Re:Wooden bikes
by TarpitCarnivore on Wednesday November 21, 2018 @03:43PM
(#18505920)
The reason you can't find them is many places just don't make them at scale and you're really left to ordering from small builders. There's some really great, top notch steel frame builders in the US right now so if you're going to do it you wont be disappointed.
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Re:Wooden bikes
by ubermonkey on Wednesday November 21, 2018 @06:02PM
(#18506787)
Again, though, on a dollar for dollar basis, you'll spend much more on steel than you will on off-the-rack carbon, so it's a niche market.
Most serious riders are also cultivating a relationship with a local shop, and that drives some choices, too. For example, when I bought my bike, I did slightly prefer the one I bought (a Specialized Roubaix) over the endurance-geometry offerings from Trek, Cannondale, Giant, etc. However, the other part of the decision was that I liked the shop in question MUCH MUCH more than any of the other shops, in terms of location, vibe, friendliness, overall impressions, mechanic repuation, etc. I would've bought from this shop even if the bike they were selling wasn't my first choice, as long as the margin was small (and they were).
Steel makers don't have that dealer network.