Friday, November 4, 2011

custom carbon is hard to do

custom and small-production carbon bike frames are hard to do well.  this does absolutely nothing for me.  i'm sure it's very nice, but it looks cheap, unfinished and ill-considered construction-wise.  why would anyone pick it instead of appleman, calfee, crumpton or strong?  in general, the luggy carbon frames just look wrong to me; calfee has the history and cred at least, and after all these years the weird look wears you down, so they get a pass kinda'.  parlee keeps it simple and has minimized the luggy look over the years, though the prices for the american-made frames became obscene a while ago.  the sort of integrated-handwrap, smoother look is what says quality to me.  (going fucking crazy will all the carbon bits like appleman does is pretty  neat, too.)  if you try to make your carbon frame look like a lugged steel frame you look like a lesser version of that specialized allez epic carbon frame from 20 years ago.  (and yes i know about those vitus carbone frames.)  i'd ride one of those allez epics before a meivici. maybe not for long after all these years, but i wouldn't feel like a fucktard at least.


4 comments:

  1. You need to see that Corvid in person.

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  2. that could make all the difference, perhaps, but the presentation in the pictures is not good for me at all. that headtube is awful. the clumsily-executed fancy lugs are a bad bad idea. carbon's not the place for attempts at the baroque in the bike world.

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    Replies
    1. cocksuckers and cylons must join space force.

      SPACE FORCE!!

      Delete