Touring - European Steel Touring Frame Makers- Names Please!

I'm looking for a new steel touring frame (perferably lugged) and am looking for the names/web addresses of companies or individuals who produce steel touring frames in Europe. Could you please name any that you know of? Thanks.

The only one that I know of is Mercian.

http://www.merciancycles.co.uk/frame_king_mercia.asp

I believe Thorn Cycles make their own frames. See http://www.sjscycles.com/

--J

In the UK we are spoilt for choice. For well priced complete bikes:
Dawes
Orbit
Thorn
Saracen

For custom and stock frames
Roberts, Bob Jackson, Msteel, Hewitt, Condor.
Not every builder has an internet presence. The back pages of the Cyclist Touring Club magazine is a good source of info.

from Switzerland we have: http://www.aarios.ch/ Aarios bikes
and Villiger http://www.villigerbikes.ch/2004/index.php?cont=bikes&serie=adventure

Sven

I ride a Dutch made 'Vittorio'. They have a shop in Heerhugowaard. You can google them for their website. Another good touring bike builder is 'Snel' in Utrecht.

You can try Dario Pegoretti. But his bikes are damn expensive and custom made. But they're also damn good.

Koffee

Mercian - they can customize frame dimensions for you, or you can buy a stock bike with no wait. Here's my Mercian King of Mercia I bought stock/deleivered two days after purchase from Darby England UK to USA. It goes to LBS Thursday 1/19 for final build.

How 'bout them lugs, mate !!!!!

You could always take out a second mortgage to pay for an Alex Singer.

If you're in Paris and you want a really nice Audax bike I suggest going to a little shop about a block and a half from the Port de Vincennes. If I was going to guess where it was I'd say somewhere around the Boulevard Soult and Rue Fernand Foureau.

It is a small shop and probably don't build their own frames but the people there are artists with Audax bikes and certainly worth talking to if you're in Paris.

I don't know what the name of the place was because I don't remember any signs and the people inside didn't speak English to me though I suspect they knew a little but didn't want to seem ignorant by not speaking proper English.

One thing to remember about France is that there aren't too many bicyclists there that are French. If you see another cyclist it will probably be a foreigner.

In the UK we are spoilt for choice. For well priced complete bikes:
Dawes
Orbit
Thorn
Saracen

For custom and stock frames
Roberts, Bob Jackson, Msteel, Hewitt, Condor.
Not every builder has an internet presence. The back pages of the Cyclist Touring Club magazine is a good source of info.


oooooooooooh, bike porn!!!

also check cycling plus magazine too ... they are heavily into touring bikes, plus many advertise in there too ...

couple of dutch bikes i saw on my last tour ...

gazelle
koga miyata

Thanks for all the names, folks. I'm surprised there are not more frame builders in contentinal Europe! It seems that Mercian or Thorn are the ones for me.

Once again, thanks.

My Mercian King of Mercia build should be finished next week. I had most of the parts for a Shimano Ultegra/DA build so I saved some money. I'll have some pics next week.

If you wanna talk about Mercian's just send me a private message. They are really great people, and Grant will take care of you. They also have many Mercian's in stock so you don't necessarily need to get one custom made to your specific measurements. They measured each stock frame for me and found one in the size I needed - 56cm seat tubebe and 57cm top tube.

Here's a pic of their shoppe showing all the stock frames looking for new homes !


Thanks for all the names, folks. I'm surprised there are not more frame builders in contentinal Europe! It seems that Mercian or Thorn are the ones for me.

Once again, thanks.