racer, and later mountainbiker, and respected frame builder Dave Lloyd.

I felt it an important article to post, as it does detail, the difficulties custom british mountain bike frame builders, had with specific tubing suppllies, and even the difficulty in getting shimano sourced for there customer builds, in the late 80s.

Its well worth a read, i thought. it goes some way to try and help understand the english bicycle trade in the mid to late 80s.

 

[sinnerman]

..

..

 

[yo-Nate-y]

Cool bike

 

[ibbz]

Had a good read of this - pretty good thread and now 10 years old

 

[ibbz]

I’d like to ad that the tit for tat arguments and some of the arrogance on display did make me laugh and I quite enjoyed it.