Pinnacle of bicycle frameset design - opinion(ated?) thread
10-01-22, 11:28 PM
#26
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Early-mid 80s are truly the pinnacle for me. Unicrown forks, threadless headsets and sloping top-tubes becoming standard across frame sizes, are the OG axis of evil, a trident of the terrible. Those bikes just ain’t right, rivaled only by the bug-eyed automotive anime fetishizing of the 90s. Nowadays, thick tubed frames of whatever material remind me of what has been lost in automotive design due to modern safety standards, crumple zones and all, the fine lines replaced by an army of grayed out morbidly obese electric shavers.
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10-02-22, 05:59 AM
#27
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10-02-22, 06:42 AM
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Is it intentional or subconscious? My bike collection now only spans the years of 1980 to 1988. Well, I do have one of those frames equipped with 9 speed Brifters. Beginning to think that was the golden era!
10-02-22, 07:05 AM
#29
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1900 ish gormully & jefferey
it's arriving today! i'll get to test my lug lining (lack of) skills!
it's arriving today! i'll get to test my lug lining (lack of) skills!
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10-02-22, 07:52 AM
#30
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Anything from 1980-1995 that is laterally stiff while remaining vertically compliant
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10-02-22, 08:13 AM
#32
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2020's, modern steel for me. Really like what some of the new'ish builders are doing like Rob English mixing tubing size and TIG'd frames look incredibly clean. English being a fully custom frame builder, a horizontal top tube is not a problem.
I like 80's frames because they're cheap compared to modern ones, you can buy one mess with it and not be out of pocket too much. It hurts to mess around with a modern frame when one drops 5k and waits a year for it.
I like 80's frames because they're cheap compared to modern ones, you can buy one mess with it and not be out of pocket too much. It hurts to mess around with a modern frame when one drops 5k and waits a year for it.
10-02-22, 08:23 AM
#33
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********** what is wrong with editing and quick reply? can't do any at then moment **********
Wanted to add this RS cycles modern steel bild posted on The Spoken a while ago or the bike Rob English built for himself out of stainless below that:
Wanted to add this RS cycles modern steel bild posted on The Spoken a while ago or the bike Rob English built for himself out of stainless below that:
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10-02-22, 08:43 AM
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I for one am grateful for rules in C&V that lovingly turn a blind eye to the inclusion of such modern constructed bikes. Otherwise I don't know if I'd be exposed to these beauties.
10-02-22, 08:45 AM
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isn’t this like asking BMW which of their cars is the Ultimate Driving Machine? The newest one, clearly. The one that came off the line just before that is now Penultimate.
I’ve got a professional acquaintance who is a bike nerd and was one of the Kestrel engineers. Through him I also know of an aluminum builder who was sort of philosophically competing with him. Those guys were interested in making the best bike to go fast or the best bike to thrash. I know another few who make frames for a hobby and for them it’s about premium craftsmanship with a personal warranty. Totally different goals.
Aluminum had a very brief hold on the top of the market, coexisting with titanium and run right out by carbon fiber.
Full suspension mountain bikes are having a golden age right now
I’ve got a professional acquaintance who is a bike nerd and was one of the Kestrel engineers. Through him I also know of an aluminum builder who was sort of philosophically competing with him. Those guys were interested in making the best bike to go fast or the best bike to thrash. I know another few who make frames for a hobby and for them it’s about premium craftsmanship with a personal warranty. Totally different goals.
Aluminum had a very brief hold on the top of the market, coexisting with titanium and run right out by carbon fiber.
Full suspension mountain bikes are having a golden age right now
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Genesis 49:16-17
Genesis 49:16-17
10-02-22, 09:38 AM
#36
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Regarding old frames, I see them as a stepping stone with the technology moving on to TIG, but it is all building on top of what was possible back then with lugs. If we are talking pure looks, one can argue that some lugged frames are very beautiful like the Battaglin Portofino (then someone posts the bikes above lol ) but from a technological POV, they're way back in 1980 (excluding Portofinos, those are modern and wicked). Arguably, both quill and 1 1/8 have produced a number of crimes against the sense of sight itself and should have never seen the light of day, but this is not a a-head only or unicrown issue by no means.
For carbon is a given but I find it amazing that this is possible with steel. Rob English for example puts alot of time and effort into R&D so his bikes are not just polish queens, they actually ride very well and the ride is tunable to customer's spec. Again, amazing..
My opinion etc etc.
10-02-22, 02:55 PM
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...and for good or bad (many would say good), this was when Vitus introduced us to carbon fibre in the ZX-1 bicycle.
10-02-22, 06:12 PM
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I invite you to do a bit of googling on your own, there are amazing bikes built by contemporary custom frame builders which also build 'off the shelf' for their own catalogues like Ritchey ( Road Logic ). If you don't know where to start, the Road forum has a thread with modern steel bikes, that's a good starting point.
Regarding old frames, I see them as a stepping stone with the technology moving on to TIG, but it is all building on top of what was possible back then with lugs. If we are talking pure looks, one can argue that some lugged frames are very beautiful like the Battaglin Portofino (then someone posts the bikes above lol ) but from a technological POV, they're way back in 1980 (excluding Portofinos, those are modern and wicked). Arguably, both quill and 1 1/8 have produced a number of crimes against the sense of sight itself and should have never seen the light of day, but this is not a a-head only or unicrown issue by no means.
For carbon is a given but I find it amazing that this is possible with steel. Rob English for example puts alot of time and effort into R&D so his bikes are not just polish queens, they actually ride very well and the ride is tunable to customer's spec. Again, amazing..
My opinion etc etc.
Regarding old frames, I see them as a stepping stone with the technology moving on to TIG, but it is all building on top of what was possible back then with lugs. If we are talking pure looks, one can argue that some lugged frames are very beautiful like the Battaglin Portofino (then someone posts the bikes above lol ) but from a technological POV, they're way back in 1980 (excluding Portofinos, those are modern and wicked). Arguably, both quill and 1 1/8 have produced a number of crimes against the sense of sight itself and should have never seen the light of day, but this is not a a-head only or unicrown issue by no means.
For carbon is a given but I find it amazing that this is possible with steel. Rob English for example puts alot of time and effort into R&D so his bikes are not just polish queens, they actually ride very well and the ride is tunable to customer's spec. Again, amazing..
My opinion etc etc.
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10-02-22, 07:06 PM
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10-02-22, 08:42 PM
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10-02-22, 09:06 PM
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10-03-22, 05:37 AM
#45
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that's hot.
10-03-22, 08:32 AM
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For me pinnacle began September 1979, lasted thru early 90’s. Thank You Vitus
Available all through the 80’s but recommended for under 160 #. Big, strong guys were hard on the 979’s. I think the advanced steel frames we love kept the big & tall in the mix of cyclists. Don
Last edited by ollo_ollo; 10-03-22 at 08:51 AM. Reason: Add info
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10-03-22, 08:43 AM
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Beauties? That quality is definitely in the eye of the beholder, and I don't see it. No thanks.
10-03-22, 08:51 AM
#48
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For me, 77 through 91, and everything in between.
Tim
77 Trek TX900
91 Paramount
Tim
77 Trek TX900
91 Paramount
10-03-22, 09:04 AM
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Why is this the axis of evil? I have plenty of quill/threaded bikes and threadless, and I find myself drawn to threadless more - to me it seems like a superior design. What about unicrown? Is it all in the looks dept? I'm not attached to any of this stuff, so I'm not arguing for one or the other. The heretical potential of a steel unicrown, especially compared to a lugged fork, seems quite mundane, barely a degree of separation, especially when considering the radical departure to that which is truly and spectacularly unappealing = the bulbous carbon fork (especially when on a steel bike).
Threadless headsets are probably easier to adjust for people who don't know how to adjust a proper headset. The stems for threadless headsets--ugly, too.
Sloping top tubes? Ugly. Straight bladed forks, made out of any material? Ugly.
The impressionist painter Renoir said there were enough ugly things in the world without creating more. It's too bad bikes have gone down this path.
10-03-22, 10:10 AM
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Unicrown forks are ugly, but straight fork blades are even uglier. 
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