I have mine on order. Dekerf could not make the downtube at any cost, to say nothing of the fact the tube set is specific. Moreover, the cost of this bike, if done by a boutique, one-off-builder, would be so high as to not be feasible.
To work Ti, you have to have experience, size and the facilities to do so. My Knolly Podium was made in Taiwan; do I have any trouble on that? No. Design, engineering and thought are what counts. Welding can be done by anyone skilled as such. And it is not like Chromag is going to ask the top bike they have ever made to be shitty.
I suspect if a local (NA) builder were to make this frame it would be $5000CDN at least, assuming they could make the build in the first place. The last point is the most obvious, since, if you can't make the tubes, then certainly, you can't make the bike, at any price.
Personally, I am not worried. I doubt Chromag would stake their reputation on this otherwise.
Nov. 9, 2017, 5:31 p.m. - Peter Leeds
I have mine on order. Dekerf could not make the downtube at any cost, to say nothing of the fact the tube set is specific. Moreover, the cost of this bike, if done by a boutique, one-off-builder, would be so high as to not be feasible. To work Ti, you have to have experience, size and the facilities to do so. My Knolly Podium was made in Taiwan; do I have any trouble on that? No. Design, engineering and thought are what counts. Welding can be done by anyone skilled as such. And it is not like Chromag is going to ask the top bike they have ever made to be shitty. I suspect if a local (NA) builder were to make this frame it would be $5000CDN at least, assuming they could make the build in the first place. The last point is the most obvious, since, if you can't make the tubes, then certainly, you can't make the bike, at any price. Personally, I am not worried. I doubt Chromag would stake their reputation on this otherwise.