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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Holy cannoli, I see a long wave of sexy bicycles being posted...keep it comin'!
Nice story, nice bike Brett!
Nate, two impressive steeds!
@a belgian
The Team SSC was still handmade and hand painted in Belgium. In fact, the metal frames were still being built in the factory as of 2012 when we toured it on Keepers Tour 2012.
Its too bad you're not a Dutchman - because then you'd have been right!
@Nate
And speaking of handmade - how about those tires? Same thing goes there; handmade is just a world apart from anything else. Especially those FMBs - just Francois and his wife, sitting there drinking wine and sewing tubs.
I'm not going to jump on the carbon-bashing bandwagon; I have metal bikes and carbon bikes and the carbon ones get ridden the most. I love them all but the Veloforma is stiffer, lighter, and rides better.
But a hand-made, one-of-a-kind is certainly a more fun experience, and you for sure notice the differences between what should supposedly be the same bikes. I'm also excited for Veloforam Mark ot start the next phase of his business, which is to hand-build carbon bikes to order in Portland. They will be pricey, I'm sure, but I cant wait!
I remember even in 2004(?), Basso was riding a Cervelo R2.5 even though the R3 was out; he loved his bike too much to risk changing until winter. Now, the pros show up every day on a new paint job and it doesn't make a lick of difference in the frame; that's a cryin' shame.
@frank Absolutely. Stunning tires. They make an amazing sound rolling over pavement at speed.
Oh My Merckx..... that is my dream bike, down to each detail!
@frank I hope it doesn't sound like I am bashing carbon (although steel has superior impact resistance qualities). There are many great bikes out there; many of them are carbon and some even are custom. Looking forward to seeing Veloforma develop in this direction.
@Cyclops
For me, it's all about the relationships. The rider to the builder, the builder to the bike, the bike to the rider. Each of them is personal, and on a first name basis.
Great article, thanks Brett. Recently, I've been thinking more and more about a steel handbuilt frame. Whether to go old and regenerate or new is a bit of a quandary. My LBS are De Rosa dealers and their Nuevo Classico and Primato frames are starting to obsess me.
Now you are speaking the language of my shop. I strive to give local and handmade options before anything else... Local handmade bikes, and locally made clothing to be unique and set apart from every other mass cycling merchant!
Long live the passion of cycling, not the over consumption of mass consumerism.