In Memoriam: The Proper Head Badge

Now this is a head badge.

The days of the proper head badge, I’m afraid, are numbered. It seems it used to be that any road bike with a pedigree that was really worth riding was festooned with an artful adornment on the head tube. By that I mean something made with a bit of heft, stamped or cast of alloy and riveted front and center. More and more though we’re seeing what amount to head decals put on bikes. This isn’t anything new, head badges have been suffering a long, slow demise. More like religion, instead of the relatively quick and painless one like dinosaurs. Yes, decals are put on bikes with pedigrees that are well worth riding. But these bikes, I would argue, would have a modicum more panache with a proper head badge.

I suspect that this tradition is giving way to “progress”. Economies of scale would suggest that it’s cheaper for mass producers of bike frames to use decals over badges. Material, labor, and production costs must all be considerably higher per production run when using a badge. But when you’re clearing an easy few grand per individual frame would a few extra cents really matter all that much to the buyer? Then there is the question of weight. When bike manufacturers are all clamoring to declare that their frame is 10 grams lighter than the next it wouldn’t surprise me if eliminating a proper badge was one way they got there. That being said, it’s a fine hair to split and there isn’t one of us in this community who couldn’t stand to drop at least the corresponding weight of a head badge from our gut in order to climb faster. After all, it’s not my kit that makes me look fat, it’s me. And what of the aesthetics of badge vs. decal? You won’t find a compelling reason there for me to opt for a decal.

Now there are a number of manufacturers still using proper badges. Bianchi and Pinerello come to mind as common high-end frames still using badges. The badges they use may not always be made of alloy or robustly riveted onto the head tube but at least they are raised and give the illusion of tradition. Other companies using them are often smaller brands striving to carve a niche or stand out among other brands. I commend all these frame builders for holding to the small but significant tradition of branding their frames with a proper badge. Then of course there are the handful of small artisans who fabricate custom badges, made to order, with your own design. I’ve always thought a V-cog head badge would look rather nice on a bike.

Sadly, none of my bikes have a proper badge. Not surprising given bikes one and two are high-end modern carbon tech-weenie steeds. But bike number 3 is a Serotta, a boutique brand one would think would be worthy of a proper badge. Like many of you, I’ve come by my bike frames through the mysterious happenstance of being in the right place and the right time with just enough money and dedication to Rule #11 and Rule #12 to pull the trigger. I wonder though, all things being equal between ride quality, cost, purpose, pedigree, and performance, if I wouldn’t choose a bike with a proper badge over one with a decal. I’ll probably never know.

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Marko

Marko lives and rides in the upper midwest of the States, Minnesota specifically. "Cycling territory" and "the midwest" don't usually end up in the same sentence unless the conversation turns to the roots of LeMond, Hampsten, Heiden and Ochowitz. While the pavé and bergs of Flanders are his preferred places to ride, you can usually find him harvesting gravel along forest and farm roads. He owes a lot to Cycling and his greatest contribution to cycling may forever be coining the term Rainbow Turd.

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  • I always loved the fact the Raleigh bikes in UK had a proper seperately soldered on head badge and I think Dawes did to, it just made them feel kind of classy.  The latest iteration of this though is Feather bikes in the north of England.  He is carving out a real name for himself for some beautiful frames and has issued bikes with a brass head badge made from the original doorknocker from his first business premises.  He has only made about 50 frames to date but here is an example of his work...great article by the way, sadly my Argon 18 came sans headbadge and is less of a bike for it im afraid,,,

  • Or this dude who is making frames just down the road from me in Southampton (UK).  He puts a head badge on everything although I have to say the one on the blue bike in this clip is really something else!

  • @Deakus

    You're right, that blue bike is bonkers. Saw some of Tom's work at the Bristol bike show this year - it's beautifully crafted. Now all I need to do is persuade Mrs Fausto that its a piece of artwork rather than a bike to justify the purchase! It'll be interesting to see what crazy stuff they have at the show next year.

  • It's too bad that these have gone out of favor. Like a jewelers mark, I always felt it symbolized the builders attention to detail, only applied after everything on the frame passed muster. Now that our bikes are made of sheets of carbon and resin, some of the old school traditions are lost.

    One of my favorite:

  • It's a pity that though they have a good head badge, most Raleighs are cheap and barely worth what you do pay for them...

  • @Al__S

    It's a pity that though they have a good head badge, most Raleighs are cheap and barely worth what you do pay for them...

    They have relaunched and some of their new lower end carbon frames have had some fairly good reviews.  The trouble was they became too popular/ubiquitous and went after mass production which invariably leads to cost cutting and lack of attention to detail just to get the numbers out.  Their earliest stuff is really nice if a little dated these days...

  • @Fausto

    @Deakus

    You're right, that blue bike is bonkers. Saw some of Tom's work at the Bristol bike show this year - it's beautifully crafted. Now all I need to do is persuade Mrs Fausto that its a piece of artwork rather than a bike to justify the purchase! It'll be interesting to see what crazy stuff they have at the show next year.

    Always worth checking out some of his steel bike porn!

    http://www.demonframeworks.com/gallery/

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