your thoughts on vernon baker the frame builder

[cannondale king]

i just got a really really good quote for the mods i want doing to the orange prestiage and i mean really got quote his web site looks good and so does his work before i phone him monday and say yes please can ya do it for me anyone got any feedback this is his site http://www.vernonbarkercycles.co.uk/index.htm

im only have this done

1. new headtube fitted in 11/8th size

2. disc mount fitted with brace

3. remove the canti studs and hanger

4. 5x hose guides under top tube and down the seat stay

but the price is spot on for the work so has anyone used them before

its this poor beast having the work done

 

[IDB1]

Hope his work is better than his website...

Where's he based ck??

 

[Tad]

Seen a bodge-tastic Ti repair he did.

 

[clockworkgazz]

he did a Ti repair on my old gary fish, it looked ok to me but lots of folk thought it was poor, I have no knowledge in these matters but a few folk reckoned his work was not great :?

 

[cannondale king]

he did a Ti repair on my old gary fish, it looked ok to me but lots of folk thought it was poor, I have no knowledge in these matters but a few folk reckoned his work was not great :?

do you have a pic my good chum
as id hate to pay out to then have too pay out again i dont mind splashing on the right builder to get it right at the same time i dont want to get over charged if that makes sence ps im not feeling to great think i have a headache coming :cry:

 

[cannondale king]

and on the tother hand he might be good with steel and just not as good with ti have heard its really hard to weld right let along make it look good without years and years of practise :?

 

[pigman]

Ive known vernon for years. He retired from the frame building business a few years ago, but missed it, so made a comeback on a part time basis (one or 2 days per week at best). He's running the business on as little overheads as poss, so theres no landline (the one shown is his home no, or use the mobile). He's also no computer geek, so the website is very basic.
Personal opinion ... technically good. a repair will likely last, but aesthetics aint his forte, so the weld will likely not be filed to perfection, neither would I take a frame to him for a concours restoration. The answer i guess is how much of a posing machine is your bike going to be?

 

[cannondale king]

cheers pigman you just settled it for me its not gonna be a show bike as such but i do want it looking right from the off enigma cycles offered the same quote and there work with steel is really good the finish is smooth so gonna use them i heard vernon was a cracking frame builder one of the reasons i wanted to use him but i really want the work to look as good as the welds are already on the bike and boy are they good