# Pantheon of American Steel Framebuilders



## aptivaboy (Nov 21, 2009)

Just a fun informal survey. I'm wondering where everyone would rate their top American steel framebuilders? We've been very fortunate to have some great homegrown builders, like Serotta, and some incredibly talented imports (Moulton, Confente) move here and share their skills with us here in the Colonies. Who would your top US or US-based steel framebuilders be, and why?

I'm including this in the retro forum since so many of these builders dated from the steel era, but if they're still active, please include them! 

Mine would be:

Dave Moulton: have you ever seen the clarity of his lugs and paint jobs? A one man shop, too! Plus, he was able to marry a slightly more upright, somewhat quicker frame with wonderful handling. 
David Tesch: pure perfection. He combined skills with innovation (S-22, anyone?). He also managed to marry a very steep frame with good handling, too. I remember riding past a gorgeous blonde once while on a training ride back in the day. She was on a 101. I cared more about the bike than the gal. That says everything. 
Ben Serotta: not just a fine builder, but an innovator in a variety of cycling media, from steel to carbon. Plus, his 7-11 frames introduced the European peloton to American-made frames, so he's important for historical reasons, alone. 
Mario Confente: I only know Mario Confente based upon reputation, but I'm including him here due to the influence he had on that generation of US builders, forcing them to up their games to compete with his craftsmanship, something that we all benefited from. 

Other ideas? Who are your faves, and why?

Robert


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

Richard Sachs and Tom Kellogg.


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## Scooper (Mar 4, 2007)

Dave Wages (Ellis Cycles) who worked for years building frames at Serotta and Waterford before hanging out his shingle and building world class frames that have won multiple "Best" awards at NAHBS (Best Lugged Bike NAHBS '09, Best of Show NAHBS '10, Best Road Bike NAHBS '11).

Dave Anderson for his beautifully executed frames in Reynolds 953 stainless.


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## PRB (Jun 15, 2002)

David Kirk
Carl Strong


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## gomango (Aug 30, 2006)

Chris Kvale
Curt Goodrich
Dave Anderson
Dave Kirk
and Chris Bishop


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Albert Eisentraut.
Peter Mooney.


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## barkingdog90 (Mar 1, 2012)

Richard Sachs. Talented builder, nice guy.


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## SantaCruz (Mar 22, 2002)

edit - oops steel only - strike Calfee below. but still good for our industry.

Craig Calfee - innovator in carbon, making bamboo in 3rd world and a really decent human being.

Don't know if he's a "great American framebuilder" but I have a great American road bike from Jon Tallerico.

Sasha White builds gorgeous functional art. and a bunch more in Portland OR.
Bill Holland?

too many -- ain't it great!

agree with all the above.

love Mike DeSalvo's work.


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## fiddlr40 (Sep 18, 2007)

Under appreciated, IMHO: Della Santa custom built frames











Brent Steelman: Steelman Cycles


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

There's a kind of Masi diaspora--some already mentioned like Tesch (and I suppose Eisentraut and Moulton both passed through, although they were already recognized talents), but Brian Baylis and Mike Howard-especially with the Wizard collaboration, and later Howard on his own also turned out a nice frame IMO.

Peter Mooney--scarcely a day goes by that I don't think of the frame I had that was a forced sale in the depths of the recession.

I still see the odd Fuso and or Moulton, and they seem to be wonderful value for the workmanship.

I really agree with what Richard Sachs has said--that he (and some others of his generation) concocted a myth of the 'artist as frame builder' and then worked to become that, thinking they were following the Europeans they admired, and found it later that it was a myth. 

In doing so, they managed to create something uniquely American.


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## Quattro_Assi_07 (Jan 13, 2006)

fiddlr40 said:


> Brent Steelman: Steelman Cycles


Pretty frame ruined by an ugly group.


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## ridingred (Aug 25, 2010)

Kelly Bedford. He built Serotta's bikes for 25 years. Left there and started his own shop. Check his website kbedfordcustoms.com.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Many are out there that are very good, but one few know about but highly regarded by Richard Sachs and recommended on his web site is Tim O'Donnell of Shamrock Cycles, and his prices are very reasonable and they will do anything you want done and they promise not to judge it. See: hand built frames from the mountains of Indiana


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## PRB (Jun 15, 2002)

+1 to Della Santa

I somehow forget John Slawta (Landshark). While his webpage only shows carbon frames at the moment I've heard that he will still work with steel if requested. Regardless, he was certainly a master at it when it was his primary material - think Andy Hampsten's 'Huffy'.


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## moschika (Feb 1, 2004)

Most, if not all, on the roster for any NAHBS show in the last several years. I'm fortunate to live in an area, SF Bay Area, with many local builders. some of whom I call friends and hope to have build my future bikes. nothing like popping into the shop to see how your bike is coming along and seeing it in various stages of build.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

RBR user: BMXHacksaw.


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## Kristatos (Jan 10, 2008)

Been on my Steelman for over 12 years now and wouldn't trade it for anything. A few other bikes have come and gone in the meantime, but it is the one bike I will never give up.


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## Fivethumbs (Jul 26, 2005)

+2 on Della Santa. I recently had Della Santa build me a custom frameset. While we were talking on the phone he told me he owns several of Mario Confente's frame building tools and has fabricated some of his own tools to build frames. When I put the bike together everything went in place perfectly - no surprises (like I experienced on another custom frame from another builder). When I took the bike out for its maiden voyage I took my hands off the bars and it tracked perfectly straight. The whole experience was great.


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## kaliayev (Dec 25, 2008)

Mike Appel


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## kaliayev (Dec 25, 2008)

Really like the work of Bill Davidson and as a couple of others have mentioned Peter Mooney.


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## Fivethumbs (Jul 26, 2005)

Andy Newlands of Strawberry Cycles. Della Santa holds this guy in high regard.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Brian Bayliss.

Tom Ritchey: he was way ahead of everyone TIG welding back in the Dark Ages.


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## Bill Bikie (Jul 24, 2010)

*Chris Kvale in Minneapolis, MN*

Chris is a retired competitor and a bike frame artisan in Minneapolis. He'll often sit almost in the dark in a corner of his workshop and listen to classical music while filing a lug.

Often when out for a ride I would see him on one of his frames, either fixed gear or 
multi- speed. He'd always wear a cycling cap and a retro wool jersey. But he'll say he never went retro, because it's what he always wore.

He'll do all the measuring stuff, but he'll also want to see you on your present bike, the two of you will go on a 30 minute ride. 

I may be wrong, but I believe Chris learned frame building from Cecil Behringer, a former six-day track rider and titanium frame pioneer.

Terry Osell is another fine builder of diamond frames, tandems, and recumbants.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*many indeed*

came through the Masi CA facility

Roland Della Santa would be top of my list if I wanted custom

No one has mentioned master builder Bruce Gordon

so many in the Bay Area, Soulcraft, Sycip, Steelman, Gordon, Rock Lobster

SoCal Bill Holland

and another great builder in the area Rebolledo

the two others that seem obvious but have been forgotten are Mike Zanconato and Carl Strong (sorry saw him mentioned)


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## My Own Private Idaho (Aug 14, 2007)

Andy Gilmour, Tucson local.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

I still think one of the best custom builders in the USA is Shamrock Cycles in Indianapolis Indiana. These guys will do anything you want, and they have a large selection of lug styles including Richard Sachs Nervex style lugs, as well as tubing, and Shamrock's prices are more reasonable then some of these I've seen posted here. 

Since I own a Mercian though I'm kind of bias toward them, but if Shamrock had been in business when I bought the Mercian I would have probably got the Shamrock since their just down the road from me. But Mercian had a good selection of lugs and tubesets as well.


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## BryanSayer (Sep 22, 2009)

Eisentraut, Bill Boston, Richard Sachs.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

BryanSayer said:


> Eisentraut, Bill Boston, Richard Sachs.


Perhaps I'm wrong but I believe all three of these guys are retired or in the case of Richard Sachs winding down by finishing up the several years of work he still has orders for, supposedly he's not taking new orders.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

froze said:


> Perhaps I'm wrong but I believe all three of these guys are retired or in the case of Richard Sachs winding down by finishing up the several years of work he still has orders for, supposedly he's not taking new orders.


This is a Pantheon. Not a directory. For kneeling. Not necessarily for buying.


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## Scooper (Mar 4, 2007)

Mapei said:


> This is a Pantheon. Not a directory. For kneeling. Not necessarily for buying.


Good point.
I nominate Emil Wastyn and his son, Oscar.


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

BryanSayer said:


> Eisentraut, Bill Boston, Richard Sachs.


A couple of mentions of Albert Eisentraut already, and he was also important in passing on 'the knowledge' of frame building.

I have a partial memory of reading a post somewhere about the classes he conducted (I believe they were in multiple locations around the country) and the list of people who participated in his frame building classes was pretty extensive.

I find these genealogies interesting--I seem to recall that a number of east coast framebuilders passed through/worked with Spectrum/Tom Kellogg...

Mooney & Sachs 'apprenticed' with English builders--in the former case it was with Ron Cooper, and in the latter case it was Whitcomb Cycles, where another noted American builder Peter Wiegle also apprenticed, along with Chris Chance and the young Ben Serotta--another pair of good frame makers.


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

Mapei said:


> This is a Pantheon. Not a directory. For kneeling. Not necessarily for buying.


I would think a directory would be more useful, but since usefulness is not what this forum is about then I would say Eisentraut since he wasn't only a very good frame builder but he also trained a lot of the builders that went on to build custom bikes themselves, this makes him more of a legend then most other builders.

Here's another current builder that hasn't been mentioned if price is no concern: Modern Classic - Ellis Cycles: custom hand built bicycles & racks

There are a lot of good builders out there that we could all go nuts trying to figure out who's the best and still never conclude who is the best of the best.


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## BlueMasi1 (Oct 9, 2002)

*Since this is a Pantheon*

I would have to tip my hat to the Wright Brothers. I'm also a fan of Jim Redcay, Della Santa and Bill Davidson.


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## BLUE BOY (May 19, 2005)

It's nice to see that there are a number of really good frame builders available. My favorite, the ones that
have my complete loyalty is Tom Kellogg & Jeff Duser of Spectrum Cycles. I have two of their fine steel
creations; I don't even look to consider another builder. Plenty of excellent choices for somebody though, it's almost hard for a customer to make a wrong choice.


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## gm1230126 (Apr 8, 2007)

+1 Mike Appel


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## kaliayev (Dec 25, 2008)

Joe Starck, no slouch at building a frame himself, said in comparing Mike Appel, Brian Bayliss, and Richard Sachs: 

"If the contest is which of these three can/has consistently build/built the highest quality frames, I'd say Appel has/had the edge."


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## froze (Sep 15, 2002)

kaliayev said:


> Joe Starck, no slouch at building a frame himself, said in comparing Mike Appel, Brian Bayliss, and Richard Sachs:
> 
> "If the contest is which of these three can/has consistently build/built the highest quality frames, I'd say Appel has/had the edge."


http://forums.roadbikereview.com/lounge/dear-joe-starck-101882.html


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

kaliayev said:


> Joe Starck, no slouch at building a frame himself, said in comparing Mike Appel, Brian Bayliss, and Richard Sachs:
> 
> "If the contest is which of these three can/has consistently build/built the highest quality frames, I'd say Appel has/had the edge."


Didn't know anything about Mike Appel--and there is a lovely bike of his for sale on the 'Bay


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## veloduffer (Aug 26, 2004)

There are so many great builders in the US, which really have carried the torch for steel bikes. There’s a 6-degrees of separation of the East Coast builders from Richard Sachs & JP Weigle: Ben Serotta, Chris Chance, Merlin, Seven, Independent Fab to name a few.

Similarly on the West Coast from Masi and Brian Bayliss.

My Sachs (25th anniversary replica) is still my “dream/life-time” bike. If I had oodles of money, I’d love to get steel bikes from the following:

JP (Peter) Weigle – Randonneur bike
Columbine
John Holland (in Reistertown, MD)
Rolland Della Santa
Ellis Cycles (Dave Wages)
David Kirk
Vanilla Cycles (Sacha White)
Brian Bayliss

For titanium, I already have a Kish but would certainly like:

Spectrum (Tom Kellogg)
John Hollands

And carbon fiber, I have a Parlee but my other choice would be a Crumpton.

Ahhhhh, too dream.....


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## Moishlashen (Jan 14, 2010)

Sean Walling of Soulcraft is a good one. I'm not qualified in any way shape or form to say who's the best but I've been riding my Soulcraft dream bike for almost 10 years now.


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## King Arthur (Nov 13, 2009)

aptivaboy said:


> Just a fun informal survey. I'm wondering where everyone would rate their top American steel framebuilders? We've been very fortunate to have some great homegrown builders, like Serotta, and some incredibly talented imports (Moulton, Confente) move here and share their skills with us here in the Colonies. Who would your top US or US-based steel framebuilders be, and why?
> 
> I'm including this in the retro forum since so many of these builders dated from the steel era, but if they're still active, please include them!
> 
> ...


Lots of good stuff about R.Sachs.


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

David Ybarrola.
Local Sandy Eggo guy. Saw his work at the San Diego Velodrome and San Diego Handmade Bike Show. Works in steel.


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

Anyone interested in the genealogy of New England builders should look at this graphic--it is particularly nice to the see where the current generation of builders like Firefly got their start (with Serotta)...


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## jr59 (Mar 30, 2011)

paredown said:


> Anyone interested in the genealogy of New England builders should look at this graphic--it is particularly nice to the see where the current generation of builders like Firefly got their start (with Serotta)...


I love that tree, and am very happy somebody did it.

But how does firefly get with Serotta?


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## paredown (Oct 18, 2006)

jr59 said:


> I love that tree, and am very happy somebody did it.
> 
> But how does firefly get with Serotta?


misread! you are correct. it was whitcomb that I was following...


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## old_fat_and_slow (Jun 4, 2008)

atpjunkie said:


> SoCal Bill Holland


Is Holland doing steel again? Last I saw he was doing Ti only, mainly the exo-grid frames.


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## High Gear (Mar 9, 2002)

Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles is a great up and coming builder.

http://vanillabicycles.com/


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