We are looking at buying my wife a Dekerf as it the bike she has always wanted so I would be interested to hear comments/thoughts/reviews from STW readers who own a Dekerf.

Nope

Can't help I'm afraid but i've always wanted an Implant 🙂

Sadly dont own one anymore, owned two Dekerf Team SL's (853) a few years back and have always regretted getting rid of them, very nice frames, fantastic singletrack/xc bike, have been looking at getting another but went for a Soul instead and to be honest theres not a lot of difference in quality (ride and build) comparing the two, but if cash is not a problem I would go for the Dekerf.

I still have my Generation '96. I have a whole bunch of other bikes but this is the one I'd never get rid of. The geometry is a bit limited in this day and age and it will only take a rim brake but so what. The quality of their manufacture is great and you very rarely see another one out there. My head says that there are better bikes out there than Dekerfs but the heart tells me different.

I've been lucky to have a had a couple. Many years back a Generation, which is prob the nicest bike ever ridden – v fast, supple, ideal singletrack, beautifully made. Then a Team ST which is a work of art, and love the softail concept. Sold it which I always regret for a UK Ltd Edn which was the one Dekerf that left me feeling flat … dull feel, bland, standard. Now have the Ti Elysium which is fantatsic … like the Generation but updated geometry and made of the mystical ti(!!!). Brilliant.

With all Dekerfs I've found the frame geometry and fit for me to suit XC / singletrack. The quality of craftmaship is wonderful. I couldn't recommend them highly enough.

email if you'd like any other pics / qns etc … I'm more than happy eulogising about Dekerfs!

"looking at buying my wife a Dekerf as it the bike she has always wanted"

surely that's all the reason you need?

+1 for an Implant, but the cost – oh lordy!

Never seen one in the UK and never come across anyone that's had / has one (not even here).

I have a 99 dekerf generation which I bought 2nd hand in 2000.

I love it, it's been my only bike since then. Aus put it well: "v fast, supple, ideal singletrack, beautifully made" Makes you want to go faster! I've tried others, and they've been fun and all, but I'm emotionally attached to this one, probably overly so, and I don't think i'll ever sell it.

However, a friend of mine has a '99 dekerf generation that he's said he's interested in selling: 17.5in, dekerf disc mount brazed on by Argos. K18s 85mm – 115mm Rebas, best at 85mm. Respray, decals from dekerf and you'd be looking at something very pretty and very capable.

Want me to ask?

Wonderful frames, I had a Generation, and like the others above it is one of only 2 frames I regret selling (the other was a Turner which I traded the DeKerf in for 😥 ) Seemed to do everything well, especially nice twisty stuff and it even coped with regular visits to Penshurst to the old DH course.

The build quality was superb and I used to drool over the welds every time I packaged one up (my company used to ship them back to Canada for Vince at Recycle).

Cheeky Monkey – I'm sure Chewkw will be along shortly to tell you how good his Implant is and he's in Newcastle IIRC

Cheeky Monkey. My mate had one, it was lovely. Unfortunately he took it back to Canada with him. Was hoping he would leave it with me for safe keeping.;)

Woody – Vince @ Recycle, now theres a name from the past!

Recycle in Penge?

Edit: just googled. answer = yes, and that's where i bought mine from!

That's the one, with a very fetching pic of Mr Cundell 😆
I can't remember the name of the mechanic in the background but IIRC he went to build wheels in SE1 or docklands !

Vince used to post occassionally on here many years ago but no idea what he's up to now……Nixon watches or motorsport seems to ring a bell.

Alex, who worked at Recycle moved to Vancouver and got a job at DeKerf but that was late '90's, wonder if he's still there?

My Generation was swapped with those lads. Traded in my Super V 3000 frameset for the frame.

Vince at Recycle!!! Ha ha -funny memories!

I bought an ex of mine a copper-coloured DeKerf back in the day with matching Judy's. It was that or a Yo Eddy as the only frames that fitted someone @ 5'! I did a test ride with Vince and loved them so got one for her, although due to it's size, I never rode it.
She did quite a bit of racing, and ended up with Vince / DeKerf sponsoring her, so she also got a Generation, and loan of the only road bike in the UK DeKerf made for training – it really was a thing of beauty.
We parted ways over 10yrs ago but suspect she still as the mtb frames.
I ended up trading in my Pace RC200 for a 96 Hei Hei King Kahuna with Vince which I still have and is about to undergo a bit of a reincarnation!

Happy times!!

A very nice singlespeed example at a keen price from Sideways

http://blog.sidewayscycles.co.uk/

Recycle! Blast from the past!

Crikey, if he'd kept going, just imagine the money he'd have got out of Retrofetishists, especially the Germans!

That GT Zaskar LE in the picture looks like the one I traded in with Vince for my first Dekerf Team SL, same cranks, forks, stem, bars, etc.
Brings back some memories, traded quite a bit with Vince over the years.

I've got an Emerald Green (my fave colour) Team ST. It's a cracking bike. I've yet to see another on my trails….

Ned's very kindly mentioned it, so I thought I'd add my two pen'orth: I'm the one with the De Kerf Generation for sale. Pic below is a bit odd due to wide angle lens. 😳

It's a '96 Ritchey tubed version, number 587. I had it resprayed about five years ago by Argos, who also brazed on a DeKerf disc mount, removed the brake bosses and added cable guides for the rear disc. It's resprayed in Forest Green, which is not quite as wonderful as the Petrol it replaced (Chris De Kerf still does some of the best wet finishes out there, IMHO – Hunter is looking almost as lustrous). I've got a spare set of decals in powder blue as well.

I'm selling the frame and various other bits – we're expecting in April and, sadly, I can't hang on to a lot of different frames. this is the one I've owned the longest, and the one I'll miss the most, but it's gonna have to go.

It rides beautifully with Rebas at 85mm, and I have a pair of those kicking around as well. There's a possible dibs on the frame, but if anyone's interested, just drop me mail.

I hope those are MY dibs you're talking about Ben!

Its a crime that you've been favouring other weird bikes over it.

I was about to write a small essay on DeKerf.

But more importantly, Mr bent udder, are those Syncros Cranks your running there, if so may I purchase them?

Quite dedicated to DeKerfs ridden quite a few of them, love the geo & craft n' colour styles. Smiles for miles. Like a modern day 1 man FAT City.

Started ridding a DeKerf FS in 1998 purchased from the Vince at Recycle.

Few years later my Dad (Team SL) & I (singlespeed) got Dekerfs again from Vince. Uttlery brilliant. My singlespeed finally cracked n'failed last season after some ferocious Fjord riding in Norway – should have brought the Implant with me instead…ach well.

It's worth keeping an eye on Retro Bike as DeKerfs appear on there sometimes, but as it's for you beloved best buy new eh?

bent_udder
Chris De Kerf still does some of the best wet finishes out there, IMHO

Mmmmm…

Yes Mr T, that's your dibs! Dib early, dib often. 😀

Tangent, yes, those cranks are quite possibly for sale too. 🙂 Let me think up a price, or just make me an offer.

Ned, you're a bad, bad person.

I'll raise you that, though and give you this Hunter cross frame:

Hi Ben, been meaning to call about arranging another ride. Will try and give you a bell tomorrow.

I seem to remember first dibbing that frame about 5 years ago but then you decided to get it reprayed and have the disk mount added….

<wayne's world>It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine.</wayne's world>

Ooh…Syncros Cranks cool! could find a nice home on my DeKerf Implant. 😀 if the price is ok

The Olive Green DeKerf paint finish is lush – my Dad's Team SL is that colour – whilst my singlspeed is / was a flat muddy brown… the early Team SLs had fillet brazing around the seat tube area which was very elegent indeed.

Bought my team ST from Vince about 10 years ago. Had it resprayed and it looked brilliant but broke where the 853 tubing met the ti at the bottom bracket. Expensive to send to Canada for a (free) repair so it is still in the cellar:-(

I remember Vince. Top guy, top shop. They also imported Chuck frames which looking back were way ahead of their time, but sadly went the way of Recycle. 2 part main frame welded down the middle a la Orange %/Intense these days. Super plush suspension. Like Klein, you could still sell them today and they would feel ahead of their time.

Anybody care for a 'whatever happened to' thread? Tim ended up at Cycle Surgery, and a couple of others (Dave I think) at a mag, but Vince himself?

Now, more specifically to the ad, I too had a Generation and Team SL. Beautiful bikes, and definitely on the 'regret selling' list. If she wants one, go for it, you won't be disappointed at all. Seem to remember the paint being the biggest weakness. I had the bright metallic green SL, and it was very fragile. Mind you, that was 14 years ago and technology has moved on so that's not to say the latest ones will be like that.

For Cheeky, here are some crap pictures of a mate putting his Implant to good use in a Junior Kickstart-style bike handling challenge. 🙂

Oh and congratulations Mr Tudor, hope being a dad doesn't interfere with the digging workload!

Here's one:

How much would you pay for a 1999 Dekerf Generation, fully renovated and resprayed, with disc mounts fitted? basically as new, but better.

I've just had a quote to have mine spruced up. It's making me wonder what I could buy for the same price, and if I found one of the above, how much I would (or would have to) pay for it. The frames were £600 new back then, weren't they?