[bing181]

I know that Fondriest folded in 2006 - but have since re-emerged. My understanding is that there's some connection between Dynatek and Fondriest, ranging from "some of the employees from Fondriest went to Dynatek" to "Dynatek is Fondriest". Wondering if anyone has any more precise info.

I ask because I'm looking at getting an older Fondriest carbon frame, but there are Dynateks around of the same vintage that are quite a bit cheaper.

Finally, does anyone know what the deal is with the "new" Fondriest? Is it still the same company with the same people involved, or is it a kind of Willier deal where a new crew buy the name and start churning out bikes?

Thanks for any info.

B

 

[kyler2001]

Fondriest never folded. The US supplier/importer did. Fondriest has been making frames since the 90's and carbon frames every year since 2001 with no gap. Dynatek has no relation to Fondriest. No Dynatek frame can come close to a Fondriest. Dynatek is a lower end company located near Padova and Fondriest has had help from Formula 1 race car designers and has a specific carbon fiber production subsidiary in Imola (Ferrari country). The only tie I see is that there is a semi-classic race in Belgium that is called the Dynatek Classic but was formely known as the Cicli Fondriest Classic. Read more about Fondriest here...http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=112054

 

[bikenj]

I'd like to clarify that the P4 Group (Fondriest's US Importer), a.k.a. Will, had a pipeline full of orders that Italy could not fulfill. It's bittersweet that Fondriest now has a more corporate structure, but glad to see them return to US.

Cheers,
Bikenj

 

[bing181]

OK, thanks

Great, thanks for the clarification. OK, to summarise ... Fondriest have always been around, but they had some internal problems a few years back which meant that they weren't able to fulfill orders.

However, on a French site (which is perhaps where this confusion is coming from, certainly in Europe), someone who was involved with Dynatek in France posted:

"Dynatek est une marque italienne qui a été créée il y a une dizaine d'années par des personnes qui travaillaient chez Fondriest"

In other words, "Dynatek was founded by people who worked for Fondriest."

Anyway, I think I get the picture ... perhaps Dynatek would prefer that certain ambiguities continue ...

Anyway, will forget Dynateks and stick with my search for Fondriests .... such as this one, custom made for the feeder Davitomon team, and unlike any other TF1 I've ever seen:

http://www.kapaza.be/Fietsen_en_accessoires/Koersfietsen/7445687/Fondriest_TF1_Duo.html

Thanks again.

Peter

 

[bing181]

Just to answer my own post, for anyone who's following this or interested ..

In an effort to sort out what the above frame is, I called Fondriest. They couldn't help me because "This is a new company, with nothing to do with the "old" Fondriest. There's no-one here who was working at Fondriest in 2006".

Which would suggest that in fact Fondriest DID cease as a company around that time, so difficult to see how they could have continued to make frames. It also begs the question, who/what is the present Fondriest? When I asked them what involvment Maurizio had in the new company, they said that "he checks and tests the frames for us and works with our engineers". Which could mean, well, just about anything!

B

 

[kyler2001]

Just to answer my own post, for anyone who's following this or interested ..

In an effort to sort out what the above frame is, I called Fondriest. They couldn't help me because "This is a new company, with nothing to do with the "old" Fondriest. There's no-one here who was working at Fondriest in 2006".

Which would suggest that in fact Fondriest DID cease as a company around that time, so difficult to see how they could have continued to make frames. It also begs the question, who/what is the present Fondriest? When I asked them what involvement Maurizio had in the new company, they said that "he checks and tests the frames for us and works with our engineers". Which could mean, well, just about anything!

B

You called them here in Italy? How was their English ? I'll say again that they never stopped making Fondriest frames. I've seen new Fondriests frames built every year for the past 4 years so I don't see the "cease" in frame making. However, around 2006, Fondriest was taken over by Torpado Cicli http://www.torpado.com/who bought them out. Perhaps Torpado changed the entire staff around and got rid of the "old" Fondriest employees but Fondriest frames never stopped being produced (they were produced by the origional company and continued under Torpado). Maurizio has always made it known that he has had a say with the frames that have his name on them. I don't know the exact details of the agreement between Torpado and Maurizio himself, but he has always portrayed that he has/is involved with the Fondriest company. So, I can see a cease to what the origional company started out as...

What is it you were expecting Maurizio to do? Hand paint each frame? Lay the carbon in the molds? I think the response that they gave you is about right (some inspection and some design input). I don't see anything more that he should be doing. Maurizio was in Milan this year at the Fondriest booth signing autographs and giving hype to the 2008 linehttp://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?p=1333819#poststop. His picture is also in most Italian cycling magazines with adds for the new line of bikes. You can see him throughout his new web site as well. So you can add marketing or publicising to what he is doing as well...

This is from the old Fondriest web site...Cachedhttp://209.85.129.104/search?q=cache:h2ut0bFFTVMJ:www.fondriestbici.com/pubblicazione/news.htm+torpado+fondriest&hl=en&strip=1
"Maurizio Fondriest, infatti, grazie al bagaglio di esperienze maturate durante la sua fulgida carriera di ciclista professionista, sarà il responsabile tecnico dello sviluppo di tutti i modelli Fondriest, e collaborerà in prima linea con la solita determinazione.
A tutto questo si affiancherà da oggi tutto il know-how della tradizione di un’azienda presente sul mercato da più di cento anni, che ha saputo rinnovarsi per interpretare gli enormi progressi che si sono susseguiti nel mondo delle due ruote."

In other words, Torpado has no intentions of changing things and strives to retain the quality that has been started by Fondriest. Maurizio has much experience and will be the responsible technician in charge of all "Fondriest" models...

 

[bing181]

> You called them here in Italy? How was their English

Very good actually! Certainly better than my non-existant Italian.

I'm simply passing on the info I was given, and if Fondriest have continued to make frames, great. However, I haven't come across any carbon frames from between early 2006 and late 2007 (the new/current models) .. maybe I'm not looking hard enough.

As for Maurizio, great if he's still involved. I don't know one way or another, just pointing out that the current situation, as it was communicated to me, invites ambiguity. He may have been pressing the flesh at least year's Milan show .. but the year before? No Fondriest I believe, or at any of the trade shows. Doesn't that suggest that the company was out of action .. or at least lying very very low?

Anyway, if out of all this we get more great Fondriest frames .. wonderful.

B

 

[kyler2001]

Some 2007...http://lnx.cavalieresrl.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=47_78

2006 TF1 Evolution http://www.storm-cycles.com/english/fondriest/tf1.html

2006 Domino Plus http://www.storm-cycles.com/english/fondriest/domino.html

2006 TF1 DUO http://www.storm-cycles.com/english/fondriest/carbonlex.html

2006 Clarus http://www.storm-cycles.com/english/fondriest/magister.html

2006 Luxter http://www.storm-cycles.com/english/fondriest/luxter.html

2006 Carb Level Plus http://www.storm-cycles.com/english/fondriest/carblevelplus.html

2006 Mega Plus http://www.storm-cycles.com/english/fondriest/megaplus.html

2006 EICMA (Milan) You'll notice after it says "made in Italy" and Wilier Triestina, it lists Fondriest as being a represeted company for the 2006 show.http://fiera.eicma.it/ciclo/it/publishing.aspx?pageid=296

Do a search and you'll find plenty of peole with 2006 and 2007 models...In fact, under the Bike and Frames forum, somebody just posted a picture of their 2007 RP DUO...

 

[merckxman]

Maurizio is involved

...at least in the design. Here he is in November, 2007, at the Milan bike show. I met him t the Fondriest display, nice guy.

 

[bing181]

Ok Ok

Well, don't want to get into a pissing match here. One store in Germany with supposed 2006 frames when Fondriest had been selling bikes all over the world? I think I would need a bit more convincing than that.

As I said, I've still yet to see any evidence that Fondriest were actually making frames in quantity after early 2006 (which accounts for the few 2006 bikes around). We'll have to agree to disagree I suspect.

As to the frame back a bit in the thread, I spoke about it at some length to the guy who owns it. He said it was a prototype of a new carbon frame, that they were developing in early 2006, and it was to be the 2007 model - but then they went bust and it never came out (his words!). As I mentioned, it's unlike any other carbon Fondriest, seems to come from a limited run they did for the pro team(s) they supplied. Fantastic ride, gotta have it!

Happy fondriesting.

B

 

[kyler2001]

Well, don't want to get into a pissing match here. One store in Germany with supposed 2006 frames when Fondriest had been selling bikes all over the world? I think I would need a bit more convincing than that.

As I said, I've still yet to see any evidence that Fondriest were actually making frames in quantity after early 2006 (which accounts for the few 2006 bikes around). We'll have to agree to disagree I suspect.

As to the frame back a bit in the thread, I spoke about it at some length to the guy who owns it. He said it was a prototype of a new carbon frame, that they were developing in early 2006, and it was to be the 2007 model - but then they went bust and it never came out (his words!). As I mentioned, it's unlike any other carbon Fondriest, seems to come from a limited run they did for the pro team(s) they supplied. Fantastic ride, gotta have it!

Happy fondriesting.

B

Pissing away........

It just seems you don't want to be convinced no matter what. You said you had not seen any frames from 2006-2007 and I showed you a source for both years. Yes, I gave you one store in Germany and one in Italy but you didn't tell me to list an example from every continent and I didn't. I gave you an example from each year to show that frames were made because you made the statement earlier "I haven't come across any carbon frames from between early 2006 and late 2007 (the new/current models)".

Why would they be "supposed" 2006 frames. I'm thinking you added the "supposed" so you can hold to your view and not admit to be without knowledge. What info can you show to the contrary? If there were no 2006 Fondriest frames being produced by Fondriest, what was a Fondriest booth doing at the 2006 EICMA show in Milan that I gave a link to? Just empty space with Maurizio signing autographs? Like I said, I think you just chose not to accept the info and admit you have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to Fondriest. I have been a fan for a long time and own two frames by Maurizio. I have seen frames from each year with my own eyes.

However, you now change your point from not seeing any frames between 2006 and 2007 to not seeing them in "quantity". Probably a statement made because I only gave one example but if you actually look yourself, you'll find plenty more. I bet if I were to show 100 examples, you would come back and say why not 200? If even one frame was made in 2006 that proves that they never stopped making frames.

What is quantity to you? Are we talking Giant mass produced or Italian boutique frame making like Fondriest? You are correct that there is not a flood of Fondriest frames and I hope there never will be...I like it that way...

So this random guy got his hands on a Fondriest prototype? Well, maybe he did and that model never went in to production and from it's looks I'm glad (it wouldn't have been the first for a company to design something and then not use it) but still, Fondriest has had a frame line each year non-stop...What "pro" teams did Fondriest sponsor that got this limited run? I'm clueless...although Fondriest has always offered custom geometry on most models and still does to this day...