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Many moons ago there was a on-man-band UK frame builder who used to build some lovely lugged mtb and road frames. He just went by his own name, not a brand.
A guy on here had one - it had brown lugs and cream main tubes, ht mtb and I can picture it laying on the ground in front of a gravelled area of garden. (May have belonged to Bez?).
No reason for the post other than it was one of the nicest frames I can recall but I just can't think of the frame builders name and it's bugging me!
🙂
Roberts or Hinde?
Dave Yates?
Lee Cooper
Nope - not one of the usual names. They are mass production compared to this guy. 🙂
Robin Mather
Paul Donohue
Demon frame works.
Edit, didn't read the no brand bit.
Robin Mather!! That's the fella!
Cheers. 🙂
Nope – not one of the usual names. They are mass production compared to this guy. 🙂
I'd hardly call Lee Cooper mass production. 🙂
Found it - very much of it's time, but I loved the look of this bike back in the day! 🙂
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/78152658@N05/
Lee Cooper did he make jeans too? How about the guy who I used in the late '80s way up in Alves near Elgin who dropped a top tube 2" on my first Rockhopper to save the crown jewels. I'm sure his name was Ralph
the-muffin-man
Found it – very much of it’s time, but I loved the look of this bike back in the day!
Agreed, I remember being blown away when I saw photos of that bike. I saw it in the flesh at Bontrager 24/12 around the time that those photos were circulating. Looked as good in the flesh as it did in photos.
Aye Lee Cooper has gone full time frames and dropped the strides. I've just got one of his. Does like.👍
I remember his first frame, built at uni. He was a handy rider back then! Probably still is.
Not me. Never had a Mather. Nice frames, proper quality. I’m not that classy 🙂
Had a Cooper. Sort of. It arrived, it was a mess, and it all culminated in a passive-aggressive flounce and a refund.
wtf is that hideous thing attached to the seat tube! 😉
Lovely bike.
On a similar note, can anyone remember who the 'cheap' custom frame builder is / was? Think he was Irish but probably wrong.
Didn't do anything really fancy but would stick reynolds/columbus tubes together in whatever shape you liked for nigh-on Stanton/Cotic money.
How about the guy who I used in the late ’80s way up in Alves near Elgin who dropped a top tube 2″ on my first Rockhopper to save the crown jewels. I’m sure his name was Ralph
Have you heard of this one @kcal? Not often I see Alves mentioned on a forum 😆
Is this thread meant to make me feel ancient? I mean, it's got those new fangled suspendered forks and disc brakes on it. Moons ago my arse.
Charlie Ralph @swavis. Think he works offshore as well so quite a hard man to get hold of.
Not even sure he makes frames any more. Seems highly regarded.
Not sure he stayed in Alves or named the frames after there...
Charlie Ralph it definitely was Alves no Google maps maybe never had post codes but drove all the way from Fife in a white Marina van what a long road that A9 was back then flat out all the way ,from leaving 5.30am until 11pm at night then hammerite next day to protect the fillet braze and silver solder braces. He was so particular and good , made the rest of the Tig frame look rough
He wasn't local to the area maybe met a burd from up there
That's my bike!
Now 16 years old.
Cheers for the nice comments!
It is nice...
Related - I think I remember Chipps having a sparkly orange HT in steel, again custom builder.... Any ideas?
Greg fuquay.
I went to see him a few years earlier. But bought a Klein instead. Greg shut down and moved back to the States when I started looking for someone to build the frame robin made for me.
Oh yes a riding buddy and long time ago on here Tasso had, and probably still has, a single speed frame made by him. See those strips on the head tape? Stainless steel strips to prevent cable rub. And cables down the side, mmmm. Plus he used to add on a chain hanger, oooh I love a chain hanger.
@supersessions9-2 have you still got it?
I always fancied a Chas Roberts D.O.G.S. B.O.L.X. back in the day. And not just for the name.
I had Lee Cooper alter my Orange Clockwork to sliding dropout and powder coated. He did a great job of it.
Llama, yes. Never will be sold. But currently resting in the roof of my garage.
I remember the tasso frame, lovely, clean looking bike.