Weigle, Wojcik, IF, Serotta, Fat City: End of an Era?

[Alexi]

30 year old cyclists that as they age and their finances improve will want the equivalent of a Kirk, Bingham, or Peg?

As a 40 something those brands don’t have the interest for me as say someone in their 50s or 60s. There are builders in my cohort that are much more interesting to me. Chapman, Horse, Geekhouse, Tomii, Royal H, Firefly, etc.

[54ny77]

A sad but I'll say a largely true comment. Applies to so many things, not just bikes.

An acquaintance I recently started riding with has an old fillet brazed custom that's a good 25+ years old. He's trained and raced on it all over the U.S. I was admiring it in the garage (forget the brand, began with an "R" though) and commenting how beautifully made it looked to be. He was surprised I even knew what a steel frame was, let alone one that had fillet brazed joints. All his local riding pals have the latest aero carbon whatevers.

Originally Posted by Alexi

As a 40 something those brands don’t have the interest for me as say someone in their 50s or 60s. There are builders in my cohort that are much more interesting to me. Chapman, Horse, Geekhouse, Tomii, Royal H, Firefly, etc.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by NHAero

I think you're on target, but I wonder over the next decade or two whether the target market for custom bikes will shrink as we old guys die off? Is there as large of a cohort of, say, 30 year old cyclists that as they age and their finances improve will want the equivalent of a Kirk, Bingham, or Peg?

No. But I’m 43.. and hope to be buying castaways and cut-offs for at least another 30 years. Or maybe I’ll just retire in a while with ten nicely curated Pegoretti Cicli ..

[Alexi]

How is this my comment sad? It’s a weird “our music was better” type comment to think that younger folks are going have the same interests (obsessions) as someone 20-30 years their senior.

Originally Posted by 54ny77

A sad but I'll say a largely true comment. Applies to so many things, not just bikes.

An acquaintance I recently started riding with has an old fillet brazed custom that's a good 25+ years old. He's trained and raced on it all over the U.S. I was admiring it in the garage (forget the brand, began with an "R" though) and commenting how beautifully made it looked to be. He was surprised I even knew what a steel frame was, let alone one that had fillet brazed joints. All his local riding pals have the latest aero carbon whatevers.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by Alexi

As a 40 something those brands don’t have the interest for me as say someone in their 50s or 60s. There are builders in my cohort that are much more interesting to me. Chapman, Horse, Geekhouse, Tomii, Royal H, Firefly, etc.

Funny, I’m also a 40 something and none of those you prefer hold any interest to me..

[54ny77]

Nah just a commentary on changing times. I went to a nice department store the other day to pick up a pair of patent leather tux shoes. Nordstroms, which ironically started out as a shoe store and for years in this area was the go-to for quality stuff. Was looking for a pair of Allen Edmonds, which they always carried. Told the salesman what I was after, and he hadn't the lightest idea what I was talking about but suggested some "cool" shoes to wear with a tux from any number of pricey european makers. Cool, hip, fashionable....if I was 25 and a rap star, maybe...

Time to go ride my carbon bike and yell at some clouds.

Originally Posted by Alexi

How is this my comment sad? It’s a weird “our music was better” type comment to think that younger folks are going have the same interests (obsessions) as someone 20-30 years their senior.

[Alexi]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Funny, I’m also a 40 something and none of those you prefer hold any interest to me..

Yeah well some folks like swing music also

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by Alexi

Yeah well some folks like swing music also

It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that..

[fmradio516]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Funny, I’m also a 40 something and none of those you prefer hold any interest to me..

its cuz we're boston fanboys

[Alexi]

Originally Posted by fmradio516

its cuz we're boston fanboys

Half the guys I’ve listed have connections to the Boston scene…

Chapman -from RI, basically a suburb of Boston

Horse -from Brooklyn, NYC may be our mortal enemy, but Brooklyn is overflowing with Boston transplants

Geekhouse -Marty grew up in Worcester, built bikes in Allston, and shares a name with a Boston mayor.

Tomii -Went to Mass Art, started building frames in Arlington

Royal H -Bryan started at Seven, shares a space with Cantabrigian Mechanics

Firefly -came out of Indy Fab, who came out of Fat City, shop space by Dotty Ave, can you get more Boston then that?

[fmradio516]

Originally Posted by Alexi

Half the guys I’ve listed have connections to the Boston scene…

er.. i meant that "we" as in you and me. Not me and clean.

[Alexi]

Originally Posted by fmradio516

er.. i meant that "we" as in you and me. Not me and clean.

Ohh, oops haha.

[cnighbor1]

A Wojcik is listed on Facebook 54.5cm $1000

[54ny77]

Tomii's are on a whole 'nother level.

Originally Posted by Alexi

Tomii -Went to Mass Art, started building frames in Arlington

[Alexi]

Originally Posted by 54ny77

Tomii's are on a whole 'nother level.

Background in sculpture helps explain it.