Appreciation of the headtube badge!

Comments in the Ibis discussion (with them ditching their metal badges in favour of a crappy decal) made me realise a good ‘proper’ headtube badge is something to be appreciated. Small finishing touches such as a proper badge make me feel good!

I expect I’m not alone on STW in appreciating the little touches like this…

Well worth the extra, even if cost a tenth of what I paid for the frame. Planet X Jack Flash 25th:

Even my Norco hardtail has a metal badge:

I paid extra (£3?) for the badge as the frame was otherwise plain – no badge or decals:

My MTBs have an ‘inverse’ headtube badge that’s rather cool IMO:

Do Intense frame still have proper headtube badges? This was my 2018 Carbine, probably my favourite headtube badge:

Previous Nukeproof Mega 290 was good:

The old Cotic one was brilliant, this was my c.2010 Roadrat:

Yeti SB-95:

My old Singular:

The old-style Santa Cruz one (on my Superlight 29) before they went all square:

I’ve shown me mine, now show me yours 😊

I’m too stupid to post pictures sorry but really appreciate a good HT badge.. and even back of saddle badges.
I just make my own in aluminium or brass and acid etch them.

Banshee have nice proper headbadges.

Nordest

It’s a Careto, from the North East region of Portugal where they get their name.

I have a nice 3d one on my Salsa. I lost it when I had to strip and respray the frame, was dead chuffed to find it again couple of years later.

My Niner and Sanderson ones were good – no proper images of the Sanderson though.
I also like my sons RM one.
This piece has some nice ones: https://www.cyclingabout.com/lost-art-bicycle-head-badge/

100_5184 by Matt[/url], on Flickr

Where did the singletrack go? by Matt[/url], on Flickr

Rocky Mountain Altitude A50 by Matt[/url], on Flickr

My Cotic has that old badge, so much better than the current version due to the story behind it. Thankfully you can still get the original version from them as a spare so any more bikes I buy from them will have one fitted. My cheap Voodoo has a decent metal badge too, considering the price of the bike it’s a nice touch. I like the Orange one too but they’re plastic so I don’t know if they count.

Love the big chungus lump of a headtube badge on my 18, genuinely lovely bit of kit.

Steel hardtails and old road bikes in particular should have proper badges.

Thread bookmarked. I love metal head badges.

Does anyone know anywhere that does custom head badges? Would love to get one done for my Transition (another brand that uses crappy stickers).

I had this one made by Jen Green last year

Wasn’t a fan of the original logo, machined into the headtube and much preferred the alternative logo.

https://instagram.com/jengreenheadbadges?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Well worth a follow on Instagram

Nothing too impressive in my stable:

New Cotic

Nukeproof

Daughters Trek

Wifes Pinnacle – even cheap frames can have actual proper badges, boring yes, but not paint or sticker.

Changed the sticker on my old Ragley Blue Pig to a the proper badge that looked loads better.

[/url]

Old stylee metal badge

devash

Thread bookmarked. I love metal head badges.

Does anyone know anywhere that does custom head badges? Would love to get one done for my Transition (another brand that uses crappy stickers).

Pretty easy to make your own at home.
You just need a design on vinyl (or other mask) and a bit of metal.
The rest is easy Blue Peter stuff with sticky back plastic … an old ice cream tub and some ferric chloride

My Soul predates the metal headtube badge…

@devadh Jen Green – link in my post above.

Does anyone know anywhere that does custom head badges? Would love to get one done for my Transition (another brand that uses crappy stickers).

I once used headbadge.co.uk on Facebook. I think he’s retired now (used to be on here iirc) but the Facebook page says his son has taken over.

The headbadge was probably the nicest thing about my Pace RC303.

These are currently adorning my Open Upper and my Carbonda

EDIT – Courtesy of Jen Green.

Ibis and Ragley owner here. I must be honest, I’m not a big fan of the ‘old’ Ibis badge design. I like the fact it is a metal badge though. I also have my old NP Mega metal badge after it came off day after a vigorous wash. The Ibis fan club has been losing its mind over the new branding. I don’t think it’s that bad.

Now my main bike frame is a cheap Pinnacle, I got nuffin.
Had a few of these though

IMG_2964.JPG I need to spend some time interpreting it! Think its a wolf howling??!!

Yep

https://www.pipedreamcycles.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/moxie.bike_.png

I’m sad enough to have based buying decisions on ‘does it have a proper head badge’ before. Cotic, Stif, Ragley etc. Current bike, Titus Fireline, has an inverse badge which I quite like.

The best badge I’ve seen is the Pact Weird Cat one that somebody posted in a thread on here. I love a proper badge, doesn’t feel like a bike without one.

Still can’t make my mind up about the Cotic Genie loading a dishwasher badge.

This one!

Not everything with a good metal head badge is quality…

edit: oh ffs. There’s a picture there but it’s beyond my reach.

I had this one made by Jen Green last year

@monkeyboyjc – I have been following Jen on Insta and am sorely tempted to get a head tube badge made for my Broken Road. Was the sizing and ordering process as easy as it looks?

Lucky to still have this, it fell off shortly after buying the bike!

One badge to rule them all. BTR.

Thread needs some Surly

And a bit of Stooge, although the badge is a little underwhelming compared to frame & forks

Some great badges up there. Daffy / monkeyboyjc – those are superb … wanders off to look up Jen Green. The weird cat one is great too.

I have a lovely Intense badge, but cant get it to stay on. My LBS stuck it back on with carpet tape (I think), but it fell off again – on the kitchen floor, rather than the trail, thankfully. Any tips for secure attachment would be greatly appreciated.

This little beauty just arrived after the longest 3 months since I ordered. Dropping off at the local bike shop tomorrow first thing and hopefully out for a test run this weekend

Still can’t make my mind up about the Cotic Genie loading a dishwasher badge.

I’ll never be able to unsee that now 🤣

It was somebody on hear that mentioned it when they first changed and it’s now all I can see. Glad someone else is now the same 😀

I think the new IBIS (not ibis) logo would look cool in the same metal and colour as their old one (which I didn’t even realise was a Bin Chicken until yesterday).

@rona

I use this for fixing badges.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/384240939122?hash=item59768b7072:g:IdwAAOSwEvpg1aFt&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoGYbZ%2B0IYiWHG4MWNIIlj0hs411v%2BaSk70ohxkmSmN6Wwr49QCERfxuGLNus%2FHv9B6rNM2iMtnF71P5ef2WcGGo8AYLnXImRnUAWyFlywzE0Feb9OlnBdxkGi6Uyrnyv9xc9fqwfM2E%2BshYbPG9LPT3ogIh4D9nGAwt4hIDTiWNYUhQAyS%2FhgGD95IzQ6I8sk3PNkfeGd%2B6r4KOnwh88fH8%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5zckODwYA

Ensure both the back of the badge and headtube is degreased. Use IPA.

Thanks very much @drnosh. Much appreciated. 🙂