Where Have You Been All My Life?
Life is full of surprises. Some you don’t want, like a funnel web in a shoe, while others are completely unexpected but more than welcome, even if you are then left with figuring out the hows, whys and HOW?s of the serendipitous conundrum now presented to you.
This is how I now feel, after fate knocked at my door via a source that doesn’t really deliver much in the way of anything other than frustration at the inanity of it all: Facebook. Yes, that bane of modern life, which at once draws me in and repels me, finally provided a moment, a gift for which I can be genuinely thankful. Playing matchmaker, from out of the blue my heart set aflutter, eyes unable to be pried from the beauty, and a meeting quickly in the planning. Finally, after a long and oftentimes bumpy road, I think I’ve found The One.
She’s black, possibly orange, I’ve not been able to decide as yet, but I’m sure she’ll be either or both. Of course her nationality is Belgian; I’ve had (and still have) successful partnerships with Belgique dames before, and believe that the spiritual connection is strong with the motherland. As with all the finest leading ladies, she’ll be dressed in sensual, dark accoutrements tailored by Italians, the finest in their game. She will deserve nothing less.
I will travel to her hometown and meet her family, those who gave her life and who will hand her to me. I’ve researched her history, all the way back to 1934. The great grandparents, the passion they’ve instilled in their offspring, passed down over four generations. Old world values, carried into the modern day while never losing sight of what is important, what is desirable, what makes the heart sing. The experience, the feel, the beauty of simplicity, the realness only found in the original, that warrants the artisan’s touch and displays the heart openly and proudly on its sleeve. There will be no plastic surgery, none required, none desired.
Her name is Jaegher. Love at first sight does exist. Consummation beckons.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/brettok@velominati.com/Jaegher/”/]
Black with chrome Luggs. Such a beauty.
You lucky shit. Thanks for shining a light on these guys. I suspect we never heard of them as they were re-branded when ridden in the peloton (I mean honestly, could Huffy really make a bike worth a damn?).
Only a Belgian would use his farts as a point of pride. Maybe, though, he should get that checked out. Might need some chelation or something.
Orange! Must go with Orange. Sooooo fuck’in beautiful!!!
What wizardy is this? such a ‘beauty. Orange. It has to be Orange
Wow. went to their site and played with their color palatte. Orange with Belgian blue fork does it for me. Also like Belgian blue with orange fork. or… or…. or…. crap, they all look great. And I love their philosophy on steel.
Nice.
I like orange but I’d go for black.
As an owner of a modern steel frame as my #1, I get extra excited over this. She is most beautiful. What gruppo is she to be adorned with? Wheels? Is the honeymoon to be in her home land?
These Jaegher images have been popping up on the Campagnolo Srl facebook page. Awesome stuff!
Black or orange are ok. But a darkblue frame with silvercoloured groups and Brooks brown saddle + bartape is pretty amazing too. Like mine ;-)
Jaw meets floor.
These guys are kindred spirits. I emailed them and received a reply within hours from Steven. His enthusiasm jumped off the screen, and I think this is going to, has to happen.
The quotes that are available to be inscribed on the top tube even include Rule #10… but there may be a special V-quote and livery made available. That’s custom.
@extra special and bitter
They are only 30 minutes ride from Lille, so a christening on the cobbles next Spring is definitely on the cards. At this stage I’ll be swapping over the gruppo and wheels from Il Profetta, upgrading as I dig my way out of debt again!
@brett You suck! This is very exciting. When you get a new bike, we all get a new bike. Buying one on ebay (like me) is one thing, having it made for you by a shop in Belgium, it’s TFM! TOO FOOOKIN’ MUCH!
I hope you don’t stack in in the gutter on the stones. At least the fix would be a bike ride away.
@brett
Ooooh. Is Il Profetta fillet brazed?
Let the opening of the wallets and the flooding of the stables begin.
OK, so now I’m torn between my next bike being one of local hero’s Steven Hampsten’s, Veloforma’s new custom line, or a fucking jaegermeister.
DAMN YOU BRETTO!!
I love how Museeuw is just like, “Hey fuckwads who dumped me from my own company? Check this shit out, its actually built in fucking Belgium and the material used isn’t included in stool hardeners.”
@brett
That hurts a little bit, but Il Profetta will be a perfect Nine Bike – also it always looked wrong with the 11 speed Campa; it needs 10 speed to look right…you can pick that up cheap on eBay these days so that will be a cool Fall project for you before heading back into the dark months the other end.
Ohhhh, now you’ve messed with my head, here I was looking for the next n+1 in the cross bike direction and you throw this in our faces.
Stop it I like it !
And definitely the orange, or black, or orange. Nah Orange it is.
Well played sir.
@frank
The choice is obvious…you must get the Hampsten…I mean..really? There is another choice?
You cannot go wrong with a steel frame. Modern steel is as relevent as any of the other frame materials currently in use. Steel is the “frame” of reference for a reason…
Modern steel frame bikes are flat out works of art. Beautiful. And for personal reasons steel frames have a soft spot in my heart. Maybe six times a year I’m at Waterford’s website dreaming of my n+1. Yet I never pull the trigger. A Waterford bike w/SRAM and HED: rep’ing Wisconsin and Chicago. And True Temper’s steel tubing is made in their shop in Amory, MS. It’s a steel bike: made in the USA thing for me. I’m a metallurgist by training and many moons ago the company I work for was developing production of the Cr-Moly grades using our unique, at the time, process for sheet steel. I spent some time in MS back then and the big deal was the shafts being made in this shop for Titleist and some young cat named Tiger. Man I love steel framed bikes. And as much as I dig the stuff, I’d never dream of plugging on a Di2 system or carbon wheels to a steel frame beauty. Charcoal grey w/red script Waterford… SRAM Red and HED Belgium with some red Chris Kings. Brett! Rock n Roll! She’s a beauty. Cheers.
It’s a fucking conundrum alright…
[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/brett/2014.10.08.18.52.19/1//”/]
Really leaning towards black frame, with V orange trim. Not sure about an orange fork, but could work.
@Haldy
@frank: this. It really is not a hard choice. You already have a Velforma in carbone. You’re a hop, skip and jump away from one of the best designers around in Steve so you can discuss things to your heart’s content in person, Andy is one of the classiest riders and people ever who lives the V without flaunting it, you can choose from ti or steel and get the style of frame for whatever riding you want…. You’ve seen my Hampsten here, and you know Steve builds a classic frame. Even for someone who is Dutch it can’t n be that hard!
Get the Hampsten first, then consider what might follow at some later point — if it’s even needed. End of discussion. Period. Get the Hampsten.
@brett The orange fork works if you paint the stem orange too. Then it all looks of one piece. Or something on the inside of the front fork, like LeMan’s Look bike, it drives me crazy. It’s somehow like seeing a flash of women’s underwear. I’m a perv.
The jealousy, it burns…congrats!
@frank another vote for the Hampsten. If I have the opportunity to get another custom Steve is the to
@Nate top of my list. And you can work with him locally. All the more fun.
AlsoStupid iphone.
@frank Not that you’re asking, but I’d have to vote with Hampsten on that one. I’ve seen a couple in person, and they’re beautiful on another level. According to their owners, they ride beautifully too.
I bought a carbon bike, then I went to steel using a Colnago frame from late 70s – early 80s. Now I am fixed on making a modern steel bike for my #1. Chorus 11, Campy Shamal Mille wheelet (once they are out), 3T carbon accessories. After a lot of search I shortlisted the following makers
1) Baum Ristretto ( Awsome builder, amazing paint, graphics exactly on my taste)
2) Pegorreti Marcelo ( Dario, Dario, Dario and Dario quality – The paintschemes though … trying to like them)
3) Jaegher ( Nice build, high aesthetics imo, good price if compared to other two)
The price of Baum or Pegorreti are about 50% higher for me here in the EU. Jaegher has some issues with the paint quality. Chips out easily according to reports over the net.
A dedicated forum for Jaegher : http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum/f11/jaegher-hunt-34056.html
Black with the orange V tints. (reminds me a bit of a Torana SLR)
@extra special and bitter
+1 to that.
And having a #1 steel bike in “Gun Metal Grey” it should be orange. Keep us informed.
@brett
Stunning @Brett! It is one of the beauties of our sport that so many individual manufacturers exist, Artisans are allowed to flourish under their own hard work and they will always have a following. I am patiently waiting for the day when I can walk in to a framemakers workshop and say the words “Can you make my dream come true” but until then I am angling for maybe something old school in steel early summer next year.
Personally I think black with orange accents but no am not really a fan of the orange forks. One of the bikes in the photo shoot has a chequered pattern on the seat tube….perhaps this on a black frame done in orange?
I take it you are already lobbying Campag to replace their Black and Red gruppo with black and orange right?
@Mikael Liddy
Was that and intentional or unintentional reverence to @itburns? Ghosts in the machine (iRobot).
@brett
Foook’in ORANGE, MATE!!! There are sooooooooo many black biikes out there. Why add another one. I have a steel LeMan Poprad in Cannibal Orange that is just stunning. Go with ORANGE!!!
@brett
Love. These. Framesets. Now added to “the list”. The website is far too dangerous; too easy to buy one. It’s just click…click..click…click…Pay!
As for me, I would stick with a fork matching the frame. Otherwise, it looks like you’ve added the fork as an afterthought. Personally, I’d go all orange, or Flandrian red.
Sigh. And then there’s this:
@brett
The first one for sure; the all orange is a bit much.
Steven at Jaegher has thrown another option into the mix… dark grey with orange highlights, which I’m digging. They can do custom V-logos as well, and suggests working on custom paint scheme. I love their customer service and passion, and he’s been trawling through our site and seems to be on the same page.
This bike is the dark grey…
[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/brett/2014.10.09.12.31.15/1//”/]
@il ciclista medio
No further justification needed.
I had looked at one of these a while back, because they are so stunning. After some reading, I came across this review, which scared the crap out of me:
http://yeswecandoalmostanythingbybike.wordpress.com/2013/08/17/a-jaegher-phantom-test-my-review/
After posting this, the guy said the paint started falling apart too. The guys at Jaegher eventually replaced the bike, and the new one apparently also has issues, which eventually required replacing the entire headset on his own accord. Who knows — only one story, but I wasn’t willing to throw down so much cash without being able to see the product after reading this.
I hope your story doesn’t end like this guys, because it’s a beautiful bike!
I for one like the orange. Black is too common. But, having recently built up a new to me bright red and orange serotta it attracts many comments…
@frank
@brett
I wondered when it might happen; could this be remembered as the great V-Schism?
@brett
No. Black and orange carries the day…
@brett
Dark gray with V-Orange; remember nothing we do is pure black; its all just very dark gray. Subtle and more buddah.
@brett…there’s nothing like inserting yourself into a narrative to enrich your life–go for it!
I went with the classic red accents on my black Marinoni–which is a little dated now. I’m likin’ your dark grey option.
Speaking of dark grey, this has caught my eye
Did someone said orange stem with orange fork? @frank, this one’s for you (and it’s not a Budweiser). The Prophet himself would be proud of this livery!
Oh, the choices — painted steel, brushed ti. Yup, Steve can make your head hurt… in a good way.
While we’re on the topic of steel bikes, was over at a friend’s place and noticed he had my old ’97 Vitali. So I bought it back from him for $100. Got in touch with Paul (who called himself Paulo Vitali, he’s British, but not Scottish) who still had some original decals. Got Toxik Harald to paint it up for me, burnt orange. Tracked down a bunch of 8 speed Veloce parts for the ones that needed replacement. Waiting on a carbon fork, threadless Campagnolo Chorus headset, and I’m good to go. A buddy of mine might sell me his 10 speed Record gruppo, which is mostly carbon, which will look frigging baddassed on this bike. he’s thinking January. I should have the bike built and ready to go in a couple of weeks. Know what? That banged up, 17 year old BB feels better than the Chorus BB I have on my Cinelli.
[dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/TBONE/2014.10.09.19.33.00/1//”/]
@brett all very nice.
but then .
@Barracuda
Oh yeah, I’ve drooled over Baums for a long, long time. Just too expensive though, and while works of art, they never made bikes for The Prophet, in Belgium.
@brett
I reckon Eddy would approve, he may even want a ride !
I cant help it, I just think its the whole package. Not much to fault there. Divide the price out over its life span.
But, the whole Belgium part kinda makes the Jaegher a no brainer really.
Good luck and enjoy the journey. ENVEous.
@brett
That dark metallic grey with v-orange sounds lovely. I’d personally go for a matching fork not an orange one, but that’s just me. Can’t wait to see this taking shape, nice work.
Hang on…seeing as it’s all web based, is there are Rule #58 issue to be discussed?