Weight Weenies

krzysiekmz wrote:Scapin is definetely one of them. If it wasn't so hard to get these frames I would have one a long time ago. Amazing stuff. By the way onyone has one????

Chris.

The company failed some years ago and now its owned by another italian brand (Olympia) so you may notice a very big difference in their catelogue (much more carbon and less steel).

Without spending too much time thinking about it. The first ones that jump to mind are:

New Ultimate stems and seatposts.
TA chainrings, perhaps the nicest aftermarket rings
Recon ti cassettes, almost unavailable in the U.S.
Kinlin Niobium rims, virtually unheard of except on this board.
Acros headsets.

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This was a difficult question but I think I know where it came from .

What companies make good stuff that is over looked for various reasons:

Bontrager (I know its trek but it is good stuff)
Jagwire
Cateye (they just work............forever)
Woodman

Hed.

Hed is well known but it always seem like people would rather have Zipp for whatever reason. Both make great products and both are made he in the US. If you listen to Cervelo the Stinger 90 is the fastest thing out other than a 1080. Maybe it like wine, if its not selling raise the price and the percevied value increases .

Starnut

PezTech wrote:If you could start your own company and had to choose 5 brands to have (components, frames, wheels, what ever...) that you think are better than their exposure and current market position, what would they be???

What is the purpose of the dream company? Am I selecting 5 brands to distribute/promote/market or partner with for manufacturing purposes?

Distribute and promote...


The massive guys like trek / bontrager etc who make market and distribute wouldn't count... Some of the boutique stuff is nice, but there need to be a couple more Pinarello / Scapin type things... "meat" if you will...

micky wrote:

krzysiekmz wrote:Scapin is definetely one of them. If it wasn't so hard to get these frames I would have one a long time ago. Amazing stuff. By the way onyone has one????

Chris.

The company failed some years ago and now its owned by another italian brand (Olympia) so you may notice a very big difference in their catelogue (much more carbon and less steel).

I would say it's virtually impossible to be a 'modern' frame company and not do carbon. Scapin have some carbon in their line-up but have carried on combining it with steel. I have looked at their 08 website and thought the bikes were gorgeous.

I actually have a steel Scapin, an EOS Pro, which is the type of frame used by Simoni in the '99 Giro. It's a beautifully detailed frame, with, for example, assymetric chainstays. That's a feature that is suddenly appearing on carbon frames the best part of a decade later. If I were buying a new frame this year I'd certainly consider a Scapin steel/carbon mix, if only to get something different from yet another 'vertically compliant yet horizontally stiff' (did I get that the right way round) carbon effort.

agree with danton on Easton ... everything works and is light

i would vote for DHB ... clothing, glasses etc. very cheap but in some ways better than stuff costing 5x

Miller wrote:
The company failed some years ago and now its owned by another italian brand (Olympia) so you may notice a very big difference in their catelogue (much more carbon and less steel).

I would say it's virtually impossible to be a 'modern' frame company and not do carbon.[/quote]

I know it, just meant they got a big change after the company has been sold. Especially as Scapin is (was?) well known for their steel.
Greets.

depends on location.... in my area brands like pina or cervelo are not availible thus could be considered underrated

though given the topics idea i'd vote PRO Bikegear as a totally should-be-there company - some really fun-tastic stuff, very ritchey-like in design but way cheaper and way cooler/stronger/better

I agree with Easton and Pro. I'd have to say Wilier as well, at least in Southern California, it's virtually impossible to get one...

micky wrote:

Miller wrote:
The company failed some years ago and now its owned by another italian brand (Olympia) so you may notice a very big difference in their catelogue (much more carbon and less steel).

I would say it's virtually impossible to be a 'modern' frame company and not do carbon.

I know it, just meant they got a big change after the company has been sold. Especially as Scapin is (was?) well known for their steel.
Greets.[/quote]


Independent Fabracation, Moots, Seven, Strong, Waterford, Lightspeed, Lynsky (sp?) etc. all look to do well without much carbon. In the U.S. carbon is less respected then it used to be in many quarter and its not just a retro thing. Levels of total performence of these bikes are world class.
To the question I would suggest companies that do custom well (to include carbon, aluminium, steel, ti). They are the future. Mega bucks for mass produced is crazy IMO

A top fitting business, lots of money to be had there
Bridgestone track frames
Cinelli (the old 'criterium' bars especially)
Teschner
Van Dessel
X-treme
Bont


I'm a bit biased on the last two but I've been very impressed after spending a bit of time on both.

i guess Merida would also fill in to this category. although they make tons of leisure stuff, their MTB racing frames would win WC's and the alu/carb road frames are so sweet in quality and design (paint scheme) comparing to e.g. orbea (lobular) or scott's speedster line

merida has some CF frames at the top schelve as well but i can't comment on them, i'll only say that few years back their magnesium frames were totally i-lost-my-words cool

so underrated here...

I would say Bontrager, but im not sure if they fit the criteria laid out by Pez. Not uber sexy, but it works.

Also I would agree with HED.

They make awsome products, they just need to update their disc wheels!!!!! Come on HED, a 1400g disc with an alloy rim and poor finish is so out of date.

What happened to the carbon lite disc?!

Can I add an italian company?
It's called Marchisio, and they are mainly known for their cassette, but they produce some nice alloy clincer wheels which last forever.

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