Folks, I would bet money that most of the welders making cheap Raleighs in Asia are better than me. In fact, I bet most of them are better than every single custom framebuilder out there. Why? Well, it's simple - those guys don't answer the phone. They don't design the bikes. They don't miter tubes, set up fixtures, paint stuff, ream/face/chase threads and press fits, or ship things. They just sit in one place and weld. I'm pretty sure you get DARN good at welding bikes together after doing it as your 9 to 5 (or, well, who knows how long those guys work) job for a while.
Are welds on overseas frames as pretty as on a custom bike? That's really in the eye of the beholder. Are they as strong? Obviously yes, since like custom bikes, very few mass produced bikes fall apart and almost none do so because the welds weren't done well (poor design is a whole different can of worms).
So here's the thing - you aren't paying for welding when you buy a custom bike. You're paying for custom fit and design first and foremost, and then things like customer service, warranty, cachet (in some cases), and getting to pick out things like parts and colors. If you pick any decent builder, the welding will be great - but it won't add anything to your experience once you hit the trail. A great fit and the right parts, on the other hand, will put a grin on your face every time.
3 comments:
Well said, although everyone would rather ride a bike with pretty welds given the same strength.
You can't underscore customer service enough after fit/design. Far too many builders don't see how important it is.
Great post and you're right on target.
This reminds of something I read about bags. A bag designer said you can always tell when a bag was made in America (Chrome, etc) because they're made with simple patterns. The only people with the skill to manufacture bags with complicated patterns are in Asia.
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