I agree.
But price will make or break this though, it seems.
If people have to pay over a grand for it they may choose an ebay frame or maybe any number of custom builders here and abroad. Bob Jackson pops into my head.

I guess it comes down to what you get for that money though. Maybe theyll have amazing paint jobs like someone said above. Or some other cool options. Like the wish bone seat stays that ive seen on a couple Watanabes.
But if the pricing is anything like the number Mr. Watanabe gave br995 and I, then they might not sell all that fast.

Basically, it would be nice to have more info and pics of said street frames. :)
A nice pic of an amazing frame gets people excited and thinking about spending money. :)

Maybe people here would like to see/read some concrete facts about those frames first, instead of vague questions about whether there would be interest in them or not, which I'm sure there would be plenty of once pricing, availability time, any possible customs options and real pics are here.

Er, what?

http://subtle.org/se/gallery/d/4493-2/track_5502.jpg

Yeah, I see what you guys are saying. I do have to admit that my personal interest starts to dwindle as you exceed the $700 range depending on what the frame offers, and from the sounds of it you guys are hinting the quoted number is probably a bit higher than that still - though from the admittedly vague sounds of things I would be all over this if I were in the market for a super-bling fair weather bike.

ah... should read it more closely.

if anyone is interested in the panasonic "custom" frames, info is here:

http://www.panabyc.co.jp/Products/pos/fp38.html
fresh paint schemes and all...

I don't understand what that photo proves...

It doesnt prove anything...but, you dont have to be a keirin racer to get the NJS stamp.
The Panasonics are a perfect example of that. If you buy an Panasonic FP28 it has the stamp.

I'm assuming that Sashae thinks that you know who he is and he's not a keirin racer. I'm assuming that that pic is of a Kalavinka that was custom built for Sashae which has a vague njs stamp on it. I guess if he only explained the pic he provided there would be little confusion but just looking at the pic with no explanation looks like a Kalavinka in the build process with a njs stamp on it.

This is what interests me the most.

Are you saying the lugs will be different from the ones normally used for the racing frames? Is the tubing a different steel, thickness, etc?

I've approached a couple builders in Japan and have done a little research into this as well. Here are my conclusions, take it for what it's worth.

The people who are into doing tricks etc. are not looking for a lugged steel beauty, they want something relatively cheap and beefy that they can throw around and not worry about. Whether or not the frame has an njs stamp or is built by a reputable njs builder matters little to them. Not your market.

Then there are people who are more into the practicability of the bike for general commuting and riding purposes. They want something affordable, in the $500-$600 range. It would be NICE if it was lugged steel and built by an njs builder, but at the end of the day, it's the cost and affordability of the frame that matters most. (Maybe this is the majority on this forum? correct me if i'm wrong.) Not your market.

And then there are people who are more into the aesthetic aspect of the bike. These people usually worry less about how much money they spend. They just want something that looks perfect in their eyes and they're willing to "spare no expense". Practicability and affordability is less of a concern. Whether or not they need beefier tubing isn't a big concern either b/c they're not the people that thrash their bike and throw it around. This COULD be your market. But these people tend to also care about things like that njs stamp and the brand of the frame. If they could have a good condition used nagasawa for $800 on ebay, they would probably buy that instead of a new watanabe or vivalo for the same price or a couple hundred more. (I'm guessing $900-1100 is your target price range) The only thing you can offer is sizing. But you've seen people ride around on frames where sizing is compromised but they still love it, so... how much these people care about a properly fitted bike... presumably not as much as how the bike looks. If you're targeting these people tho, you're likely to generate more interest on the Superfuture forums. It would also help if you had Mash, Cadence, Carnival, Real Mad Hectic etc. backing you. But then it goes back to the group of people who are into doing tricks, this is not the type of bike they're looking for.

These are just my own conclusions. Could be totally off the mark, but it's persuaded me not to pursue the idea.

Good luck to you if you decide to go through with it. I'd love to see it.

re: Watanabe Street Frames


I'm sure people would go crazy for them over here, this one looked pretty cool I saw it on internet



http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/7...atanabeqv3.jpg

^^??
wannabe?

Lol

Wannabuyme?