Aldone

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

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

vee_dub

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

PHR3AK

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...

stules

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.
https://velospace.org/node/3494
You decide if you like it.

EMT

Japanese is easier here ...

EMT

nice custom btw!!!

shants

i don't like italian stuff much at all.

Hobartlemagne 

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

johnprolly

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

dijos

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.

camashtorcal

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.

BoSoxYacht

+1.

bonechilling

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.

deathhare

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

stules

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....
https://velospace.org/node/3494

parkerlewis

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.

TedC

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

johnprolly

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.

deathhare

Why?

johnprolly

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 ****.

camashtorcal

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.

Yoshi

Win.

johnprolly

Yoshi FTW

Sizzle-Chest

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?

k3nho

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