NAHBS 2010 – Gainesville, Florida’s Villin Cycleworks undoubtedly had the best lugs at the show. A far cry from the smooth lugs on the other bikes, Villin’s lugs are hand hammered and forged by co-owner Alexis Dold. By forged, I don’t mean traditional metal forging…I mean they’re made by melting down metal, hammering and folding it back into itself and repeating, creating a depth and patterning that simply wasn’t seen anywhere else in the show.
This bass-boat sparkly maroon bike is just one example. Hit ‘more’ for plenty of gorgeous examples…
Villin took full advantage of all the juntures on this white Mixte to showcase the hammered, folded metallurgy.
The triple crowned fork used three individual crowns all made from melted, hammered and folded metal, resulting in a beautiful topographical pattern.
The same technique was used to “wrap” the headtube onto the top- and downtubes…
…join the middle stays to the seat tube…
…as well as the seat stays. The tapered endcaps on the stays just add to the overall effect. Not sure if they made it onto this frame, but Dold had examples of melted quarters that had been folded and hammered and had a really nice tint to them.
This black one has Villin’s sorta-trademark outward curved seatstays that’ll catch your eye first. Upon closer examination, though…
You’ll see see that the logo is hammered just like the lugs.
And the headtube surrounds hammered metal with a cutout to reveal their headbadge icon. Sick.
This drop bar commuter/road bike had a rich, sparkly green paint job that really set off the chromed lugs.
Nifty little chain catcher.
Hammered headbadge completes the look.
Check out the chromed and painted frame pump tab.
