pazzmore

Jon Kendziera
https://www.jonnycycles.com/

VS.

Ed Foster
https://www.edsbikes.us/bikes.htm


Which one do you like?

sp00ki

ed's bikes, hands down.

i really can't get behind a company who wastes time with "innovations" like this:



Yet has no problem asking $250 for their time. Talk about pointless-chiq...

oh, and the best part?
"Does NOT work with any brake lever (due to the 1" diameter)" (from johnnycycles.com)
ANY brake lever? Wow...
nothing like a fabricator without basic knowledge of what he's talking about to give you that extra bit of confidence!

yeah. ed's bikes and them. no contest.

Judge_Posner

i disagree spooki. i'm all about johnny cycles because he advertises the following options:

Polished Stainless Steel Head Lugs---$525.00
Polished Stainless Seat Lug---$300.00
Polished Stainless Steel BB---$625.00

i'll take all three. how can u go wrong?

edit: this is in addition to the $2300 base price for frame build. yes please.

huerro

Any idea what the shop time is to polish those lugs and mask the details for paint? I have no idea how long it takes, but those prices might not be that crazy. You could dip them in chrome for a lot less, but that sort of defeats the purpose of high end hand made bikes.

This 1899 replica from La Suprema is ridiculously beautiful:


More pics: https://www.edsbikes.us/1899replica.htm

sp00ki

lol... exactly.

keisatsu

Ugh... That thing has ******baggery written all over it.

beforeimpact

Y'all do realize that's Squid's stem, right?

deadforkinglast

Jonny Cycles does some things that I think are just too flashy and showy, but I have to respect his ability as an artisan framebuilder. One thing to keep in mind is that he makes bikes to order. People ask for flashy, ostentatious extras and add-ons and he does that for them and does a damn good job. He did, however, make this frame. That's pretty gorgeous.

I'd never heard of Ed Foster until this thread, but his work looks pretty legit also. I'd say either could probably build you the bike of your dreams if you've got the dough.

iamthenoise

if youre talking about radiohead's guitarists, jonny is the crowd favorite, but really ed has his moments.

Surferbruce

www.kirkframeworks.com

queerpunk

kirk is amazing. there's a dude in nyc who did the PBP on a custom kirk. stunning bike.

re: jonny cycles - i consider it unfair to rag on a builder because of their prices. builders raise their prices in order to keep their waiting lists reasonable. many builders that i've spoken to regret having to raise their prices - they also regret their long waiting lists, but the fact of the matter remains that if you keep your prices reasonable, and you get a great reputation, you're going to get far more work than you're able to fulfill.

the funny handlebar/stem thing? what's wrong with quirk?

sfcrossrider

Why would you spend more money to have a lesser builder make your frame?

Living legend!
https://www.yamaguchibike.com/content/Index

Judge_Posner

i wasn't ragging on the builder because of his prices -- i was ragging on the prices themselves. i've got nothing against johnny! in fact, if i had $3k to spare, a custom bike like johnny makes wouldn't be too far down on priority list.

i think that what he does its awesome. all of the builders in question are true artisans in a day and age when almost all the others have been pushed out of business... its an extremely respectable craft, and theres absolutely nothing wrong with raising prices to meet demand. i am a little confused as to why more frame builders haven't entered the market with prices where they are, especially considering that the profit margin must be through the roof and there are supposedly long waiting lists for builders who charge $2300 base. maybe i should be considering a career switch myself...

porkchop

these builders aren't gettin fat on the profits from their sales. makin' a livin - sure - but prices too extreme - i think not. check out prices for high end tubing, lugs, braze ons, and paint. material costs are only getting greater. the cost of steel has jumped substantially in the last 6 months, and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. the cost of consumables is also on the rise - flux, silver, brass, sandpaper, emory cloth, files... also consider the considerable skill needed to build a frame, plus the time it takes to layout design, correspond with the rider to dial in fit, the cost of shipping for the raw materials, liability insurance, shop insurance and rent/mortgage. now consider the cost of a journeyman electrician or plumber, or the cost for commisioning an artpiece from a reputable artist - framebuilding is expensive, and requires a great deal of skill, so we should expect to pay for it.

Aeroplane

Vanilla cycles.. that guy charges like $3000 for a basic frame... lol what a joke.

(i.e. you are a moron)

Rusty Piton

I said both, but then I saw this and wish I could change my vote.

bfoz

johnnys from madison so i have to show him love, and his bikes are sickkkk as fack

Rusty Piton

How does this work?

Aeroplane

Eccentric dropout.

Mofopotomus

Man I must have lived here for too long. Seems like custom bicycle fabricators are popping up faster than Starbucks, that being said I have absolutely no problem with that. If you get a chance to make a living off of something you love than you better take it even if the pay isn't that great (which even for established builders i.e. Vanilla it isn't).

Oh, and I'm pretty sure those handlebars were a one off thing as I'm pretty sure they were built for Squid and given to him at some point about a year or so ago (though you never know, I've never met the guy, he might be a total ******bag, but I kind of doubt it).

Costello

Ed is one of the nicest guys in town, always willing to help and B.S. about bikes. Nothing but good experiences with him. He built a frame for a co-worker of mine (it's the "tall commuter" bike on the site) and it's pretty damn stunning.

sp00ki

there's a huge difference between a $3000 custom frame and a $500 lug (or a $250 handlebar).

Try to follow the conversation...

"1" diameter handlebar: works great without grips, or I can supply some nice Keirin rubber grips w/the bar. Does NOT work with any brake lever (due to the 1" diameter)
65 degree angle
5 cm maximum height from headset to underside of extention tube.
Width: Any width you want. Lengths: 90, 100, 110, 120, and 130

Look here for more details: sharky v 3.0.pdf Finish and pricing options:
$250 Painted in hammerhead shark theme
$274 with clear keirin grips installed"

pazzmore

sp00ki

oddly enough, no one cares who rides them.

true story.

Rusty Piton

Whoa, those Kirk frames are fire, I love the curvy stays