in a thread about framebuilding in the 21st century,
a listee posted this:

>I am all for lugs, that's why I make them! But if I
>were to set up shop today as a FULL TIME builder, I
>would focus my energies on other methods/materials
>and in other directions than strictly building lugged bikes.

agreed agreed agreed.
this all makes me wonder what the priority is here;
is it to learn about frame-building or to "love" lugs.
when we all started, lugs were ubiquitous, and all
bicycles of all grades were made with them. there
was ALWAYS something from which to be inspired.
now - there is practically nothing left to copy, and if
you are starting, you must copy. whether you admit it
out loud or suppress it, it is this way.

with other materials and joining techniques pretty much
putting lugged building out to pasture, it is all a small world
getting smaller.

if i were starting now, i would've stayed in academia. if
i was too stubborn to resist it all, i would do what i did
then: work in industry and learn stuff. back then, it all
included "lugs", and now it doesn't at all.

i won't cast aside all that got me to this point, but i'd be
dishonest if i didn't say that it's a near impossibility to
recreate it. lugs are cool and "all that shit", but they are
part of an era that has less relevance now. the folks that
are successful and do make frames with lugs - these folks
are not selling "lugs", they are selling the sum total of many
life experiences.
e-RICHIE