Originally Posted by
Veloria
rob -
You are right about the apples to ranges comparison, which is exactly why I prefer not to make comparisons that are misleading. If we could compare lugged steel with touring geometry and proprietary lugwork vs lugged steel with touring geometry and proprietary lugwork, then we could argue about it. But as far as I know, Rivendell's product is currently unique in that respect.
Re Mercian: They are excellent and, dare I say, reasonably priced for custom bikes. But they are very different bicycles than Rivendell. You cannot get a Mercian with the same specs as a Riv unless you custom-geometrise the hell out of their suggested models, which I suspect would double the price.
Re Bilenky: They are excellent, but on a very different price level than my $1K Rivendell frame.
The way I see it, it makes sense to first decide what kind of bike one wants, and then go to a builder or designer (like Rivendell, Mercian designs and sub-contracts to build) that specialises in that type of bicycle.
For fun I spec'd a Mercian frame that was similar to what Riv' offers. It was far less costly than most--if not all--of their overseas models.
Mercian doesn't sub-contract their work. All the steel frames are made in house (at least they were when I purchased mine in 2000). Mercian, as a brand, is older than GP of Riv'/Bridgestone fame. When I look at a Mercian, I know it was made by human hands. When I look at a Rivendell frame, I see something that's almost "too perfect," and bordering on "sterile." I also see added details that look like they were added simply because someone was bored and wanted to add something "new." If you're going to be excessive, leave it to Hetchins, as they set the bar many, many years ago.
I, personally, am biased towards the British marques like Mercian, Jackson, Cooper, and Taylor. I grew up admiring those builders' handiwork, and for me, their frames are the ones that have the best blend of old-world charm and present-day functionality.