It wasn’t so long ago that the majority of bicycles were made by hand, from raw materials, in places that aren’t China or Taiwan. While some of these artisans are still around, their wares are increasingly harder to come by, and to procure an example of their work means an outlay of time and money which is more than most are willing to commit. This is a problem with not just bikes; mass consumption is big business, not only in everyday necessities but for ‘luxury’ items as well. A bicycle can be considered a luxury item for some, so to bring them to the masses, they must be produced in ways that lower the cost of materials and labour to a point where the average consumer can feel like they are getting a quality product at a reasonable price. And they usually are.
They just aren’t getting anything unique.
Now that three of the four bikes in my possession are made by hand, I have made a commitment to only own machines produced not by robots, not from composites and not from ‘factory farming’ methods. While there are many excellent bicycles produced en masse, the little bit of personality that is instilled in each of my rides sets them apart and I know I’ll see not many, if any, similar steeds on my roads or trails. How many dudes you know roll like this?
Riding the cobbles of KT12 on my Merckx Team SC and KT13 on the Pavé steel Cyfacs re-opened my eyes to the subtleties of a well-made frame and the characteristics which can be incorporated into the bike by the maker; each one can be tweaked to offer a ride quality specific to each frame, each rider, even the environment in which they are created and which they are intended to be ridden. The Merckx was fairly hard to come by, and I stumbled upon it by chance rather than through any concerted effort to find it. I sometimes think it found me. It’s a bike I love to ride, but also to just appreciate its lines, its pedigree, its Made In Belgium heritage, no doubt welded by a grizzled Flandrian who cut his teeth in the very factory he still works at 40 years later. I’d like to think so, and there’s some small likelihood of it, at least. Maybe I will return it to Belgium once more, in Spring, from where its journey started and where it made its mark in history more than a decade ago.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/brettok@velominati.com/merckx sc/”/]
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@Optimiste
It's all good. I guess if you can put up with my narcissism I can put up with you not closing the gap.
@Cyclops
I was occupied by my reflection in my polished hubs.
@DCR
This is the cap/cover that sits right on top of the bearings at the headtube, below any spacers, below the stem. (not the cover/cap that sits above the stem on the top/end of the fork steerer).
@Ron
This piece correct?
I have heard it called different names. But I would call that the headset bearing cap or cover. Chris king sells them separate.
@norm
Just lovely. He makes some beuatiful bikes!
@grahamr
Loving the Lug work! Very nice indeed.
Sorry, but no piece about hand built bikes would be complete without paying tribute to one on England's finest, Brian Rourke. Measure ups still by the man himself and each frame hand crafted by his son, Jason.
Here's my #1 at the top of a hill in France....
whilst here's my latest edition, the perfect winter bike.
As you can probably guess, i'm a big fan of Glorious Steel.
@Beers Thanks beers. Maybe I'm living in the wrong part of europe, because in Sweden no bike shop will touch it. Bonetti is shit with their customer service. All i got is an email letting me know it's out of warranty and a request for pictures of the problem, after that they said nothing.
I'll have to start looking for shops abroad, but I have a feeling that I'm not going to have any luck in my other country either, Romania.
The head of the screw broke off, yeah. That part of the frame is made of Al and there's an issue that the screw doesn't go all the way out on the other side, the hole stops somewhere inside the frame. All that's left is finding a good machine shop now, I guess, because I love my frame. Not counting a bit of a wobbly steerer on really fast descents while putting on a rain jacket it's the most fun i've ever ridden, not counting this one lady that one time.
@Optimiste
It happens.
Speaking of steel bikes...
The latest issue of Cycle Sport has an article on the Coors Classic. There is an awesome Hinault quote in regards to him attacking when the team manager wanted LeMan to win on home turf. "We don't see the race the same way but since I push on the pedals I decide how hard I push on them." I wish I had the luxury to decide to push on the pedals harder if I wanted to.