The 'Vergine' by Zullo of Italy. Built with Columbus XCr stainless steel tubing
The latest masterpiece from San Diego, California legend Brian Baylis.
A 2006 're-working' of a 1961 Masi, by Californian master Rob Roberson.
Close-up of the Masi 'Clone Project'; stunning from any angle.
Frameforum's 'Bike Of The Year': the minimalist beauty of Fixie Inc's 'Five Star'.
Superb in every detail; nothing is left to the ordinary on Fixie Inc's 'Five Star'.
Frameforum is a site dedicated to the art and craft of the handmade bicycle. It’s about the people who make them; it’s about the people who ride them. Frameforum is the place to be if you’re considering the 'custom alternative' – a bike that gives you everything 'off-the-shelf ' bikes don’t.
It’s about you - not Mr or Ms. Average. A custom bike is more than just a paint job. A custom bike isn't about shaving grams for bragging rights either. It’s about you and your builder considering every aspect of the bike. The process starts with finding the best dimensions, followed by designing and building the frame, then deciding on each and every component part of the bike - your bike.
A bike that's been custom-built for you will fit you better than a stock bike ever could. It can be as individual as you are; it can suit your particular style of riding, your particular needs and be built from a material that suits you ... not the coffee stop crew.
Frameforum is also a great place those who build, or aspire to build, custom bikes. In the forum section, you’ll find members embarking on their first steps in framebuilding as well as some of the greats of the framebuilding game; iconic builders making iconic bikes. If you want to ask questions and get answers on frame building from the folks who actually build them, this is the place.
In short; if handmade bicycles are your thing - whether rider, collector or creator - make Frameforum your first port of call!
Alistair Gow has been a stalwart of the West of Scotland cycling community for more years than he cares to remember (or admit!).
He’s the archetypal ‘clubman’; a tireless worker for his club Glasgow Nightingale CC and a font of knowledge on all things cycling.
Over the years, he’s helped literally hundreds of Scottish cyclists find their feet when they first enter the sport; just read the chapter of Graeme Obree’s autobiography on his formative years in the bike game to find out the part "Big Al" played in Graeme’s transition from 'gringo’' to world beater.
As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also a first-rate wheelbuilder and mechanic.
With his encyclopaedic knowledge of hubs, rim types and spoke lengths, he’s the man Scottish bikies go to when they need ‘real’ wheels. The West of Scotland is hard on riders and hard on equipment. In this age of boutique, factory-built hoops with exotic lacing patterns, he’s as busy now as he ever was. Gram-shaving ‘for racing only’ stuff doesn’t really cut it around here.
Alistair’s talent for building wheels means his small but well-stocked shop, Wheelcraft, in the picture-postcard village of Clachan of Campsie, is a magnet for local riders. Pick up your wheels from Alistair, and he’ll tell you to drop them back for a quick check-over after a few hundred miles. Chances are they’ll need no adjustment, thanks to Alistair’s ability to get it right first time and his good judgement in applying just the right number of turns on the nipples.
For this set of wheels, only one requirement was made – silver rims. Alistair settled on the Ambrosio Evolution for their consistent quality, their resilience, and importantly, the cost of replacement if a rim gets pretzelled. Like I said, the roads round here are hard on equipment and no rim is invulnerable to Scottish pot holes.
If you’re ever close by, pop in and say hello. You’re sure of a warm welcome, a hot coffee or a cold beer. Oh, and a disapproving glance at your boutique wheels.....
Alistair after all, knows best!
{mosimage}Well folks, it's that time of year again!
The bike show season kicks off this week, with the first (and some say the best) of this years' International events opening on Thursday 4th September.
Eurobike, the hardy perennial of the bike show calendar takes place in Friedrichshafen, on the shores of Germany's picturesque Lake Konstanz.
Attracting a truly global audience – with trade visitors arriving from 75 countries and 67% of exhibitors based outside Germany - Eurobike is the first chance to get up close to the latest bikes, gadgets and threads destined for bike shops in 2009.
The venue, Neue Messe Friedrichshafen, is a state-of-the-art exhibition and conference centre nestling in the wooded hills above the town once famed for Zeppelin construction.
Spread over seven gigantic halls, its a dream venue for both exhibitors and visitors. On-site facilities are impressive, with a dedicated, fully equipped press centre and an access-for-all Wi-Fi network covering the entire venue. There are plenty of cafés and bars scattered around the grounds for impromptu business meetings or for catching up with friends and acquaintances.
The Italian Hall is usually the first point on most peoples' tour of the show, with the likes of De Rosa, Colnago, Pinarello and 3T drawing the crowds. However, there's plenty of home-grown talent in evidence with Storck, Cube, Scott and Lightweight notable among the major German-based brands. Don't forget also, SRAM's meteoric rise to global power in the components sector is thanks in part to its team of German engineers and designers.
From further afield, the Taiwan Pavilion serves to remind us all where the real heart of the industry lies, while premium US brands such as IF and Seven attract a steady stream of admirers.
{mosimage} When it feels like its all too much, the water gardens in the centre of the grounds offer a welcome escape from the bustle. Then there's a sun-trap open space between two of the main halls, laid out as a 'market square' of predominantly MTB booths, with plenty of CNC'ed gems on show. The space also serves as a demo area with a BMX/trials track constructed especially for the show, with mini-events and displays staged throughout the day. On Saturday evening, the area serves as the venue for the Eurobike Party, an informal get-together for exhibitors wanting to let of some steam and sink a few cold ones before Open Day on Sunday.
This years' event promises to be the best yet. With more exhibitors than ever before, a major sponsor in place in the form of automobile giant Nissan, lots of new facilities being provided and the construction of an additional hall opening in time for the show, the organisers are going all-out to make Eurobike THE show of the season. Add the improvements made to the local infrastructure, making access to the grounds more visitor-friendly, and it'll be hard to beat.
Frameforum will again be reporting from the show, with coverage featuring both the great and good, as well as some of the lesser-known - but every bit as worthy - exhibits.
{mosimage} Eurobike runs from 4 - 7th September. Public day is Sunday 7th.
For more details on the show, admission and getting there, visit the Eurobike website HERE>>>
