I sent my article to some respected frame builders around the world to get their take on the STAR bike. Am I barking up the wrong tree, is it possible or should I compromise and go down the normal route and except what is available. I'll pop my thoughts in bold underneath Darren's comments.
Regarding your quest for the ultimate road bike, I sympathize with you. I’ve been building now for 13 years and started my quest to make the perfect frame as a means to resolve a problem of frame availability. The nearest frame that fit me in a bike store was 3 hours away by car so I raced, unknowingly, for some time on frames that were much to small for me.
For me personally frame fit makes more difference than the material chosen. A badly fitting bike made out of the best material will always ride like a bad bike.
Now that I have the tools and the skills to create whatever I want, I have discovered that the quest is the fun (and also expensive) part. I am still working on my perfect frame and have given away my old frames to make more room in the garage for my new ventures in style and handling.
It gives me both hope and disparity in equal measures that after 13 years of building Darren is still searching for his perfect frame. As Darren mentioned in his comments and to paraphrase 'our goals and requirements can change over the years', and so sometimes what worked 5 years ago might not now, or it may still be perfect.
I believe that a cultured cyclist (one that’s been pedaling for years) usually will end up, or at least consider titanium for a frame material. Not to say that perfect frames can’t be made from steel, carbon composite, or aluminum. Just as a realization that cycling is a dynamic sport, both physically and emotionally. As a creator, I always wonder how things would be if…. and that leads me to experiment continually on my personal needs and desires in a frame. To make a long answer short(er) I consider that you can reach a quantitative “dream bike” for an individual which resolves the aspects which you have outlined in your article.
The problem with humans (and most mammals) is that we are able to project into the future, leaving space for creativity and development. This keeps us one step ahead of the others on the food chain, but make for an expensive hobby.
Have fun with the quest.
Thanks for writing and please keep me updated with your findings.
Best,
Darren
Crisp Titanium
Andrea at Jolly Bike (Altopascio), a happy Crisp customer on his aero Ti road bike. For more info, have a look at his website at www.jolly-bike.it
I would like to say a big thank you to Darren for responding to me on the STAR bike and for allowing me use of his extensive image library. Not familiar with Darren's work, please go to his website www.crisptitanium.com and take a look around his site. Crisp frames, built with straight gauge Grade 9 CWSR titanium tubes, carry a limited lifetime warranty for the original owner. You won't see geometry charts on his site, as all bikes are custom. Build time can be anything from 3 - 20 weeks, and I am sure a million and one things can alter those times. I really appreciate that Darren has a strong view point but at the same time has an open mind.
