Post by bendo on Dec 2, 2014 3:53:54 GMT
Just got back from two weeks in Japan, and my bike news is, I went to see these guys to order a new frame.
They are probably, along with Peter Weigle in the US and Alex Singer in Paris, the pre-eminent makers of 650b touring bikes in the world. I'm just ordering the frame, forks and front rack. The size will be the same as my Viscounts (57cm x 57cm), but it will have some very special features like: internal cable routing for the rear brake; internal wiring for the lights; fillet-brazed frame (of course!); Kaisei DB 019 tubing (0.8mm - 0.6mm - 0.8mm); braze-on bosses for centre-pull brakes; pump pegs on left seat stay; rinko* touring headset; 126mm rear spacing; I think that's all.
The build will take two years because, as you can see, the workshop is pretty small with just three craftsmen building the frames. The have about a 100 frame queue, so that means they churn out one new frame per week. A reassuringly slow work-rate! And they are not as expensive as their fame suggests. But they are hard to find. And they don't speak English. Or have email/internet. Just a phone-fax machine. Anyone who has been to Japan knows they still love their faxes.
I also bought a bike for my Japanese sister to help her with recovering from knee injury. Amazingly, this bike with all steel frame, rear drum brake (I must admit the braking modulation is quite amazing!), integrated lock, front dynamo light, chain case, full mudguards and front basket was only AUD$120 new, ex tax. Not a true mamachari but sturdy, reliable and a little stylish. b
* Rinko headsets are quite a fascinating solution to the problem of transporting bike with full mudguards. The headset is undo-able by hand and the bearings are captive, so the bike is partially disassembled by dropping the front wheel and forks out of the frame. The bike then packs into a special shoulder bag which is accepted as hand luggage on Japanese trains.
They are probably, along with Peter Weigle in the US and Alex Singer in Paris, the pre-eminent makers of 650b touring bikes in the world. I'm just ordering the frame, forks and front rack. The size will be the same as my Viscounts (57cm x 57cm), but it will have some very special features like: internal cable routing for the rear brake; internal wiring for the lights; fillet-brazed frame (of course!); Kaisei DB 019 tubing (0.8mm - 0.6mm - 0.8mm); braze-on bosses for centre-pull brakes; pump pegs on left seat stay; rinko* touring headset; 126mm rear spacing; I think that's all.
The build will take two years because, as you can see, the workshop is pretty small with just three craftsmen building the frames. The have about a 100 frame queue, so that means they churn out one new frame per week. A reassuringly slow work-rate! And they are not as expensive as their fame suggests. But they are hard to find. And they don't speak English. Or have email/internet. Just a phone-fax machine. Anyone who has been to Japan knows they still love their faxes.
I also bought a bike for my Japanese sister to help her with recovering from knee injury. Amazingly, this bike with all steel frame, rear drum brake (I must admit the braking modulation is quite amazing!), integrated lock, front dynamo light, chain case, full mudguards and front basket was only AUD$120 new, ex tax. Not a true mamachari but sturdy, reliable and a little stylish. b
School year is almost over!! b
