Product Description
Drop dead gorgeous custom frame from US framebuilding legend & master framebuilder Mark Nobilette. This is Mark's "Model A" fillet brazed steel frame, indicating it has his signature fastback stays. In 2015 the model A has a base frame-only build cost of $2795, the same as his Lugged model (current cost is likely $3500 to $4000 plus fork cost). It features oversized and shaped thin steel tubing for an optimized balance of flex where you want it and stiffness where you don't. The downtube and seat tube are ovalized at the BB shell for optimal stiffness and power transfer at the crank. It has a few unique features such as the dropout attachment method involving just a thin curved stay connector the dropout is attached directly to and an oversized cube on the brake bridge with the old Nobilette logo. Metal head tube badge with the same logo. Absolutely flawless brazing. It was ordered with made in USA stainless steel Henry James dropouts and a carbon Reynolds Ouzo Pro fork.
The paint is gloriously vibrant & metallic dark pewter / graphite grey. You could call it molten silver, you could call it liquid mercury. Whatever it is, the word "grey" really does it a disservice. Nobilette moniker on downtube in bright silver practically glows against the pewter.
Mark started building bicycle frames way back in 1973 when he took Albert Eisentraut's very first framebuilding class. He's among the longest running US frame builders currently in operation, even longer than Andy Newlands, JP Weigle, Richard Sachs, Mark DiNucci, Chris Chance, etc. Mark is very much the equal quality-wise to Richard Sachs and Pegoretti who fetch the top dollar prices in the market, just without the prestige. Mark is the quiet pro bike companies come to when they want to build something special. Under his belt are the uber rare Rivendell Legolas (and other Rivendell models), some early fillet brazed Gary Fisher MountainBikes frames such as the Competition & Mt. Tam, GT Edge and fillet brazed bikes for Team Shaklee, VeloCult randonneur, the first re-issue of the Rene Herse and several later iterations, Zinn Cycles, NAHBS 2009 best fillet brazed bike winner, and SO much more.
Condition
Near mint to mint VERY lightly used. ZERO dents/dings/cracks/bends/rust. Paint is close to pristine—deep and glossy with almost zero imperfections outside of tiny marks in the usual areas behind chainrings on chainstay, by dropout, edges of BB shell.
Details
- Fillet brazed oversized steel tubing
- Reynolds Ouzo Pro carbon Fork (extra long steer tube)
- Frame number: N6331
- Top tube: 55cm
- Seat tube: 53.5cm c-t
- Head tube: 167mm
- Chainstays: 403mm
- Rear spacing: 130mm
- Approximate current MSRP: $4,000
