Dream Bike

[beeatnik]

A bike only a tall dude in the PNW could love.

I keed.

Not really.

Well, kind of.

[bobvelo]

Hello, I put this Stelbel together and I love it. The buying experience, was great I went directly through Stelbel. It is all custom on the frame sizing, which worked for me, shorter top tube, the picture of bike is not final setup. Best; bob velo;

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by bobvelo

Hello, I put this Stelbel together and I love it. The buying experience, was great I went directly through Stelbel. It is all custom on the frame sizing, which worked for me, shorter top tube, the picture of bike is not final setup. Best; bob velo;

Classy build - have you ridden it? Thoughts or comparisons?

[bobvelo]

Hello, I have around 300 road miles, some trainer stuff this winter. I came from a Colnago cx zero, I wanted to get off the keep up with the trends/marketing, so I saw the white Stelbel and did the homework and I love it, I am getting tubular wheels. The history, of Stelbel is he was one of the pioneers in TIG frame building. The Rodano, frame is a century, more relaxed set up. I am currently looking towards next frame and I got bit by the Pegoretti bug. But as a older rider the Duende vs the marcello is something to look at? The most fun was getting the frame, getting the Campy stuff and having some nice cave time, to put it together! Riding it is a blast, it wants to go fast; Best bob velo

[yashcha]

Originally Posted by dan_hudson

Thread-Jack - sorry.

I too am curious when I see a pic of the SB03. But can't say that I'm willing to buy one.

There a a number of brands that looks so good on the internet but just can't get my head around their experience - Stelbel and Jaegher to name two. Added more after this year's NAHBS - Deanima for instance. Stelbel is a great example of a bunch of these brands, with loose ties to old craftsman but who really is making the bikes today?

For high-end small production, a few gold-standards stand out: IF, Moots, and Seven for example. Add to that (relative) new-comers like Baum, Mosaic, and No22. Festka is one I've pretty much added to my list. For me comes down to lots of bikes out there + embracing/advertising how they come about. I'd like to add Stelbel but if I search on SB03, seems like the same five bikes are shown over/over in Google/Images.

Anyone else share these thoughts? Or have good info the share specifically on Stelbel? Jaegher is an example where the word on these forums at least really gives pause. Genuine question, not trying to poop in the punch bowl. The SB03 that opened the thread looks so good. But scary to think about buying one.

If you value any of the following things, do NOT ever order a Jaegher.

Lugs are brazed properly
Frame is straight
Fork is straight
Frameset is prepped (facing/chasing)
Seattube is reamed
color is correct
On time
Sent to the correct address and correct name
Customer service stands behind their product
Charges the correct shipping listed on website, and not triple
Other normal frame buying experience.

All of the above were wrong or not fulfilled with my frameset order.

My experience is not unique. I know of at least three other Jaegher's in the past two years that showed up with completely wrong geometry, missing braze -ons, and degrading paint.

Jaegher does not deserve my fellow forum members hard earned $. This was supposed to be a dream bike, it was a NIGHTMARE and I lost $2,200.

[CSKeller]

Nice Clean!

But couldn't you have purchased your dream bike at least three times last year considering the shear number of bikes you went through?

I say focus and go for your dream bike/s, avoid all the little shiny stuff that pulls you away from your dream bike!

[Michael Maddox]

I'm going to inject some reality here. Clean and I have the same problem...bike lust, pure and simple.

There will ALWAYS be another bike to want. The "dream bike" doesn't exist for people like us.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by CSKeller

Nice Clean!

But couldn't you have purchased your dream bike at least three times last year considering the shear number of bikes you went through?

I say focus and go for your dream bike/s, avoid all the little shiny stuff that pulls you away from your dream bike!

Originally Posted by Michael Maddox

I'm going to inject some reality here. Clean and I have the same problem...bike lust, pure and simple.

There will ALWAYS be another bike to want. The "dream bike" doesn't exist for people like us.

The sobering reality is that I am (and have been) living where M. Maddox described - chasing the next shiny object like a foodie trying every new restaurant they find - but would likely be much more happy and satisfied if I found a way to retire to the land CSKeller describes.

I was thinking about this while riding my new (to me) Kirk last night. The bike is awesome and the most stunning piece of engineering and artistry I've been on to date - but is it the bike I would order for myself? No. It's not. 90% yes, but the last 10% I'd make some different choices.

I feel the same way about my Hampsten LDV at the moment. It handles great, it's gorgeous, and its stiff back end likes to be hammered on flat/rolling terrain - but is it the bike I'd order for myself? Probably not. I'd go lower on the front end, a bit slacker in the ST, and a bit longer in the front-center, and maybe not as stiff in the stays.

But will my experience riding both of those (and everything else I've put miles on) inform what I take to a builder sometime soon? And have they been fun to put together and experience? Absolutely.

To that end, I'm really close to sending Kirk my deposit and getting in line. I know I want an all-steel, 30c w fenders, rim-brake, stable, distance-oriented road bike in my collection. And I think he's the one I want to have fill that spot, even though a Rock Lobster Tig SL would do the same at half the cost (and my Boulder Road Sport at half again as much). Onesto and done. I want to talk to Dave first though. If the bike he'd build me based on my fit and desired ride is basically the one I bought, but with bottle mounts, some braze-ons, and some very minor differences in geometry, then I'll happily save the money and make those adjustments to this one.

On the other side of the riding spectrum, I'll be narrowing down to one bike for riding fast n' hard for <3-4hrs. It might be the Zanconato scandium I've got waiting to build. Or it might be the DeRosa Protos sitting at FedEx. Or if neither of those work, it might be a custom alluminati from Zank (built for me), or from Rock Lobster, or something titanium from Holland or Hampsten (or Eriksen or Strong or...). Whatever material, it'll be low and long. A good climber and fast-handling descender. Rim brakes and built for 25s. At this point (following the two candidates waiting to be tried) I have zero need to test another off-the-peg, or custom-for-someone-else bike. I've reached the point of diminishing returns on all that.

Those are the two types of dinners I know I want to eat on alternating days for the foreseeable future: one purpose-built for fast, one purpose-built for long. I'm just still a bit undecided on what goes on each menu and who I'm going to pay to cook it for me.

[rallizes]

you have a DeRosa Protos incoming?

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by rallizes

you have a DeRosa Protos incoming?

Shhh...tried to slip that in there casually. Yeah, should be in near-new condition, with Record EPS v3, Superleggera finishing kit, and Fulcrum Zeros. One last hurrah.

[rallizes]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Shhh...tried to slip that in there casually. Yeah, should be in near-new condition, with Record EPS v3, Superleggera finishing kit, and Fulcrum Zeros. One last hurrah.

holy hell if that doesn't do it what will

[tuscanyswe]

I will tell you what i usually end up telling most of my friends the last couple of years.

With them its usually about women and tinder but in your case we just substitute the women for bikes and tinder for paceline or the internet bike world.

How the hell are you going to find something special if you are on to the next one before you have even decided what you think about the last one?

You cant eat icecream all day every day and expect it to be special..


Make a bigger event of your next bike, i think you will like it more. If thats sitting down with Dave K for a chat or googling bottle holder screws in brass to match your gold colnago logo or whatever you may come up with, dont matter, either will be good for you imo .)

[R3awak3n]

I think Clean will keep trying bikes and eventually he will realize that his perfect bike was already his and he sold it a while ago. Which is fine because he can just re buy it.

I also don't think this has to do about the perfect bike, it has to do with the fact that we are huge consumers and buying something new and shinny makes us feel good. Some can contain it more than others. Some also have more money than others.

[rallizes]

Originally Posted by R3awak3n

I think Clean will keep trying bikes and eventually he will realize that his perfect bike was already his and he sold it a while ago.

yes, the pegoretti marcelo

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by rallizes

yes, the pegoretti marcelo

If custom made for me with a head-tube that isn't a periscope...there was a lot I liked about that bike though.