Steel is real....light in this case

The man in the photo is picking up his new road bike and just finished a short ride around the building. Getting a steel bike used to mean that you were getting something significantly heavier than carbon , ti or aluminum. This is no longer the case with how light components have gotten and how a welded frame is close to a pound lighter than a lugged frame. I didn't go out of my way to make the frame especially light as the bike will be for training and get many miles in all sorts of weather. Being mostly of True Temper steel the frame should be very stout and have good longevity. If this man rides a lot then he will also have good longevity !

Pasadena bound steel MTB frame

My batteries in my camera died before I could really get the detail shots of this frame. It's a shame because I am really happy with the results of my labors on this one. It's just swoopy enough to have a rhythm to the whole look of the frame.

Old number 16

Do you remeber what you were doing in 1987 ? I was in a band playing in casinos and at weddings and building frames part time in my 160 square foot garage. This bike is # 16 , built about 7 months before I made the leap to fulltime framebuilder. The owner was in high school when he bought it....now you can see he's got a family and is in his 30's ! The bike has had some work done on it over the years but most of the equipment is from the days before clipless pedals, shocks and many other things people expect to have on their bikes. The rims were rolled-down Mavic MA-2's from the Bontrager shop on South Rodeo Gulch road, many years before the sale to Trek. The flat-top seat tube with the forward facing binder was something I did on maybe my first 20 MTB frames, just to make them look a little more distinctive.

Touing bike built up

This 26" wheel touring bike is the real deal,stable and designed to carry a load. The Nitto stainless racks weigh quite a bit and the stainless fenders are rock solid. Toe clips ? SPD ? not for this rider-back to the basics with flat pedals and hiking boots .

Iv'e been thrown out of better places than this

And they said it couldn't happen.....

Nobody was more shocked than I. My first medal at a 'cross race in 8 seasons of trying.....not that I really focused until the last few seasons. I guess I didn't want to spoil my fun by getting too serious. I have to admit, it would be nice to be up on that podium again at the end of the season.....

All in a day's work....on a good day

Most customers don't travel as well equipped as these folks !

Proper preparation

Touring frame details

Team issue

Yet another pit bike-this one is the 2008-09 issue. I am re-naming this particular frame the 'Team Issue' as that is what it is, especially now that the team is in its fifth season. The former 'Team Tig 7005'name will stick for any frame like this without the team color and sponsor decals. A lot of builders and companies offer a 'team edition' bike but not always are they really something that came from an actual team. Pretty pathetic that it took almost five years for me to figure all this out.......

Did you ?

Pilarcitos II

Odell takes a drink while Keannu rolls........

And Josh rockets. Stella gets a new jersey and takes over the overall lead in the series.

And Scott reaches the podium and gets further up in the points standings. Brett Lambert gets a third place and Scott Calley makes the podium. Some of us really suffered but the team presence was huge at this event, even though some of the squad were not present. Ryan and Frank made the race into a smooth running well fed happening.

itty bitty city bike

I don't know why more people don't order bikes like this. Having a custom built city bike is buying something that could actually save money in fuel and keep you in shape. This one is for a 64 year old 5' 1" woman in Palo Alto.

Naked steel Lobster style

This customer wanted a wishbone seatstay on his 'cross frame with Breezer dropouts-a combination that can only be done if I extend the seatstays with a litle sleeve.

This is definitely the smallest 29er I have built and it's going to South Carolina but not with a banjo on it's knee.....sorry, Jaquie !

Pittsbugh bound slider steel 29er

I first laid eyes upon these amazing dropouts while I was teaching up at U.B.I last July. These are from Paragon machine works and really are the answer for those wanting one bike that can do it all.

on the road with lobster

13 hours of driving and the result is this humble display complete with my welding curtain as a backdrop at a small bike show in Portland.

The case contains the results of my years of being a randonneur, medals, route sheets etc. Looking at the back of the truck , aren't you glad that your bike wasn't in there on the reurn trip ?

Who is this guy ?