Mezzatesta. Anyone heard of him?

[legacysti888]

http://www.mezzatestacustomcycles.com/id1.html

Has anyone owned one or ridden one?

[Germany_chris]

The gentleman is not "inexpensive"

Chris

[Spin71]

The gentleman is not "inexpensive"

Chris

Just checked his price chart. $1800 and under. That's expensive in the custom builder world? Guess you haven't checked builders prices lately.

[Germany_chris]

Just checked his price chart. $1800 and under. That's expensive in the custom builder world? Guess you haven't checked builders prices lately.


Actually I did, I was in here asking about them even. I have also recently ordered a custom. While 1800 is not "expensive" the gentlemen seems pretty regional and that is expensive for a regional builder in my opinion. I don't remember Quirings costing that much when only folks in MI knew about him.

And different lugs and steel are both upcharges

[that guy]

Anthony is a really cool guy. He was building full time for a while but has since put it on the back burner to pay the bills. He is one of, if not the only frame builder in Pittsburgh, and he was happy to braze on some fender eyelets on one of my bikes.

He's building two or three frames a year right now, I'd guess. He told me if you want one he'd be happy to do it but to be patient to work around his day job's schedule.

[shiftyfixedgear]

Where-oh-where in the original post was there anything about how expensive the builder is ?

[xjahx]

He built a run of bikes for Kraynick's cycling team several years ago. The guys still swear by and cherish their team frames.

[fiamme red]

While 1800 is not "expensive" the gentlemen seems pretty regional and that is expensive for a regional builder in my opinion.How do you define a "regional" builder?

[Germany_chris]

How do you define a "regional" builder?

probably the same way you would :confused:

builds stuff for people in his region

[christian]

Anthony Mezzatesta does really nice work, IMHO. I like his simple thinned lugs better than his fancier lugged designs, but they all look like proper bikes. I'd ride one proudly.

[legacysti888]

for the input, folks. Reason why I asked is because I saw this ad and wanted to know if it is worth taking a look. $3k is a little high for my pocket book though.

http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/bik/2463636851.html

[christian]

????ty picture, but looks nice. I'd go have a look and see what negotiating room there is.

[jr59]

You can't reproduce that bike for anywhere near that price.

It's worth taking a look at, if it fits and you are in the market.

[Kirk Pacenti]

Anthony is a great guy and skilled builder!

[legacysti888]

ya think I should at least take a look?

753 rides nice too...

[bigman]

why not??

[djg21]

http://www.mezzatestacustomcycles.com/id1.html

Has anyone owned one or ridden one?

Tony is great, and his frames are pieces of art. He made some bikes for my team in the mid 90s when he was in the Hudson Valley of New York, and one he made for me still is among my favorites. It is a road bike built from a Columbus Multishape tubest (I am big), and is super comfortable and stiff. He also built a cross frame for me that I sold when I stopped racing. It also was great.

Tony built a bike for my wife that is equally beautiful. That bike was built with a Vitesse frameset, and bore Tony's own tubeset label denoting it as an N.B.I. tubeset (which stands for "Nothing But Initials").

He is trained as a jeweler, and can hand-cut lugs that are stunning and ornate, or rather simple. He also can do really nice fillet brazing. On my road bike, the lugs are cut like flames.

You will not go wrong with his bikes. It's really ashame that builders like Tony can no longer afford to build bikes full time. And for a frame of the quality he builds, he is rather inexpensive. Compare his prices to other "hand built" frames. And of course the prices go up if you want a more expensive tubeset, or fancier lugs. Would you expect that he eat the expense and additional time needed to cut the lugs?

Tony is a great frame builder! You folks in Pittsburg are lucky to have him nearby!

[maunahaole]

Simon, you know that you want to go and look at it. Have a garage sale, you can afford it...