basman frames?

[Dorian]

I love the Basman frames. And I think its great that a true kustom bike guy like Rhalf at the Chopperdome was able to make a great frame like this available. For me its not who fabricates it, its the person who controls the beginning, the middle and the end of production. The Chopperdome supplies all kinds of great stuff, the kind of stuff bike builders want. If you want kool stuff for your bikes in the future its guys like Rhalf at the Chopperdome who are going to supply it. Taiwan is not governed by communist China, they are trying to remain a separate nation even though China is breathing down their necks. I think its great that the frames are made in Taiwan.

When you buy stuff like a Basman frame, your supporting those guys who make the stuff we like available. If it wasn't for companies like the Chopperdome and ChoppersUS how much special bike stuff do you think we would have available. If you want the cool stuff to be available in the future, you better support the guys who make it available to you now. You can buy cheap rip-offs, but in the long run you'll be cooking your own goose, and you may find the cool bike stuff you need is no longer available - because the companies that supplied those parts had to close - for lack of support.

Dorian

 

[badmuller]

:roll:

 

[FBI HQ]

I love the Basman frames. And I think its great that a true kustom bike guy like Rhalf at the Chopperdome was able to make a great frame like this available. For me its not who fabricates it, its the person who controls the beginning, the middle and the end of production. The Chopperdome supplies all kinds of great stuff, the kind of stuff bike builders want. If you want kool stuff for your bikes in the future its guys like Rhalf at the Chopperdome who are going to supply it. Taiwan is not governed by communist China, they are trying to remain a separate nation even though China is breathing down their necks. I think its great that the frames are made in Taiwan.

When you buy stuff like a Basman frame, your supporting those guys who make the stuff we like available. If it wasn't for companies like the Chopperdome and ChoppersUS how much special bike stuff do you think we would have available. If you want the cool stuff to be available in the future, you better support the guys who make it available to you now. You can buy cheap rip-offs, but in the long run you'll be cooking your own goose, and you may find the cool bike stuff you need is no longer available - because the companies that supplied those parts had to close - for lack of support.

Dorian

Thanks for the support

 

[GameBent]

That link took me to a Micargi bike.
I have one major rule when looking for anything bike related.
STAY AWAY FROM McCrappy AT ALL COSTS!!

 

[firebikes]

youre probably right.......i hope firebikes are still made in canada though(at least then i can have something to wish for)

hell ya!! hand made the only way. from the steel to paint .FTF people keep on buying .... made in Taiwan and wonder why factories down size and shut down.... remember the blacksmith... used have one in every town...mmmm think about it.. or maybe u or someone you know has lost a job to the Taiwanese products.go to walmart i bet almost everything is overseas. . i try to support local companies manufactures in any industry if i can .. keep your country strong... my 2 cents :|

 

[GameBent]

Maybe I'm wrong, but aren't a good majority of all bike store brand bikes these days manufactured in China?

I'm pretty sure that everything from Electra to Schwinn to MiCrappy and Firmstrong are all produced in China. Very few bike companies produce their own bikes in their native land. The main differences are the design and how much companies are willing to pay for the components/welds/hardware. There's a post somewhere on this forum about it.

 

[Uncle Stretch]

Ok Ok my turn! Seems like when I was still buying Schwinn's that several came up with stickers that said made it Taiwan . They seem to cut up just as well as the old Made In the USA Schwinns. I never saw anything that led me to believe they were bad quality. I also searched for a used...new Basman frame , and at the time there were none available. Maybe some other country , but I haven't seen any on Cl around here. I think the US market has been severely passed by on them. So for $30 worth of metal, and a weeks worth of work .....I have a hand made in the USA frame that kinda looks like a Basman. Oh and I trust the welder...Know him personally. :wink:

 

[big AL]

If you can build your own frame thats the best way to go.
If you can't then have a custom built for you while you still can fine a builder like "Firebikes" out there.
If money is the problem buy yourself a mass produced of your liking.

I'm lucky to own three "No name" customs no longer produced and one "Firebike" and they will never be for sale because they are customs and not mass produced. Long live the little guy.

 

[Santee]

If you can build your own frame thats the best way to go.
If you can't then have a custom built for you while you still can fine a builder like "Firebikes" out there.
If money is the problem buy yourself a mass produced of your liking.

I'm lucky to own three "No name" customs no longer produced and one "Firebike" and they will never be for sale because they are customs and not mass produced. Long live the little guy.

Ding!!!!!

 

[badmuller]

I love the Basman frames. And I think its great that a true kustom bike guy like Rhalf at the Chopperdome was able to make a great frame like this available. For me its not who fabricates it, its the person who controls the beginning, the middle and the end of production. The Chopperdome supplies all kinds of great stuff, the kind of stuff bike builders want. If you want kool stuff for your bikes in the future its guys like Rhalf at the Chopperdome who are going to supply it. Taiwan is not governed by communist China, they are trying to remain a separate nation even though China is breathing down their necks. I think its great that the frames are made in Taiwan.

When you buy stuff like a Basman frame, your supporting those guys who make the stuff we like available. If it wasn't for companies like the Chopperdome and ChoppersUS how much special bike stuff do you think we would have available. If you want the cool stuff to be available in the future, you better support the guys who make it available to you now. You can buy cheap rip-offs, but in the long run you'll be cooking your own goose, and you may find the cool bike stuff you need is no longer available - because the companies that supplied those parts had to close - for lack of support.

Dorian

Thanks for the support

Wow, just read back on this post, it seems I was misinformed at the time.
I have seen the basman frames up close on severall occasions and was really impressed with the quality and of the way they are put together, I have been a happy Chopperdome customer since.
I will never consider to buy a copycat product again.
I stand corrected...

 

[outsider13]

Iff I invest big bucks I'm going with an authenic "Uncle Stretch frame" At least I know they are USA built and built right. :shock: :shock: :idea: :arrow: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[gcrank1]

Id love to have a Basman.........and a (you name it, high end, whatever); but as an aging boomer with 'health issues' and no benies and no job prospects...........reality rears its ugly head and Im outta luck again. If I wait until there are enough Basman's in the US to find one used, well, the bidding war is gonna take me out again, or I just wont live that long.......
What Im saying is, buy one if you can afford it and reward the creator(s) with just rewards, but I, and many others like me, need some options. Somebody here want to start making some affordable classy frames that take the most cost effective components?

 

[Bicycle808]

I can't say much about Basman frames; I've seen em plenty in pictures online, bet I've never seen one in-person. They look interesting, but not my "cup of tea". $600 for a Taiwanese steel frame IS a little steep, but these are some specialty frames, and I'd wager they're being made in smaller runs than a lot of more mainstream Taiwanese steel frames, which seem to go for @$250 to $600 for a frame/fork set.

That being said, you can still get frames made in the states (or other nations with high cost of living/humane labor standards). Just look at Worksman! About $170 for a frame gets you about 2000lbs of high-ten steel with cutting edge 1930s technology. Completes sell for $350ish, with some USA-made components thrown in. I really like mine; no, it's not 'special' like a basman, but it has character, it's made in the states, and it was CHEEEP! http://worksman.com/

I also got me one of these True Torch framesets. Again, apples and oranges, as the True Torch Pro is a BMX cruiser, but still, for less than the cost of a Basman frame, I got the frame/fork/seatpost (sort of)... Yeah, there's some QC issues going on, but a 4130 frameset made in Cali in 2012 for that price? Pretty sweet. http://truetorch.com/bikes4.html

As for stuff I don't own:
I still wanna check out Genuine Bicycle Products' Article One frame; really nice 4130 3bar looptail made in Cali for something like $530...http://www.genuinebicycleproducts.com/frames.html And, we cannot forget about Fireman's, right? BMX cruiser frame/fork/bars for $650! http://www.firemansbikes.com/texascruzer.htm

If you want to go all out and drop between $1500 and $2500 on a frameset, you can check out Retrotec... really interesting stuff, really really expensive, but quite nice and full custom! http://ingliscycles.com/retrotec.phpOf course, there are many more custom builders in the states, but most don't mess with the cruiser market at all. In terms of 20" BMX, though, S&M has been offering @$350 top-notch BMX frames, made in the USA, for quite some time now.

My point is, no matter what you ride, if you care about supporting American industry, vote with your dollars and buy American. This goes beyond bikes; I try to buy the American option whenever I can, which is why I dress like some sort of lumberjack-turned-militia enthusiast. Yeah, it costs some more at checkout, but it *could* save the nation a lot of financial woes in the long run, if enough ppl do it.

Sorry to write a novel on here yet again; i just feel pretty strongly that folks who care can try to get informed to make responsible buying decisions.

 

[Henry morgan]

I got one for 40 bucks a couple of weeks ago. Went to Tulsa ok to get a vw single cab from a guy and he had bike in the back
It had a broken pedal so it never got rode. Got all kinds of goodies that day

 

[LarzBahrs]

Henry are you sure that thing wasnt stolen :shock: :shock: 40 bucks means no go for me, I paid 300 for my sport frame in box and i though that was a steal.

 

[gcrank1]

You got a 'what' for $40? How about a Pic!

 

[MIGZ]

I got one for 40 bucks a couple of weeks ago. Went to Tulsa ok to get a vw single cab from a guy and he had bike in the back
It had a broken pedal so it never got rode. Got all kinds of goodies that day

A complete basman for 40 Bucks? Please post pics

 

[sensor]

well....if thats the case i would ASSUME it was either stolen, or a knock off(marcgi? or whatever that company is) or a homemade knock off.
pictures please.

 

[Henry morgan]

I got one for 40 bucks a couple of weeks ago. Went to Tulsa ok to get a vw single cab from a guy and he had bike in the back
It had a broken pedal so it never got rode. Got all kinds of goodies that day

A complete basman for 40 Bucks? Please post pics

I am in LA right now but when I get back I will post a pic Guy sold it to cause pedal broken. His brother was bike guy. And was a gift
Got a box of parts and all kinds of stuff from them including a 2180 vw motor. He asked for 50 but played it cool and told him was not worth that to me. I pulled the forks off and tossed the rest in frame pile

 

[LarzBahrs]

Dude, your joking im sorry. How in the heck would you ever think that bike was not worth 50 dollars. Did you look at the welds?? As for the basman frame being made in taiwan, the welds are beautiful and smooth unlike any of the wally world stuff, as long as people use beautiful fit and fitment on their products anywhere Id be glad to support them. The micargi royale on the other hand while it is probably made in china or taiwan as well , just like all the other micargis. The welds are cheap and the metal cheaper because they are done by machine. Basman came out first with that design while it is a taiwan frame it is a basman. Or you can go the route of making your own frame in that design, more power to you. I just dont have the welding knowledge yet to produce such beautiful welds or bend the tubes as beautifully as the people there but I soon will with enough practice then I will create my own frame but in the mean time Im glad to ride basman because they stand for quality.