Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Fixed gear stuff: Italy or Japan?

I don't wan't to start a flame war, just curious ...

Do you prefer Italian or Japanese fixed gear stuff and why?

I like both really..but italian parts is hard to find this days

here in germany italian stuff is a much cheaper than japanese so i ride old italian steel frames and campagnolo for work. think both du their job and the bling is also the same so...

I had my heart set on an Aussie frame with Italian bits. The framemaker had retired, so I settled for
a Japanese frame and Japanese bits. Mainly for costs. NJS stuff is pretty cheap.
http://velospace.org/node/3494
You decide if you like it.

Japanese is easier here ...

nice custom btw!!!

i don't like italian stuff much at all.

Japanese. Besides 1" steering tubes, even the old ones have standard sized parts by today's standards.

Italian... Think about it, the saddles aren't ass-hatchets and their much more classic. NJS is overhyped.

I ride japanese bikes, and will continue to do so, mostly because of price and availablility. Italian bikes are beautiful, and If I get the money, I will build one.

I had my heart set on an Aussie frame with Italian bits. The framemaker had retired, so I settled for
a Japanese frame and Japanese bits. Mainly for costs. NJS stuff is pretty cheap.
http://velospace.org/node/3494
You decide if you like it.

Forgive me if I'm wrong but did u take those pics of ur level on a road that leads down to a temple in Narita. That street looks familiar that's all, but I could be way off.

Italian... Think about it, the saddles aren't ass-hatchets and they're much more classic. NJS is overhyped.+1.

I love Italian, but to play devil's advocate, much Italian stuff is actually "hype." By the late 70s and early 80s, lots of Italian companies knew the mystique was there surrounding their frames, and without any real competition world-wide, the quality tends to decline. At least this is what I've observed working on Italian frames over the last few years.

I also favor Japanese because there are wayyyyyy more 50cm Japanese bikes than there are Italian! But I would trade my current frame for a Guerciotti, De Rosa, etc. in a hard beat.

Japanese just because theyre easier and usually cheaper to get. Also i feel like the quality is very predictably excellent with NJS frames.

Narita alright. The road is imotosando. The other pics are in Narita-san temple.
I live here in Narita. How come you know the road? I mean Joliet is long way away....
http://velospace.org/node/3494

I would keep my bike as japanese as it is but would bolt on some NJS Campa sherrif stars as soon as I get some.

Ill be in Italy for the spring semester...think Ill luck out on parts?

too many kids start out by saying "my bike is all njs..." who the **** cares? You anticipate rollin through JP and getting spanked in a Kieran?

It'd be like if a bunch of Japanese chefs were going nuts over Kosher food for the "K" stamp on it...

True the components are reliable, their availability and aesthetic is nice, but when it comes down to it. Give me Campy over NJS.

Give me Campy over NJS.

Why?

Why?

It's my preference. I love the italian styling and classic throwback steez. Dream ride's a Cinelli, not a Samson.

Still, I passed up C-record hubs for sealed Phils, so it isn't THAT big of an issue. I tend to lean towards practicality over aesthetic for a bike that i ride everyday.

The NJS stuff is nice and all, but i'd rather roll with classic ****.

Narita alright. The road is imotosando. The other pics are in Narita-san temple.
I live here in Narita. How come you know the road? I mean Joliet is long way away....
http://velospace.org/node/3494
Cool! I've been there a few times and going back in September. A good female friend of mine is Japanese, she lives in Tokyo but picks me up at the airport(I don't know any Japanese, so it's hard 4 me 2 get around), so the first night we stay in Narita so I can get over jetlag, plus the JR is right there at the top of the hill too so we can get straight to Tokyo, and we've been down that road a few times to visit the temple. There's alot of eel restaurants and that herbal shop with all the dead and stuffed reptiles is priceless. The few times I've been there, I've never seen the street that empty, as in ur pics. It's a beautiful area and it's tucked away so nicely that it could be easily missed. Nice Level by the way.

It'd be like if a bunch of Japanese chefs were going nuts over Kosher food for the "K" stamp on it...

Win.

Yoshi FTW (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0GFPpszhMk)

while living in Italy I learned that they use illegal Chinese immigrants for most all their manufacturing, which really ruined the mystique of “Made In Italy”. Probably the same in Japan, but I don’t know for sure. Regardless, every piece of my bike was made in Japan except my selle saddle and cenelli tape.

aldone, sei italiano? di dove sei?

for my fancy bike: italian. why? every part is classy, vintage, bought used, smoooooth, rare.

for my everyday/lockup bike: japanese. why? cheaper, more available replacement parts, njs stuff can be had by just grabbing an EAI catalog or bensbike.com.

favorite japanese grouppo: suntour superbe pro, but i sold all mine :(

+1 on japan, +1 on lower price and better availability. If I ever get a nice new road bike it might be campy equipped though, I like Ergo more than sti.

Australian +1.

Tougher, faster.

BORN ON THE 4th of JULY!! USA!! USA!! These colors DON'T RUN!

damn Yeoman. :)

Japan = the natural progression of 1970's Italian worksmanship. The real question is this: current stock vs. the golden era. It's not like the Japanese weren't obsessed/tutored by the Italians...

I'd go Japanese myself. Things like Schwinn Paramounts, classic Cinelli frames, historical 3Rensho's... I like to look at them but I'd be too uptight about riding them and would worry endlessly about tiny scratches / nicks in the paint, just knowing I'm riding a piece of history that will never be made again. Plus I love Nitto/Sugino/Dura Ace stuff to death... NJS stamped or not. And Kaisei/Ishiwata is one of the best tubing-producers in the world IMO, on par with all of that European stuff.

I love Nitto stuff too. So beautiful, yet so strong, practical and down-to-business.

I'll take a Ciocc or Cinelli over a Gan Well or Watanabe any day.

Mostly just to break with the massive NJS hype going on these days. Parts is parts. I doubt there's any real quality differences between the two regions. Except in terms of paint...

the difference is `price jacked up for longtime' vs `price jacked up from recently' no?

while living in Italy I learned that they use illegal Chinese immigrants for most all their manufacturing, which really ruined the mystique of “Made In Italy”.
aldone, sei italiano? di dove sei?

Yes, I'm Italian, I live in Torino.

I really dont' think that Campagnolo or others uses Chinese immigrants in the Italian factories, it's easier to built things directly in China, lots of current "Italian" bikes are, in fact, made in Asia.

Australian +1.

Tougher, faster.Ok

If I used Australian parts on my IRO, it would look almost like this.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/pedalforce/green.jpg

I'm very proud of my nation's products too, but are there any pista gruppos made in Australia?

Ok

If I used Australian parts on my IRO, it would look almost like this.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t75/pedalforce/green.jpg

I'm very proud of my nation's products too, but are there any pista gruppos made in Australia?

Well, for starters there's Velocity rims. There's also Nano rims. There's also BT frames, plus a host of great steel frame builders. You can also get BT handlebars/stems and seatpins.

For a while there was a guy on the east coast making cranks and sprockets too.

Oh, and re the Italian vs Japanese thing - it's got to depend on the brand and groupset.

The order goes:

Campagnolo Record (current groupset)
Shimano Dura-Ace (current)
Campagnolo Super Record
Campagnolo Record (old style)
Mavic (if it counts as a groupset)
Shimano Dura-Ace 10mm
Suntour Superbe Pro (newer groupset)
Shimano Dura-Ace (old style)
Gipiemme
Suntour Superbe
Campagnolo C-Record (including NJS)
Miche Supertype

So Italy top and bottom.

its all chinese to me

italiano. seriously people.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/alicat1184/guidos.jpg

Sup Jersey shore?

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g226/alicat1184/guidos.jpg

ewwww those are Jersey kids... probably italian though

Now these kids...

http://www.gallerynucleus.com/bandaid/content/store/5/1124/book_fruits2.jpg

haha.
somehow, i prefer the latter.

I'd go Japanese myself. Things like Schwinn Paramounts, classic Cinelli frames, historical 3Rensho's... I like to look at them but I'd be too uptight about riding them and would worry endlessly about tiny scratches / nicks in the paint, just knowing I'm riding a piece of history that will never be made again.

Those bikes want you to ride them. That's what they were built for. You shouldn't worry a second about scratching the paint on 99% of Paramounts, Cinellis, or 3Renshos. They want to feel the wind and the road (or boards) beneath their tires.

This, on the other hand, is a piece of history:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/EddyMerckxHourRecordBike.jpg

Give me Campy over NJS.

Doesnt/Didnt Campy make NJS spec stuff?

yep

Well, for starters there's Velocity rims. There's also Nano rims. There's also BT frames, plus a host of great steel frame builders. You can also get BT handlebars/stems and seatpins.

For a while there was a guy on the east coast making cranks and sprockets too.Thanks for making my point .

There are not any Australian pista gruppos.;).

BTW the question was, "Italy or Japan?".

Thanks for making my point .

There are not any Australian pista gruppos.;).

BTW the question was, "Italy or Japan?".

I thought your 'point' was a question.

BTW I answered the question 'Italy or Japan' right underneath the answer to your question that wasn't.