Francesco builds beautiful bikes in New York City. Even though he’s building a bike for you, his rules rule. He’s not afraid to say no.
His about page explains what he likes and doesn’t like in a bike.
He likes bikes with…
- No logos and stickers
- Lugged steel
- Skinny tubes
- Quill stems
- Vintage cranksets
- Track geometry
- Leather and wood
- Unusual handlebars
- Chrome forks
He doesn’t like bikes with…
- Visible logos and stickers
- Threadless forks
- Clamp stems
- MTB handlebars
- Sponge grips
- Fake leather saddles
- Machined rims
- Flip-flop wheels
He’s only going to make you a bike if your likes and dislikes align with his. There may be a couple of exception along the way, but his opinions are his business rules.
Bertelli is a great example of a company that knows where it stands. The best way to know where you stand is to figure out what you won’t do. What will you say no to? Francesco puts his no’s right out in front. It makes the experience better for everyone.
More businesses could benefit from putting their no’s right up front.
Sean
on 23 Jul 10Wow, those are some beautiful bikes.
Mike
on 23 Jul 10Has kind of an Ayn Rand, Fountainhead quality to it.
jerome
on 24 Jul 10If there is anything a framebuilder knows, it’s you must be sure you can meet your own needs first. “Full custom” customers are nearly an impossible challenge of patience, both of their own and the builder’s. Best to set limits: be the soup nazi.
Rian
on 24 Jul 10Why am I not surprised that all of those bikes are fixies?
mike
on 24 Jul 10@Rian
Because while reading the article you said “gee i wonder if they are all fixies” and then when you clicked on the site they were indeed all fixies. thus leading you to not be surprised.
EH
on 24 Jul 10To be sure, his “rules” align pretty well to the highest-margin way of being in the custom frame business. Tubes, lugs and paint, that’s all he has to worry about. Less time, less overhead, less work.
Joe
on 24 Jul 10Wow! How snobbish can you get about bikes! I love biking, but it’s these attitudes and ugly bikes that give us a bad name.
J
on 24 Jul 10Joe: What is snobbish about knowing what you like or dislike? Do you not have opinions about what you like or dislike?
qwerty
on 24 Jul 10Francesco Bertelli is not selling bikes, but a lifestyle that is not mine. I find it comical to express yourself through a bike that presumably nobody else has, it makes you look pretty desperate in my view. But if this is a viable business, more power to him.
Don Schenck
on 24 Jul 10Jason, go back and look more closely: He supports the “chef” mentality. His blog is “How to build a bike”.
thomas
on 24 Jul 10jason, you forgot one kinda big thing: he doesn’t like breaks either ;) great bikes to use in NYC!
Matt
on 26 Jul 10Bikes are supposed to be function, first. The bikes form is already a statement in and of itself.
I have 11 bikes (from a classic Masi to a XC race 29er and Full Suspension), so I’m ok with the various styles. Not going to get into the “fixies are great; fixies are stupid” argument. I’m more of a Just Ride-type of guy.
And, I suppose this fits well with the 37S attitudes and affinities.
However, this is bike snobbery in one of the highest forms I’ve seen. The worse part is that he thinks it’s not bike snobbery…he thinks it’s “pure” (and, by demonstration, bike snobbery).
Fire away…I’m going riding.
Matt
on 26 Jul 10@ thomas: Most people who don’t “like breaks” usually don’t actually know how to service a bike either. (And, that isn’t a cut on the quality of the build of the bike…obviously this builder is fabricating and assembling the bikes to be sturdy, which is obviously a requirement).
But, it’s always funny to hear NYC bikers talk about the environment being so hard on bikes.
Are the curbs different in suburbia? Have you ever ridden a bike in (or around) Philly? Makes NYC road issues (i.e., potholes) look smooth as glass.
Everyone should just ride wherever they are.
No seriously…I’m going riding.
Eric
on 27 Jul 10I understand it’s “cool” and all, but do yourself a favor and don’t get a bike with track geometry unless you’re planning on track racing.
That’s the only thing it’s good for. That and posing next to.
This discussion is closed.