Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffreng58
Dean and No22 are now on my radar. Thank you.
Does anyone else know much about Dean and No22? It's hard to get a read on the pricing with such a small sample size on the internet. I'm surprised not many people mention LITESPEED at all.
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I agree with tuscanyswe on both 22 and Dean. I do not really know much about either brand though.
What I do know is that when I was doing research on titanium builders, Dean had an abominable,
really bad, reputation for very slow/late/frustrating delivery and truly terrible communication, from multiple sources. So, I wrote them off the list, as I cannot stand dealing with that kind of baloney from people.
Of course they may have improved their customer service, delivery, communication, etc., in the meantime but the reputation seemed very well earned, and the frames nothing really special, so I would definitely recommend that one do their due diligence on them (on any small builder for that matter).
Really good small (one- or two-person shops) great and very experienced ti builders that I personally "know"
(ie have bought from or at least communicated seriously with) who are also really good people, good businessmen, real pros, honest, direct, and easy to communicate with are, in no particular order, Carl Strong, Steve Potts, Jim Kish, Kent Eriksen/Brad Bingham, Bill Holland, Mike De Salvo, Bill Davidson (if still active), Max Kullaway....
Prices vary between those guys and I am sure I am forgetting some really excellent others, but those ti builders are all excellent imo. Not an advert for any one of them, just more names for the op's list.
Buy the frameset/builder you really love, not some possible r-o-i which is going to be iffy at best going forward.
Or, again, a used Moots for availability, decent prices, great customer service, OK resale.