Photography by Above Category

Bikes of the Bunch: Baum Corretto

by CyclingTips

Baum is of course an Australian brand of handmade bikes, manufactured in Geelong by framebuilder extraordinaire Darren Baum, but the Baum Corretto featured in today's Bikes of the Bunch made its way to Californian owner Jason via the Above Category bike shop Sausalito, just outside San Francisco. Jason wrote the following about why he chose this particular bike, how it rides, and more.

I came across Baum several years ago on the web. I had always wanted a bike that would be unique to me and also something that I could keep for many years to come. I have owned and ridden other Ti and carbon frames, but I knew that this frame would be a full custom frame. Add to that the amazing paint schemes they offer and I knew Baum was it. More importantly, my wife approved.

Funny and true story: while in the Above Category shop, I was looking to ‘settle’ with another Ti frame when my wife nudged and encouraged me to go for the Baum as she knew I would regret it later! Yes, I have the best wife ever.

In hindsight, the process of getting the frame built was actually great. Chad and Todd at Above Category were very helpful every step of the way. With a custom geometry I expressed my needs and concerns and we worked through the dimensions until it was good for me. Ordering a new bike can never be fast enough, but from the first shop visit to delivery was around four months.

I have to note regarding the paint: my (young) daughters always make their mark on my frames with stickers of their choice (usually Hello Kitty or something similar). I asked Chad about this and we worked with Baum to see what they could do instead of stickers. I sent them some artwork of what I was looking for and they were able to replicate the drawings on the top tube exactly as I wanted. Totally blown away. It has made the bike for me.

While visiting San Francisco and the Above Category shop, Todd Morton was very gracious and took me out for a ride and let me borrow his Parlee loaded with Campagnolo Super Record. It was actually my first ride with a Campagnolo groupset.

It turned out to be such a great ride and the performance left a lasting impression on me. More so, and speaking candidly, that groupset is just so sexy on a bike, and after looking at picture after picture, no other groupset looked right on a Baum. It worked out well that the new 2015 mechanical Super Record was to hit the shelves about the time my frame was to be ready. It was meant to be.

The build specs are as follows:

2015 Campagnolo Super Record 2015 mechanical groupset, 11-23 cassette and standard crankset gearing
Handbuilt wheels with Zipp 404 rims, White Industries T11 hubs, DT Swiss Aerolite spokes and Vittoria Open Corsa CX 23mm tires
fizik Arione R1 Carbon Braided Black saddle
fizik Handlebar Tape Microtex Black
King Cage Ti Baum Style
3T Rotundo LTD Handlebar 40cm
Time Xpresso 12 Titan Carbon Pedals

I had such high hopes for this bike - the fit, components and overall package. It has exceeded my expectations in all areas. The fit of a custom frame and the associated comfort level is what makes this bike. To throw a leg over this bike and knowingly be able to knock out a long ride without the compromise, it makes the money and time all worth it.

Tags: Baum, baum corretto, Bikes of the Bunch

Ring Possum

Can anyone tell me why Baum’s are so highly regarded?
They seem like a bog standard ti frame with a fancy paint job.
- Ring Possum x2
  
  Still it is a lovely bike with top components.
- jules
  
  attention to detail. custom geometry, finishings (welds etc.), paint.
  
  it probably rides little better than a generic factory carbon frame, but that’s not the point.
- jules
  
  attention to detail. custom geometry, finishings (welds etc.), paint.
  
  it probably rides little better than a generic factory carbon frame, but that’s not the point.
  - Simon
    
    Exactly. For those who have gone down the custom road, it is more than the sum of the parts. That aside, is there a bad bike today, even entry level bikes? No and when you look at what is available from low to high end which this featured bike surely is, we have never had it so good. It’s the detail, the ride and spec that make something truly unique. I daresay the owner will treat this as a keeper and when it’s just leaning against a wall, it will still be pleasing to the eye 10-20 years hence.
- Jiplet
  
  Because labour costs are high in Australia.
  Back in college when I was working at the airport, I was getting AUD$29/Hour. I believe it is significantly higher than Americas. Also, materials costs are much higher unfortunatey :(
- Chris
  
  I agree! We need someone to photograph all of the details of their Baum bike and write an article explaining why they regard their bike so highly. Please get on it, CT!
  - CC
    
    Chris, just ask Todd.
- jefferesaurus
  
  The finish is other worldly - look at the welds and scallops at the end of the chain stays.
  Custom fit.
  The paint jobs are exquiste, and custom - they even strip back and paint the fork, seat post and stem.
  The frames are very, very light, both the corretto and the ristretto.
  
  But if you are the kind of guy who doesn’t see the advantage of a Ferrari 458 over a Nissan GTR, then it may not be the bike for you!
- Stompin
  
  If you need someone to tell you, then you won’t ever need one.
- Wakatel Lu’um
  
  While they do look fairly nice, to me they’re just like Giant’s and Specialized…yes they’re hand made but they’re quite common…if i was going to spend that kind of money I’d buy something a bit rarer and unique like a Crisp or Passoni etc…
- Cynic
  
  Simple.
  Those who buy them need to justify why they have spent so much on them and were kept waiting so long for them, when there are simply better bikes around. They cling to that concept because they can’t cling to the wheel in front of them. Take off the Baum sticker and let’s see them tell the difference with its many similar competitors.
  Everyone else realises the quality is no better than half the builds out there, and the lengthy delay is inefficiency disguised as time needed for craftsmanship. The buyer scoffs at that view, however, because apparently Australian labour is better than other countries, because, well because we’re Aussie. This is not a Ferrari, not by a long shot. A lowered Walkinshaw Commodore maybe, with a good paint job.
Chris

Well. That is just great to look at. Just lovely.
Jim

Very nice but how the !@#$ hell do is it kept so clean ?
(or has it not been outside ?)
- Jimbo
  
  I wash my Baum every week (avg. 350-400kms usage each week), and let me tell you washing and polishing the bike is just as pleasing as ride it!
- Chris
  
  I don’t understand this - It being clean at the time of the photo shoot doesn’t mean it’s always kept so clean.
  Of course, if you spec a white bike, you’d better be committed to regular cleaning. I know this as my bike #2 is an all-white De Rosa (all aluminium, SRAM Rival, nothing special) that isn’t kept clean. I know the shame of the dirty white bike.
OverIt

Another lovely looking machine from Baum. The only thing i’m not %100 on are the painted stems. But that’s just a personal thing. I think what they do, and how they do everything else is great. Not understating or overstating anything. You buy a Baum when you decide you deserve one for a special occasion or something, and it’s probably going to be the one bike you pass on to your kids when you’re long gone. :)
- CJ
  
  I don’t think the painted stem is unattractive - just the angle is aesthetically wrong! It has to follow the same line as the top tube and the fork must be trimmed off! Seriously - cycling 101 fellas!
Flash

We should be celebrating a great bike made here in Aust, and not made somewhere else for some large foreign owned coy. So many things that used to made in Aust are now being built overseas.
A great looking bike, great craftsmanship and paint work.
I hope Baum keep making bikes for a long time to come.
Chapeau Baum.
- SebL
  
  Nuff said!
norm

Sorry for being pedantic but should the rear skewer be pointing backwards at 3 o’clock like that? I always thought that that was dangerous, am I wrong?
- d;
  
  +1
  Maybe done as best aero posi.
  Mine’s at 9 oclock
- Dagwash
  
  It’s restricted by the width of the Dropout in this case but if safety is your priority it makes sense for it to point away from the direction of travel (ie: 3 o’clock) because it lessens the chance of the QR being jagged by something thrown up from the road.
  - Winky
    
    No way is that even remotely a risk (in my view). There is a lot of mythology about QR positions. I think it is just aesthetics.
    - RacingCondor
      
      I’ve been told off by race Commisaires in the UK who want them at 2 or 3 o’clock. Apparently there are cases of them being flicked open by wheel overlap (wouldn’t want to be the guy behind getting that close though…).
      
      It seems unlikely but then I’ve been in 2 races where peoples saddles came off mid race so unlikely definitely isn’t the same as impossible!
      - winkythebiker
        
        I would think 3 O’clock (facing rearwards) would actually give the biggest risk of an accidental opening from behind, but I’ve also heard that recommendation. That’s why I think it’s a bit spurious. I put mine at around 10:30, between the chainstay and seatstay. The tip of the QR is then nicely recessed between the stays. It also lets you use the stay to help close the QR by grabbing a stay for leverage with your hand as you squeeze the QR closed (On this bike those dropouts might preclude this position). On the front, I put mine at about 1:30 just behind the fork blade, for similar reasons.
        
        RacingCondor
        
        Yeah, it would appear that I had a moment of baby brain (in my defence she’s 5 weeks). Apologies for my sleep deprivation.
        
        For some reason I’m looking at the drive side. So what you said ;-).
- velocite
  
  I read once that you should point your mtb quick releases backwards so that they’re unlikely to catch on the undergrowth. So I do that on my road bikes as well. So, one argument for and nothing of substance against.
  - winkythebiker
    
    For MTB, I’ll buy that. Makes sense.
Lounge

I love the personal touch of the girls’ artwork. Attention to detail unsurpassed!!
keith4

it looked nice …. but i love Moots.
- Wakatel Lu’um
  
  And Firefly, Mosaic, Seven, Erikson, Kish, Wittson etc etc
Nitro

Simply stunning. Its a personal thing as to if the custom route makes sense, but for me its simply a matter of “When”, not “If”…
Winky

Really nice rig. That 2015 SR Campy is just gorgeous. The rear mech belongs in the Tate.
- Winky
  
  Some minor comments - Wouldn’t choose the Fizik unless I had a tail to rest on the that stupid pointy bit at the back. Hubs wouldn’t be my choice either. I just don’t like conventional bent-spoke anchoring. Seems like wheel-builders’ joke at our expense.
velocite

I think carbon fibre is a wonderful material, and generally don’t ‘get’ the custom, ti or steel thing. But this process sounds very satisfying. A bit of mystique is good.
Steel

Looks fantastic. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but Baum’s just look slightly nicer than the next custom made bike.

Great to see pink on a bike without it being designated as a girly bike.
shrimp

I get that this blog has a readership with particular tastes and a particular level of uhhh disposable income, and i think it’s very cool to feature handmade bikes like this rather than top of the line factory carbon, but i think it would be even cooler to see a bike or three that aren’t wildly expensive featured on this site. Or, at least, a bike the ‘personality’ of which isn’t reliant on loads of expensive gear or expensive custom building.

I see so many awesome bikes out there getting smashed around (in a good way) every week and i’d love to know the back stories of bikes that aren’t like “i was bored of ten grand production bikes and i had loads of spare cash and only wanted the best so once i convinced wifey hohoho blahblahblah” because those stories are way more interesting, and telling them makes our sport more accessible instead of perpetuating negative
‘mamil’ stereotypes. What about the kid crushinging crits on a tcr that’s about as old as he is? What about the lady who wasn’t sure if she would really get into cycling but three years later is riding 250ks a week on the alloy bike with 105 she bought just to test it out? What about all the smaller framebuilders in Melbourne learning their craft and trying new/weird/cool things? I’d love to see some of this here.

I started reading this blog when it was actual tips and now it seems like the only tip i get is that to have a kudos worthy bike or be good at cycling i need to spend heaps of cash. As a racing cyclist on a minor income when i see stuff like this and think how much i could achieve, or how much a team of junior riders could achieve, with like a third of what this bike is worth, speaking candidly, it just makes me really really sad.
- Chris
  
  I get what you’re saying but really, I have one of those more regular bikes at home and I can see many like it whenever I go out. I love my bikes, and I know most of us love our bikes, whatever they are and whatever they cost.
  CT tends to feature bikes you don’t see every day, or you won’t see if you simply walk into a shop. They’re also carefully photographed so you can see them in such a way that would be rude to achieve in public with a stranger’s bike.
  
  Do you need lots of cash to have a kudos-worthy bike? Pretty much, yes. Inexpensive, distinctive bikes exist, I’m sure, but they don’t spring readily to mind at the moment (apart from models from the huge manufacturers that are ‘relatively’ inexpensive). Besides - if they exist, everyone has them, they’ll appear everywhere so who needs to see them here?
  Do you need a ‘kudos-worthy’ bike to be good at cycling? Of course not. To enjoy cycling? Hell no. Ride what you have; ride it into the ground with a huge smile on your dial.
  
  I think what you’re calling for is more a feature like “Riders of the Bunch”, with the bike less of the feature, accompanying the rider who is the focus, perhaps telling a story of what cycling is to them and how they got into it, etc etc. That I’d be interested in, if CT’s listening.
- De Mac
  
  Not a bad point shrimp, whilst I enjoy the high-end stuff, most of us are nowhere near there. I’d like some more locally-based and club racer / rider type stories. I particularly like your point on the ‘kid crushing crits on an old bike.’ We’ve got a young bloke down here who has done just that this year, admittedly, on a 4-5 year old Malvern Star, ex team bike. He did very well in his first NRS race and will be one to watch in the near future. Monk is his name… How about some more local / ground-level stories CT???
- Gavin Adkins
  
  Check out http://www.melbournewhip.com
velomonkey

This is a very nice bike - we should all be so lucky, but, alas, most of us are not. Here is my issue with this (and I know I’m late) - this bike and others featured on this site and done by shops for people with simply more money than sense. Above Category - which is where this bike came from, as well as the Peg featured a few moths ago - is a shop built for people with more money than sense. It’s San Francisco for cripes sake - the entire place is going monolithic and it’s not good - and shops like AC and bikes like this are the norm and it’s pathetic.

Let it be known, I have a ti bike - a custom ti bike, but I had to save for years and I also had to get a ‘bro’ deal on thing and still it was too much money. I cringe to think what this dude paid. I don’t begrudge people paying stupid money for a bike, but this is getting old. The very peg you featured on this site was recently sold over eBay - here you go US $3500 for the entire thing http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pegoretti-Marcelo-58cm-complete-bike-/261631387338?pt=US_Bicycles_Frames&hash=item3cea7226ca - guess the owner didn’t like it that much.

Can we maybe we deviate from this and feature bikes that are unique - instead of only unique because they’re expensive? You’re site, but just my two cents.
- KT
  
  so you put down people who spend a lot on custom bikes, and then admit that you spent a lot on a custom bike… I understand your sentiment, there are far too many people who out the gate buy an over 5k bike, but try not to be too judgmental about how people spend their money. I bought my very nice second hand indy fab after over ten years of riding bikes, starting with a $100 bike in my early twenties, and a three year stint as a bike messenger. I worked my way up with my bikes, and I love and appreciate the bike I have now. I don’t own a car, or a home, or buy anything but cheap clothes. I don’t pay for a gym membership. But, to me, buying an expensive bike was completely worth it. I ride my bike three or four times a week, and every time I get on my bike the enjoyment is enhanced by how great my bike is. The person who buys the Baum may feel the same way, and just love the hell out of it. You only live once, and if something makes you happy, and you are responsible about it, then go for it.
  - velomonkey
    
    Bro, do you even lift? I’m not putting down custom - where on earth did I put down custom? You said that, not me - I put down spending stupid money. You don’t know me, you don’t know how I sourced my bike - you don’t even know what bike I own - I also never asked my bike to featured - so please stop making stuff up. My only point is that these bikes are purchased at retail - in the above 2 cases I mentioned it was Above Category - and while I don’t know the owner of the Baum my bet, and I’ll bet real dollars to your donuts - he owns a nice house and a nice car and is afforded a life most of us only dream of - he didn’t build the bike by delivering documents. I could be wrong, but I bet not - on the other hand here is what I do know of the Peg - I know all the stuff said in the article, not even 3 months ago, can’t be true cause the owner sold it for a huge loss.
    
    Relax, this is not about you - and yea, buy what you want - but these are comments and, well, I’m commenting.
    - KT
      
      I am not sure exactly what “Bro, do you even lift?” means, I assume lifting weights — nope, never lifted weights in my life. I am pretty sure this is a put down, but I don’t understand how.
      You started with a personal anecdote, and I responded with my own personal anecdote, and how it colored my view on what most would consider ludicrous spending on bikes. I meant to relate to what I think most of us cyclists feel — that these extremely rich people who out the gate spend tons of money on bikes aren’t doing it right. I was agreeing with you, and I am judgmental about them too, I was trying to say we should try not to be. I truly didn’t mean to personally offend you, and was trying to remind you that since both of us have nice bikes (custom ti is very nice, as is steel indy fab), we should try not to be too hard on others with nice bikes which are more expensive than our own. Obviously, tone doesn’t come across in writing very well, what I meant as a gentle chide came across to you as extremely insulting (which wasn’t my intent). I’m calm, I wasn’t angry at you, and didn’t mean to personally offend you.
      Also, I agree the Peg sale is really weird, I do wonder what the back story to that is.
      - velomonkey
        
        I stand corrected - I am sorry for what was, obviously, some of my misunderstanding. Oh, “Bro, do you even lift” - I wouldn’t expect most people on this site get it - probably why I said it, so no worries there. I guess my point: as I said above: this site is celebrating bikes that are unique only because cause the owner spent a ton of money - I’ve seen late 90s Merckx steel frame with Ace 7400 bikes that are gotten for a 1/8th there price of this bike and tens times more unique - A GT Lotto bike made of Ti - I can go on for days - those types of bikes used to be featured here. Seems not to be the case any more.
        
        Mark McInnes
        
        OK - can we all just chill a little.
        This is a Cycling site which has a pretty broad section of cycling related stories. If my memory is correct I’ve seen, road trips, touring stuff, fixies, MTB races, Urban downhill stuff (not really sure what that is, but it looks good on YOUTUBE), Pro roadie team stuff, Cycling tips, racing training etc.. Bikes Of The Bunch is pretty much the section where they highlight the unique, the custom, the rare etc. By it’s nature is gonna be expensive. I like it.
        
        The idea of showing the back story on riders and their triumphs on entry level bikes is a good idea but I don;t think it has a place in the “Bike Porn” section.. (disclaimer - by definition I’m a tool I own a roadie woth $9k and MTB worth $8k - I’m sorry).
        
        Mark McInnes
        
        BTW - Very nice bike, but I don’t dig Campy..
        
        Chris B
        
        First of all I don’t have my own home I drive a second hand car and always have, I don’t live in a posh house anyplace remotely sunny with palm trees, but I do love bikes. I have placed an order for a Baum Ristretto and I know people in my position who have Pegoretti’s, the argument of value can only be answered by the person spending the money. I value craftsmanship and after several years of riding carbon of the peg bikes and always having to mess around with them to get a good fit I decided to put up the cash and get a bike made to fit. Simple as that, I have had to save and sell some of my bikes but to me ( and this is the important bit ) its well worth the money. And anyway the segment is all about posh bikes and they tend to be the ones people spend allot of cash on, and lets not forget people spending money keeps other people in jobs.
        
        velomonkey
        
        Again, for the record: anyone can spend money - if something is more expensive because of it’s cost and availability to the general market it is therefore unique - it’s a truism of economics 101 (and Einstein has zero to do with this discussion). Econ 101 - what’s more unique a Bently or a Honda civic? There is a but (and this is the important bit) a honda civic can be made totally unique and it can be done at a fraction of the cost of the Bently. My point: and it’s not my site, perhaps it might be a good idea to celebrate and showcase some truly unique builds where it’s done by means other than just price. I’ve learned two things: Baum owners and ENVE wheel owners are the most defensive people I’ve ever come across on bike boards.
        
        Chris B
        
        Hell i also ride a 1958 claud butler single speed with mud guards and a colnago tecnos with colnago 50th shimano groupset, these bikes are great and I love them, would I need to apologise for having these aswell? there are loads of places to go to to look at nice bikes people have put together and maybe it would be nice for cycling tips to show these bikes of aswell but there is only so much time in the day to sift through all that stuff, and this is only one segment on cycling tips.
acid

My Baum Ti Romano turns 5 years young this month and it rides as well as it did on day 1. I ride 8000-9000 km per year. This is the bike you buy when you are sick of buying a new carbon frame every 2-3 years (as so many of us do). I bought 3 high-end carbon bikes in 3 years (still have them in my office!!) and then I decided to go with Baum Titanium in custom geometry (based on advice from Steve Hogg - in 2008, thanks Steve!!)
Titanium + Custom Geometry = Ride Forever. Highly recommended. Long term this will save you money.
- acid
  
  DOH - edit - I bought 3 carbon bikes in 9 years, i.e. 1 bike every 3 years - before I bought Baum 5 years ago…..
- thePeasant
  
  i dont quite understand one thing. You said you bought 3 high end carbon bikes and you still have them.. that tells me that you can still ride them. What makes a TI bike last forever and a carbon frame not?
Jim

Ring Possum = correct. They are a bog standard Ti frame - nothing new here. They glue a carbon shim in the seat-tube to correct it back to round post welding. Its is a cost cutting exercise. There are better ways of dealing with this issue - see Moots, Holland, Eriksen to name a few. The only ‘innovative’ thing is the paint. I get a bit sick of web sites such as this proliferating the myth that there is something new with each new ‘innovative’ paint job. Sure geometry is tweaked and the butting of the tubes massaged for the specific rider but there is no new innovation here and it certainly is not worth the cost of entry.
- Chris B
  
  Again as I stated above worth and value are a floating scale depending on your own view and like time its relative (Einstein was a very smart chap) don’t get grumpy cos a bike costs a lot money hell if they don’t like it they can sell it on ebay for a loss and someone else can enjoy a great bike at a bargain price.
  - velomonkey
    
    Cripes: only a defensive person would somehow improperly conflate Einsteins’ theory of relativity and their grandiose bike purchase. In econ it’s called diminishing marginal utility. I like ti, I ride ti, I want a BAUM and I would ride one if given one - but make no mistake, not even for a second, the only thing that is unique in this bike is the paint. This is, literally, twenty plus year old technology. Albeit great technology and one that uses and celebrates craftsmanship, but let’s not for a second say it’s something it’s not. Ride your bike in good health - but don’t make it into something it’s not.
    - Chris B
      
      Im sorry I had no idea I had to defend my choice, as if I had to feel guilty for spending hard earned money. Relativity is all about perception, if you need to be schooled, for one person who is enjoying his day time may travel quick like the passing of a smile from a young woman walking past, and for a grumpy so and so who’s day is going not so well, a few moments may seem live a much longer period in time. The same can be used to describe value and worth, A Van Gogh painting and the same object painted by a six year old are still just painting, one may be painted with nicer paint on nice canvas with a few more brush strokes, but they are still just paintings so why is one worth more than the other and who decides the value and worth of these items? Ok now lets say the painting was done by your child, and he lives with his mum cos your so grumpy. You probably wouldn’t give that finger painting up for anything its perceived value to you is greater than it is to me, its the same object but as me have different views of the object we observe (emotionally just in case I had to point that out to you) . That’s relativity for you, so lets not say I can be accused of incorrectly conflating Einsteins theory of relativity for my own gain, I do believe I never said the bike was new or ground breaking in any way, and I am sure its not going to do the work for me, all I know is that its been made to fit me (that’s really what this is all about) with the greatest of care, with great materials, its painted in the way I want and the work is done by someone I trust to do the job I want. Have fun, enjoy the bike you ride im not going to pass judgment about the one you have chosen to own, we are all cyclist.
      - velomonkey
        
        Yea, Einstein totally meant to say “buy what you want - it’s all relative.” I’m sure he’s happy you took his life work and boiled it down to meet your point. Bro, the mere fact you wrote all this up shows how defensive you’re being. I rest my case.
        
        Chris B
        
        no, i just thought it was funny, and i find it funny how grumpy you are, but yes buy what you want life is to short.
Andrew

Holden ….. Porsche, Specialised……. Baum, etc I know which one i would have, based on how I feel about the item in question. If you can sit in it or on it and enjoy it, then whats the issue
- Chris B
  
  well said
Frank

It used to be that, to be featured in “Bikes of the Bunch”, the bike in question had to actually be ridden “in the bunch”. Let’s bring that rule back.
- Cliff Nichols
  
  he may well ride it ‘in a bunch’….super expensive bike but expense on the whole is relative to disposable income so if someone is rich enough and loves this kind of bike then why not? I can’t afford one but I understand the desire to get something personalised and unique….if I was rich enough then I might change my mind. Bottom line, if you can afford one, really one want then yes, you should get one because of the intrinsic value and satisfaction it gives you. In a similar position I may make a different decision but that’s a moot point.
  Interesting idea above about ‘typical’ bikes that have been made more unique by their owners by upgrades and changes they’ve made…that’d be really interesting to see what they’ve done and the reasoning behind it.
  So far my own experience was to get a new Canyon Endurace (not a rare bike in the overall scheme) and then bring it back to AUS from Europe ‘by hand’. I’ve now been ‘tweaking’ it a bit with some new wheels etc. Gives me tremendous satisfaction. Not about the $$$ per se but the knowledge I have a unique bike, from a brand I really admire and one that I just love riding.
  I’m sure there’s a point in here somewhere…apols for the ramble.
Flash

Interesting comments from some people.
I see this expensive Baum, as being brought by someone with some money - and I say good on them.
Some people seem to get offended by the owner spending a lot of money, I say good on them, and I think they must have worked hard and saved their money. Maybe they have saved for yrs, maybe they don’t smoke or drink or waster their money.
Instead of trying to bring them down, by accusing them of having more money than sense - perhaps they actually worked hard to get in a position to be able to afford such a great bike.
I used to own a BMW, and straight away people make assumptions - the fact I waited and saved for 5 yrs to buy it second hand didn’t matter to any self opinionated person - it was you drive a BMW you must have money.
I can remember back to the mid 80’s when bike shops weren’t making any money, and Triathletes basically saved the industry, even though the traditional bikies hated them. The old bikies would haggle over the price of a new component, whilst the Triathlete would save I have $2k to spend what can you do for me.
And now like it or not, its many of those mamil’s that keep the industry going today.
I just love hearing about all the bikes, new and old, and appreciate them all.
I have an S works tarmac with the lot, and still have my first road bike built by Kevin Wigan with Reynolds 531.
There is room for all stories and all people.
Just chill out and appreciate them all.
- Michael
  
  I don’t think it’s the fact that the bike cost plenty of money is really why people are talking about it and what it says abouyt the owner… Having never ridden one, but spoken to people who have and read plenty of reviews, I’m of the opinion that Baum is value for money and worth every penny and you should buy one and enjoy it if you can (I wish I could!). But more so that this is just another ‘Baum’ as seen a few times now already in Bikes of the Bunch and nothing more interesting here (with the build or story) than any other Baum already out there (or that we’ve already seen in Bikes of the Bunch).
  The cost shouldn’t have anything to do with it even though the more expensive bikes have the drool worthy factor intrinsictly, there should be something ‘interesting’ about the build or the story behind the build, not that it’s unique just because it is expensive on it’s own.
  - thePeasant
    
    i think what rubbed some of the people the wrong way is in fact the story. The part that the owner knew it was gonna be expensive and his wife agreeing to it hence the best wife comment. Its a story of a guy who likes bikes, having a great wife that was willing for him to spend an arm and a leg for a bike. For some its interesting, both the bike and how the wife agreed to the build are both drool worthy. For some however, it wasnt.
Jimmy

Take a valium you lot, jeez. It’s a nice purty bike, who gives a crap what it cost, what that potentially says about the owner, or what the owner had for breakfast, just enjoy looking at something other than an off the shelfer or reading a regurgitated press release for cripesake!
- Cliff Nichols
  
  Well said Jimmy.