I’m getting a DeSalvo (new title)

[alexihnen]

I'm mostly writing this because I'm thrilled to have a DeSalvo on its way to me. But my question/observation is that they seem to come up for sale with some regularity here. For a one-man shop there can't be so many out there. So is it due to the good taste in bikes here that they pop up for sale? A coincidence? Just something I noticed because I was looking for one? Do they not get a decent re-sale value outside of aficionados?

Mostly I just want to hear more about DeSalvo bikes.

[slowpoke]

Hope I don't ruin the taste of your new bike for ya...

I like DeSalvo as a builder, but I think branding plays a huge role in custom bikes. And if you have mediocre logo, it really does lower the perceived value of your bike.

DeSalvo's logo is pretty "meh", imho atmo bbq.

In contrast, Richard Sachs historically collaborated with House Industries and prob has plenty of designers (and racers) helping boost his brand.

Custom frames are in the luxury good niche, and framebuilders such should invest accordingly in branding/aesthetics.

Also, some builders are just incredibly prolific. Paul Sadoff/Rock Lobster puts out ~100 frames a year. There's a greater chance you'll see a used Rock Lobster than say a now-discontinued Rick Hunter.

[Steve in SLO]

Asking for validation at this point is a bit late, but for me, he makes great frames. I have 3. Ti and Steel road and Ti gravel. All great.
If you like yours, it really doesn't matter how many are for sale here. Just ride it.
If you don't, it still doesn't matter. Just sell it.

[soulspinner]

Originally Posted by Steve in SLO

Asking for validation at this point is a bit late, but for me, he makes great frames. I have 3. Ti and Steel road and Ti gravel. All great.
If you like yours, it really doesn't matter how many are for sale here. Just ride it.
If you don't, it still doesn't matter. Just sell it.

THIS. You wont have any trouble selling it but if the fit is good you wont.

[roguedog]

I think the script logo is nice. You could probably opt not to use his logo and come up with one yourself.

Well respected builder who knows his craft and been doing it for a long time.

Nice guy too from the few minutes I had at a NAHBS show.

[rsa]

I have owned three DeSalvo's... steel cross, ti cross and ti all-road. I sold the previous to get the next one. He also was the welder behind a '11 Speedvagen I used to own. Mike is a great guy to work with. He will listen to you and will be honest if he feels something may not work. That's valuable to me. You will also have a relationship with him that you can't get when you by a Specialized, Trek, etc.

For the price...it is a great value. He taught at the Bicycle Institute in Ashland, OR. And has won a few awards for his tig-welds. I think that is good enough for me because he was voted by his peers.

All the DeSalvo's I have owned were great. My current all-road is unique because he used this at the 2019 Chris King show. I LOVE this bike. We thought of the paint scheme together. It's unique and have not seen another one like it.

https://avt.bike/blogs/avt-bike-blog...pen-house-bike

Of course he doesn't have the drool-worthy Instagram photos that you see with the top boutique builders, but he can make it look any way you want it to look. I have seen some of his bikes where the font was different.

You will enjoy your custom DeSalvo. And congrats on your new bike.

[d_douglas]

I have owned a Desalvo and sold it to fund a house purchase along with another bike. It was a gorgeous bike.

I disagree with the branding thing - Mike's graphics are very nice and he is open to explore various graphic styles. I think his bikes look great.

Not sure what else to say - he produces a fair number of bikes for a one-man-show, and so proportionately, there are a fair number of these bikes that come up for sale.

Mike seems to be a guy who is more interested in making good bikes than obsessing over the brand. Richard Sachs also makes gorgeous bikes, but I think his 'brand' is synonymous with his bikes and he controls how they look and what they represent very closely (they always look nice).

[Clean39T]

They are amazing bikes. He’s an amazing builder. Don’t let random coincidences put you off.. there have been times where multiple Pegoretti, Kirk, Sachs, etc. are for sale here. It means nothing. Look at the comments in the posts. No one is selling because they are unhappy with them.

[David Kirk]

Mike is a top-shelf builder and if I were buying a Ti bike he'd be on the very short list.

dave

[eippo1]

I recently sold mine (and am still working on getting it shipped) but only because I don't have the time to ride 2 road bikes. It rode fantastically, but I chose to keep my di2 bike.

After I get my stuff settled with my extra hoarded gear, I plan to hit him up with a bike to replace my Tarmac. It will probably receive the di2 from the Tarmac, but will be disc.

[alexihnen]

Thanks for all the comments. Sorry if the first post came across as odd. I'm not seeking validation, just wanting to learn and hear more. I'm thrilled to have a DeSalvo and I love the understated branding and Mike's lack of ego - as I hear it on various podcasts and interviews.

I collect 70s/80s lugged steel frames from small/one-man shops such as Gängl, DiNucci, Appel, Tesch, Gilmour, etc. and so the DeSalvo is a great fit for my modern ride.

I've been riding a Ritchey Road Logic and it's been great and I understand well the marketing aspect of this. Richard Sachs has obviously nailed this, but I don't want to overpay (as I see it) for marketing. As I learned more about DeSalvo, this really hits the sweet spot of quality/aesthetics/price.

[Turkle]

I see this kind of thing on the music forums I frequent as well.

In every expensive hobby, the boutique small producers of extremely fine, expensive gear tend to sell their wares to those that already own several. The high-end musical instruments and the high-end bikes tend to go to collectors.

These happen to be the people that can afford to buy many - but periodically it's time to clean house and sell a bunch as well.

So to me, it's not surprising at all that you'll from time to time see these custom, boutique items for sale - it's just the nature of the high-end market in any expensive hobby.

[Big Dan]

Sometimes you sell the item that is easier to sell.
Guitars, amps, bikes....

[d_douglas]

Originally Posted by Big Dan

Sometimes you sell the item that is easier to sell.
Guitars, amps, bikes....

Good point. I needed to raise the most amount of money to put on a downpayment and the Desalvo was the most expensive bike I owned! I sold it for the money, baby!

Note that Dave Kirk just recommended him for a ti bike - I think that says it all?

[ERK55]

Mike is indeed a one-man shop but there are many DeSalvo’s “out there”. If I recall correctly he stated that he’s built a couple thousand frames.