Speaking of No22

[prototoast]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

I guess it looks more aggressive for photos but for a fat tire fender bike that saddle/bar drop looks excessive.

Whoever rides this will almost certainly lower the saddle, but it's pretty common to leave seat posts at their max length for show bikes so they don't get scuffed up and then later have to be raised.

It would be a mistake to look at a show bike and presume that the saddle height is set for an actual rider.

[Hilltopperny]

I do like the look of the stem aside from the unfinished look. That goes for 3d printed everything though. I did get to see it during development and a lot went into designing it so that it was functional and not overly bulky.

I believe the market for these bikes are well to do folks of all ages. I was still in my 30's when I ordered my Drifter, but the price tag for the entire bike is around what the framesets are up to these days.



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[weisan]

Price is but one facet of the equation, it does not account for everything. Just as how much money you have in your bank account tells one side of the story, it does not account for everything. And looks can be deceiving and subjective. So much about bike aesthetics are individual dependent. It's interesting that some pals mentioned internal/external routing. I have encountered pals on both camps. Again, it's up to the individual. For someone like me who moves components from one bike to another almost every week, whatever that makes it easier and quicker I am all for it.

Life is nuanced.

Shades of grey.

A month ago, I was riding a canadian-made T-lab R3 before I sold it. It starts at $3400. These pals are doing the same thing that the No.22 folks are doing. Keep pushing the limits. Try different things. Don't be complacent and stop on your tracks. All good things. Yes, these come with a price tag. Nothing is free.

https://t-lab-bikes.com/en-us/bikes/r3-omni

Not long after I sold the T-lab, I bought another Ti frame, a China-made Titus RoadRunner from Planet X for 300 bucks.
https://planetx.co.uk/products/titus...oad-bike-frame

I built it up and rode it on a couple of rides. I like it so much I changed my mind and decided to bring it with me on my trip instead of the Crux. It's hard to imagine just a few days ago I was riding it past beautiful vineyards in the Sonoma valleys, across the Golden Gate Bridge in SF and yesterday in pouring rain in Singapore and now it's in Melbourne. I look forward to riding it and using it to explore around the area in the next week or so.

It would be silly of me to try and compare the two and why would I do that?

Both bikes have taken me to different places, brought me immense joy and created fond memories. They have served their purpose.

Just enjoy these bikes as they are, whatever the price.

Encourage framebuilders in their attempts to innovate, to differentiate and be creative, don't peg everything according to $$. If everything we do is based on money and profit, we wouldn't get to where we are today. You can certainly vote with your wallet. Let others do the same.

[mattfee]

Still love my og (2015) No22 Great Divide rim... Only thing I think I'd change is a touch more tire clearance, as 25s are pretty much all I can squeeze in.