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Are they really the "Holy Grail" of frames? That good?
Better than say, a Soulcraft, Sycip, etc?
Better than say, a Soulcraft, Sycip, etc?
Jed:Jed Peters said:Are they really the "Holy Grail" of frames? That good?
Better than say, a Soulcraft, Sycip, etc?
Jed, I am very happy with my Della Santa. It still is my favorite for a century ride because it fits me so well. The fork is raked a bit more making it very predictable. Cinelli lugs and crown make it a classic and I do get comments from time to time. It's not fancy but timeless. Soverign blue with white decals.Jed Peters said:Frank, are you really happy with it?
The reason I ask is becasue we are looking to go up to Reno and have Roland himself fit my wife, and select all tubing and what not for her after we go on a ride with him and he sees her.
There's also Steve Rex in my town, but hasn't been at it quite as long as Della Santa.....
Thanks a ton. I actually have the ability to see either of them in person, as I'm only 15 minutes from Rex and 2 hours from Roland.FlaRider said:Jed,
I own a custom Rex Foco compact and have a Della Santa on order, although I've never ridden a DS before. Both are fantastic builders and you can't go wrong with either. I think it comes down to a matter of aesthetics (fillet brazing vs. lug brazing), as both bikes will fit and ride superbly and they are both priced similarly.
You certainly shouldn't discount Steve Rex, especially if he is local to you. He's been building custom bikes for more than 10 years and he certainly knows how to design and build a wonderful steel bike. I own numerous steel bikes from better known builders (Richard Sachs, Peter Weigle, Serotta, etc.) and can attest that my Rex rides just as superbly as those bikes. My Rex is very light, yet stiff and agile. This this to take _nothing_ away from Roland Della Santa, who is a wonderful, wonderful builder and human being. Roland will generously spend hours with you on the phone regaling you with old racing stories. You really can't go wrong either way!
Take care,
That's probably the most telling thing right there.rwbadley said:hummm, which do I prefer? I ride the DS easily ten to one mileagewise over the Rex. Why? I dunno, that's just the way it is. Every time I jump on the Rex I wonder why I don't ride it more. Then the next time I go for a ride I grab the DS.
My DS is probably being built as we speak. I've opted to paint the frame silver with blue panels and lettering. Here's link to some DS pics that Roland sent over. There are pics of two gorgeous orange bikes, a cool metallic purple bike and the silver/blue scheme I have selected. Enjoy.rwbadley said:Is your DS an orange one? I was over at Rolands the other day and saw a gorgeous orange pearl beauty. He has another in the works that looks like a larger frame with round cutouts in the lugs.
I like Della Santa for his experience/historys, etc. If I wanted lugs he'd be on my short list. I like Sycip for their crazy art-student-like approach and their inovation. I like Soulcraft for their super solid, bulletproof approach to bike building, their custom tube spec and the experience the bring from years of building frames for Salsa. I don't think you could say one is better than another. It's a question of what floats your boat. If you happen to live closer to one of them and can visit that shop, that would be a plus.Jed Peters said:Are they really the "Holy Grail" of frames? That good?
Better than say, a Soulcraft, Sycip, etc?
He was profiled in the "Torchbearers" section of a recent (Fall '03, I think) edition of Asphalt. If you wan to know more about Rex, and see some stunning pictures of Steve's phenomenal work, it's worth the 7 bucks. I've seen a few Rex bikes, and they've all been outstanding. I'm a lug guy, but the stable will need a fillet brazed bike some day. It'll probably be a either a Steve Rex or a Tesch S-22.LadyDog said:Any chance of sending some close-ups on the Rex? Steve is on my short list as I am looking for a fillet brazed frame. Thanks in advance. Regards, Jeff