Firefly # 1 looked good!

[Pegoready]

I'll let the FF guys debut pics of their own bike, but it is sweet.

[rugbysecondrow]

That decal needs to be toned down some. Its a bike, not a bill board.

[avalonracing]

That decal needs to be toned down some. Its a bike, not a bill board.

Agreed but it is still less doofy than the IF logo.

[rugbysecondrow]

Agreed but it is still less doofy than the IF logo.

Agreed...to Litespeed-ish a logo for me.

[pdbrye]

Where's the pic? It's not on the website.

[mosca]

up now

http://fireflybicycles.com/599

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . but other than that I'm struggling to see anything really, really distinctive about it.

I recognize they want to show off the metalwork and welds, but it looks kinda plain with no paint or color at all.

BBD

[Tim Porter]

I kinda like the logo/font/whatever on the downtube, and I wish them all the best, but did anyone else look at the firefly headtube badge and think it looks like a Serotta "S", at least on first impression? Tim

[BCS]

. . .

I recognize they want to show off the metalwork and welds, but it looks kinda plain with no paint or color at all.

BBD


I think that is the point. Kinda like the plain Ti Legend on this website's homepage-both are classic. Nice paint can hide mediocre welds

[rwsaunders]

I kinda like the logo/font/whatever on the downtube, and I wish them all the best, but did anyone else look at the firefly headtube badge and think it looks like a Serotta "S", at least on first impression? Tim

Yes....I only shared my thoughts with Charlie Sheen, though...

[Tim Porter]

LOL, let it all hang out, man.

[SEABREEZE]

Two observations, where the bottom bracket and down tube connect, it looks like they stoped welding, and a hairline space exists and picked up welding on the otherside. not all continuous.

Disclaimer I am not a welder, so dont know if thats cool or not

The other is they only have two fasteners centered in the logo, top and bottom, and it appears one could snag the end where it raps around head tube and possibly rip it off



Other than that, bike looks great

Wish them the best

[Lifelover]

I'll let the FF guys debut pics of their own bike, but it is sweet.

I understand the sentiment but I would be very surprised if they come here to do it.

I would think a link would be fine.

[bicycletricycle]

you cant weld a tube onto a bicycle in one go, it is always a start stop kinda deal. double pass welds help hide this. i wish there was a better shop of the dropouts. Dropouts are a big deal for me.

the bike looks nice

[mike p]

Looks like a great well made bike, but I don't see anything that seperates firefly from at least a half dozen other small builders. The headtube badge looks cheap and needs to go.

Mike

[JeffS]

Looks ok.

Plenty of qualified guys who will build me the same thing for less though.

[John M]

I like that---a lot.

I don't get the negative comments.

From what I have read, Tyler considers his skills to be equal to anybody and probably feels that they justify top of the line prices.

Pretty sure that Firefly is not trying to compete with Soma or Surly.....

[JeffS]

I don't get the negative comments.

From what I have read, Tyler considers his skills to be equal to anyones and probably feels that they justify top of the line prices.


Obviously he does.

I guess some of us thought this was an honest discussion of the bike, not just a free advertising lovefest for the company.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . that honest commentary was being solicited. So those are my honest comments. I know nothing of these guys except they used to work at Indy Fab. so my views are filtered through that lens. I think my situation probably is similar to many others. I see what Indy Fab HAS made and how impressed I am by much of it. Then I look at this bike and I'm thinking they used to work at Indy Fab so I'm expecting something that looks like what I've already seen from that maker.

It's a decent looking bike but by no means makes me go "Wow!" . . .

BBD

[John M]

The proof or lack thereof will be in the sales. If Tyler and company at Firefly have a product that justifies the price in the buyers eyes and a successful business model, then they will survive. If not, then they won't.

[oldpotatoe]

up now

http://fireflybicycles.com/599

Shame they used the FSA crank rather than a far better Campagnolo crank and BB30/46 cups.

[William]

My first thought was DEAN. I like it.



William

[moran]

My first thought was, for those prices I would buy from Serotta, Seven, IF, Moots, or other....a company whose been around a while and I could count on the warranty if needed.

[that guy]

Agreed...to Litespeed-ish a logo for me.

Good eye. The design firm that helped Firefly with its ID and branding - ID29 (http://www.id29.com/work.html) -also developed the current Litespeed look.

[Dave B]

The bike also has the first shaped XCR stainless tubing...ever.

While that may not jump out of you that is pretty significant.

[mike p]

This is true and it is significant. It was lost on me, tend to think of any naked bike as being TI. Not sure if it changes my overall thoughts or not.

Mike


The bike also has the first shaped XCR stainless tubing...ever.

While that may not jump out of you that is pretty significant.

[bicycletricycle]

i was thinking that the tubes would be more heavily shaped. They compare them to max but these look much less ovalized. I am thinking these are getting smashed in a vice.

[cincicycles]

Subtle tie to their roots. The "I" on the downtube is highlighted orange along with the "F" on the headtube. Hmmm

[Derailer]

I think they did a great job with the brand name and the decals.

[ultraman6970]

The bike looks good, wish them luck :)

[spacemen3]

Remove the obnoxiously large ENVE and FSA branding, and it would really look classy. I like.

[jerome]

I do agree with you Mike - no difference with any others frame builder and most are making nicer bikes, more artisanal.
The hardwares are said to come from Paragon MW in CA.
After it takes a while to establish a brand and hone its products.
You can't become Serotta or Moots over night, it is a long team effort, for anybody even for well seasoned pro.

there is no spontaneous generation he

[Peter B]

<snip>

...no difference with any others frame builder and most are making nicer bikes, more artisanal.

....it takes a while to establish a brand and hone its products.



Look again.

http://fireflybicycles.com/1587

[Liberace]

Look again.

http://fireflybicycles.com/1587


Holy crap.............that thing is so well thought out and the execution is flawless.

[fiamme red]

Look again.

http://fireflybicycles.com/1587UltraCommuter? Nice craftsmanship, but it's just a race bike with custom-made flat bars.

[buldogge]

World's better...If they take the direction of doing subtle, interesting builds like this I would think they would find a niche.

-Mark in St. Louis

Look again.

http://fireflybicycles.com/1587

[CNY rider]

UltraCommuter? Nice craftsmanship, but it's just a race bike with custom-made flat bars.

Agree.
As a real world, year-round commuter I don't know how you would do it without fenders and lights.
Unless you only commute when it's sunny and 70F outside.

But that is a really beautiful bicycle. :beer:

[cody.wms]

As a real world, year-round commuter I don't know how you would do it without fenders and lights.
Unless you only commute when it's sunny and 70F outside.



I agree, but I'm guessing that cat has a "bad weather" commuter, too.

[fiamme red]

Agree.
As a real world, year-round commuter I don't know how you would do it without fenders and lights.
Unless you only commute when it's sunny and 70F outside.

But that is a really beautiful bicycle. :beer:It's a "Stealth Fair Weather Commuter." :)

There are no provisions for carrying anything either.

[Germany_chris]

I like it!! can't/won't afford it but I looks nice I even like the headtube badge and decals

[Mark McM]

It's a "Stealth Fair Weather Commuter." :)

There are no provisions for carrying anything either.

I'm having trouble seeing what makes this bike specifically a "cummuter." Other than the flat bars and triple cranks, it looks like a traditional road racing frame - short chainstays, short wheelbase, minimal tire clearance (even with skinny tires), no fender/rack eyelets, no pump peg, etc. Okay, there's one thing missing that a road racing frame usually has -no water bottle bosses.

I think the only "commuter" aspect is what the owner actually does with it, not what the frame is actually optimized for. (Not that there's anything wrong with that - I often commute to work on my road bike as well.)

[rugbysecondrow]

You are mistaken, this is a, "Stealth UltraCommuter", not just a commuter. Anyway, it seems this is what the customer wanted, so that is what the customer got. Pretty cool if you ask me. Not what I would spend my money on, but cool none the less. A titanium bar mounted coffee holder would have been a nice touch. :)

"The Titanium Stealth UltraCommuter, Bertone Edition, was an exciting challenge for us. We dove headfirst into making all aspects of the bike meet the specific needs of the customer and its intended use…"



I'm having trouble seeing what makes this bike specifically a "cummuter." Other than the flat bars and triple cranks, it looks like a traditional road racing frame - short chainstays, short wheelbase, minimal tire clearance (even with skinny tires), no fender/rack eyelets, no pump peg, etc. Okay, there's one thing missing that a road racing frame usually has -no water bottle bosses.

I think the only "commuter" aspect is what the owner actually does with it, not what the frame is actually optimized for. (Not that there's anything wrong with that - I often commute to work on my road bike as well.)

[fiamme red]

I'm having trouble seeing what makes this bike specifically a "cummuter." Other than the flat bars and triple cranks, it looks like a traditional road racing frame - short chainstays, short wheelbase, minimal tire clearance (even with skinny tires), no fender/rack eyelets, no pump peg, etc. Okay, there's one thing missing that a road racing frame usually has -no water bottle bosses.

I think the only "commuter" aspect is what the owner actually does with it, not what the frame is actually optimized for. (Not that there's anything wrong with that - I often commute to work on my road bike as well.)I've done quite a few brevets on a track bike (with a front brake), but I wouldn't call it a randonneur bike. It may do the job, and be fun to ride while doing it, but it's certainly not the ideal bike for the purpose. :)

"Stealth," as I understand it, means: a) the graphics are understated, so that a bike with no graphics at all would be even more "stealth"; and b) it's bare titanium, not painted. I assure you that this bike is not "stealth" enough to fly under any thief's radar.

Those aren't triple cranks, by the way. The caption says that they're compact cranks.

[avalonracing]

Not so impressed by everything else yet but this might be the coolest logo treatment ever:

http://fireflybicycles.com/1587
"For the graphics on the frame we went with a polished and anodized treatment in bronze."

[gearguywb]

It is not about wether the bike is an ideal commuter, but rather, it is an example of workmanship. If Firefly can build something along these lines then they could certainly build something that fit your individualqualifications as an "ultimate" bike.

[rugbysecondrow]

It is not about wether the bike is an ideal commuter, but rather, it is an example of workmanship. If Firefly can build something along these lines then they could certainly build something that fit your individualqualifications as an "ultimate" bike.


Agreed. I think what it articulates is that they can meet the needs of the customer in a variety of ways. They don't control the need of the customer, they just help achieve them.

[Climb01742]

It is not about wether the bike is an ideal commuter, but rather, it is an example of workmanship. If Firefly can build something along these lines then they could certainly build something that fit your individualqualifications as an "ultimate" bike.

agree. the owner will decide how functional it is, but dang, there's some craft going on in that thing.

[palincss]

The bike also has the first shaped XCR stainless tubing...ever.

While that may not jump out of you that is pretty significant.

Other than being first and its obvious shapliness, what is the significance of shaped XCR stainless tubing? Does it do anything better than any other stainless tubing, or is it just a cosmetic kind of thing?

[cuda2k]

agree. the owner will decide how functional it is, but dang, there's some craft going on in that thing.

this.

Wow there are some though critics in the room. From what I've seen FireFly's MO is simple elegant design and near flawless execution with little to no paint work. While it's not everyone's cup of tea, I'm honestly surprised at some of the comments. I tend to lean towards lugs and traditional lines, but FireFly's recent work has perked my interest all the same. This new Stealth Commuter rig shows a lot of custom one-off work with the same attention to detail (both in the craftsmanship and to the customer's requirements). Again, just because it's not your idea of a commuter, doesn't mean its not the customer's idea of one. Sounds like the customer got exactly what he wanted, and FireFly was able to show off what they are capable of when it comes to not only designing clean looking frames but also integrating the latest shifting technology in a different and interesting way.

[Peter B]

It is not about wether the bike is an ideal commuter, but rather, it is an example of workmanship. If Firefly can build something along these lines then they could certainly build something that fit your individualqualifications as an "ultimate" bike.


Gets it.

[Jason E]

Nice bike, but "Bertone"? ... :rolleyes:

[rcnute]

This is my favorite photo.

[slowandsteady]

Look again.

http://fireflybicycles.com/1587

Now THAT bike is some sexy SH*T!

[soulspinner]

This is my favorite photo.


Sheesh those are consistant................ :beer:

[Clydesdale]

That thing is awesome. Proprietary hardware, battery in the custom post, full on customer determined build and incredible craftsmanship. A very select few builders would/could put that thing together. It's a great showcase for FF. Bag on the decals, geometry, "stealth," functionality, or whatever you would do differently... but from a pure build perspective - Amazing imo.

[oldguy00]

Shame they used the FSA crank rather than a far better Campagnolo crank and BB30/46 cups.

That's the one thing that caught my eye as well. For such a high end bike, high end wheels and components, and then you slap a POS FSA crank on there?!

[Germany_chris]

That's the one thing that caught my eye as well. For such a high end bike, high end wheels and components, and then you slap a POS FSA crank on there?!

Did anyone read BSNYC's take on the ultimate commuter..It was GREAT!!

[fiamme red]

Why would someone put aero carbon rims and flat handlebars on the same bike?

[crownjewelwl]

Why would someone put aero carbon rims and flat handlebars on the same bike?

cuz they look dope...don't overthink it

[rugbysecondrow]

cuz they look dope...don't overthink it


Booya.

[Peter B]

Why would someone put aero carbon rims and flat handlebars on the same bike?



"The customer is always right."

[bicycletricycle]

firefly has really come a long way since the original launch. The cool anodized graphics, stems, posts, ISPs, internal routing, polished head badges. Everything has sharpened up. I was one of the people who was unimpressed at the launch but that has changed.

thanks for the eye candy Firefly.