Independent Fabrication Blog

Video :: Newmarket Shop

2012-01-25T12:48:00.001-05:00

Former IF racer and camera maestro Logan Hodson paid us a recent visit and took a bit of footage.

Check it out:

Independent Fabrication from Logan Hodson on Vimeo.

New Tees :: New Frame Colors

2012-01-16T18:01:00.000-05:00

It's always a vigorous conversation around IF World HQ when it comes time for new t-shirts and new paint colors.

This time around we kept it simple for the new tees, both offerings are black. Rather than try to figure out the latest "color X is the new black" debate, we just went with black for both offerings. So hard to go wrong with a black t-shirt... formal and rebellious at the same time.

Offered with our two down tube logos, one of which is the new script that we first introduced last year on the Titanium Factory Lightweight. The script version also features our new seat tube tower logo on the back.

For the classic up and down box version, we went with a gray and orange combination to celebrate the colors of our new showroom and fit studio, The Bike Factory NH.

As always, American made and available here.

On the new bike color front, it's a bit of a shot in the dark when it comes to which colors to add to our standard offering of two dozen or so colors (of course we are always happy to match your custom color request).

Once you consider the classic bike colors of black, white, red, silver, and the occasional blue, along with our team green and yellow, it gets to the fringes pretty quick. But the fringe is where the fun is, so we we try to keep it fresh. Last year we added a bunch of muscle car colors like Boss Blue, Barracuda Purple, Sprout Green, and Omaha Orange to go with the Factory Lightweight series, so this year, after we culled out some of less popular selections, we decided to go with:

Dove Gray is for those of you who like a sharp contrast to either a second color, or to your choice of decals, but are played out on white. It looks good on its own, or next to just about anything. I love it with orange (see The Bike Factory Logo and the new t-shirt above).

Chocolate Brown is... well it's chocolate, does anything else really need to be said? Makes me want a big slice of cake right now.

Nogaro Blue is back for a return engagement. It's an Audi color used in their S-series performance models, and we had it the line-up a few years back. We have been getting more requests for bright blues, and have been told that it is the next trend in bike color, set to rival red for bike color dominance. We'll see how the blue/red bike color smack down plays out, but it's an awesome blue and it's an election year, so equal opportunity and all.

Army Green is probably the biggest flyer here, but I just want to do one bike with red logos on it as an homage to vintage Soviet-era parade vehicles. I always thought it was funny to see military vehicles in polished camouflage colors with bright red logos. Did they repaint them in matte finishes and less visible logos after the parades? Just wondering.

Cheers,

G

Doing Well and Doing Good :: Shiny and Pink

2012-01-09T22:13:00.000-05:00

Every now and then I come across a part that makes me want to create a bike around it. It's a round about way to do things, but it works for me.

Such was the case last year when I first saw Soma Fabrications cafe racer handle bar. It inspired me to create the Caffeine Racer mixte for my better half.

While at NAHBS, I was conveying this story to Paul Tolme, who runs PR for Gates Carbon Belt Drive. He came back to our booth a bit later and handed me a pink belt that Gates had produced in limited quantities to raise awareness for the fight against childhood cancer going on at the Pablove Foundation, and challenged me to create a bike around it.

It wasn't a "double-dog-dare-you" kind of thing, but he was pushing my buttons.

At the same show, I received a unique set of shaped stainless steel tubes from our crazy and stylish Italian metal-heads at Columbus. It was obvious... shiny and pink had to go together.

With the belt and tube set in hand, the casserole cooking began in earnest. I wanted to make it fixed gear, and incorporate modern standards like a BB30 bottom bracket and an over-sized head tube to accommodate the robust main tubes and an aggressive fork with a tapered steerer tube.

After all, it is a war against this disease, so you have to roll with something stout.

The shaped chain stays presented a challenge when it came to incorporating a break for adding/removing the belt. Their square tapered bottoms required the splitter to be just below the bridge.

The head tube is a story all by itself. I wanted to use 3T's new tapered steerer road fork, so that meant an oversized HT to accommodate, but no stainless tubing exists in the proper diameter, so in stepped Mark Norstad from Paragon Machine Works. Mark spent 9 hours of machine "spindle time" milling this head tube out of solid stainless bar.

Expensive as it was, I think that it was worth it, since it gives the front end a bit of presence to go with the aggressive fork and over-sized down tube.

The folks at Cane Creek came through with a unique head set to make it all work together, and the fine folks at Full Speed Ahead added their SLK series bar, stem and post to go along with their BB30 Gossamer Crank.

Pink anno chain ring bolts... of course.

Jedi Paint Master Chris added the Pablove panels on the DT and ST.

Here she is... a shaped tube, stainless steel, fixed gear, belt drive, cancer killing machine.

Stay tuned for details on how you can help kill childhood cancer and win a chance to do it on style on this machine.

Cheers,

Finishes :: Festive 500 and 2011

2011-12-31T22:28:00.000-05:00

It's great to finish something. No matter how much it really sucked, the human spirit has a way of filtering out the negative and only recalling the positive. Such is the case for me with both 2011, and Rapha's Festive 500.

For some reason, I felt that signing up to ride 500 kilometers between December 23rd and today, the 31st, would be a fitting end to a challenging year. I figured why not end it with a ridiculous challenge?

My quest began with an aborted ride in the wee hours of the 23rd when I awoke to a few inches of snow on the ground and no studded tires in hand. Nothing like starting the nine day clock with zero mileage in the bank.

I went to the shop, and realized that my winter Deluxe, although great fun for cruising around town and trails in the ice and snow, just wasn't going to chew up the miles fast enough, so I ordered a pair of studded tires and some clip on fenders for my ti Planet CX and hoped for clear roads until they arrived.

Well... some days of OK road conditions, and then some more ice and snow, so sometimes you just have to "run what you brung" as they say in NASCAR... my trusty XS Club Racer.

She's one of a kind, built for 2010 NAHBS in Richmond, and ended up pulling duty for lots of the 500K.

Animal tracks, four legged and two wheeled.

As the week rolled by, the kilometers/miles began to accumulate, but I quickly learned that they would not come easy. Lots of riding after dark; and the cold, wind, and messy road conditions made for slow going, not to mention the busy work week.

The workload towards the end of the week only allowed for riding after dark, which turned out to be pretty awesome. The wind tends to be a little less of a problem after nightfall, the traffic is light on the back roads, and I had more than a few memorable moments of Christmas lights and a waxing moon reflecting on the bay.

I also had one really sketchy moment where my head light died on a very dark and rainy night. Fortunately I was only a few miles from home, so I knew the roads well. I just rode in what I thought was the middle of the road and kept looking over my shoulder to see the edge of the road in the glow of my tail light.

So, today it came down to a final 50 miles. The weather forecast last night called for the dreaded "wintery mix", and sure enough, it was freezing rain, with lots of ice on the roads.

Fortunately, my studded tires and fenders for the CX bike arrived at the end of the week, and I installed them on some older Mavic Ksyrium SSC SL's. I can remember when those wheels were the hottest things on the road, and now they are my winter warriors... lots of great miles and simply indestructible.

A big shout out to Nokion. Those fine Finnish folks really know how to make a winter bicycle tire, and the Planet Bike clip on fenders were a breeze to install.

With the icy road conditions, I figured that I'd incorporate some gravel roads, thinking that they'd have more grip, but they were just as bad. For some reason(s) of physics that elude me, the rain froze just as thick, if not more so, on the gravel. Kind of funny to see that the municipal trucks had been out to sand a gravel road (the more orange stuff in the middle of the road).

One of my favorite quotes about riding in hard weather comes from Justin Spinelli, a fellow Granite Stater and ex-pro. He said that, "riding in the cold and rain is not epic, getting up and doing it day after day is".

The on and off freezing rain, combined with the cold temps were pretty tough, so I did a route in the morning, then broke for lunch and some dry kit.

The temps rose a bit after lunch, so there was some incredible fog.

At one point a truck pulled up next to me at a stop light and the driver rolled down his window and asked, "are you crazy"? I said, "no, I'm a cyclist". He then asked, "what kind of a cyclist rides in this weather"? I thought for a minute and all I could reply was, "a festive one"! He laughed and the light turned green.

So now that it's all done, time to toast finishes. Here's a hearty recovery shake to all of you, your friends and families. May all your rides in 2012, if not be warm and dry, at least be festive.

Happy New Year!

G.

Season's Greetings :: Longer Days

2011-12-22T14:53:00.000-05:00

Tis the season to be jolly... and the days started getting longer yesterday, so Spring is queuing up right behind Santa.

Maybe it's optimistic to think that Spring is right behind Santa, but I've been stressing about the winter 5 that I've already gained, and I haven't even made it through Christmas yet, so I've signed up to try Rapha's Festive 500 challenge.

To complete the challenge one needs to ride and document 500 kilometers (that's approximately 310 miles for us Americans) between the 23rd and 31st. It's "only" about 35 miles per day, but says easy and does hard given the holidays, family time, short days, cold temperatures... not to mention the potential for snow and ice.

Sure enough, I woke up before dawn this morning with the intention of getting in a few hours of riding, and what did I find when I looked out on the back porch?

You have to love New England weather. It was sunny and almost 60 degrees yesterday, and today it's a "wintery mix" advisory on the weather reports. The kids are stoked about having a white Christmas, but it's time to bust out the studded tires, except that my Winter Deluxe is sitting on a stand in the showroom.

Looks like I need to get both of my fender bikes ready to go, charge up the Light & Motion lights, bust out the full winter kit, and grab an insulated IF coffee tumbler for my bottle cage, so there'll be no excuses tomorrow.

Speaking of coffee tumblers, check out the custom colors that Chris and Phil did to put in the stockings of the ladies at BaileyWorks:

I hope that you've all been nice this year and that Santa brings you shiny new bike things for your stockings. As we were shooting this Australia bound red Crown Jewel the other day we all joked that it was the perfect "Santa Bike". Maybe the jolly old fellow wouldn't be so rotund if he rode a bike during his off-season. Must be nice to eat cookies all of the time and have eight reindeer to pull your largesse around.

2011 has been a busy year, a time of change for us as we settled into our new home. We are thankful for all of our terrific dealers and friends who have supported us throughout, and wish you all a joyous holiday season and prosperous New Year.

May your glasses always be full and your rides safe.

Peace,

G

What Euro Crisis? :: Citrus Squeeze

2011-12-12T07:30:00.000-05:00

Our friends at Bike Boutique in Holland recently sent us some build pics of this special hot lime steel Deluxe.

Jaap and his crew place a lot of emphasis on the small details that make the whole special. Check out the custom stay protector and the tied and soldered spokes on the Enve/Chris King wheel build.

Would you like a slice of melon hubs with your lime frame? If you haven't held one of the new SRAM XX cassettes in your hands yet, I highly recommend it. It is just a piece of machined art, and I hear through the grapevine a glimpse of what's to come with the update to the Red road group.

Plenty of stopping power and Tune skewers to match the hubs.

Chris and Phil put a lot of hours into the custom painted Niner carbon fork. Seems like an anachronism to put a rigid carbon fork on a steel frame, but the design of this fork somehow just works well with the classic lines of the frame.

A deluxe Deluxe indeed.

Thanks Jaap for sharing the pics!

G.

Handmade :: Hands

2011-11-16T12:55:00.001-05:00

Not long ago I read an interview with Bruce Gordon, one of the elder statesmen of the handmade bicycle community, and one thought has stuck with me. I don't remember his quote word for word, but he said something to the effect that most people in America today don't interact on a regular basis with anyone that actually makes something with their hands.

With this in mind, I was going through the many great photos shot by Chris Milliman during his recent visit with us, and the hands really stuck out.

How many people did you interact with today that use their hands to make something?

Cheers,

G.

Falling Leaves :: Random Musings

2011-10-15T14:45:00.000-04:00

Hey there folks. My apologies for the infrequent content here over the past few months. Suffice it to say that we have been busy settling into our new home and singularly focused on digging out from under the back log that we created during our move.

This past week has been an interesting one in that several experiences have caused me to pause and reflect a bit on why all of the hard work and challenges associated with this move have been worth it.

Riding to the shop on Monday morning, I had one of those moments that you just know at the time is going to be burned into that scarce permanent storage space that we all have in our brains. You know, those few memories that you have that are still lucid years later. Riding through the falling leaves in that morning light that is so unique to New England in the Fall, I just smiled.

Later in the day, walking to the Post Office with two frame-sets heading off to Taiwan, I just smiled again. I thought to myself, how cool is it to be walking down the main street of a proud old mill town, bringing something that we made here to be shipped to Taiwan? Even better that Thelma, the lady behind the counter, knows your name, and Tony, the Postmaster, comes out to say hello and thank us again for coming to town.

Little things. Small things. But it is the human scale that we've lost so much of, and the things that make all the difficult stuff worthwhile.

So, what about those bikes? Well, we've been putting out some incredibly nice ones, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, in our efforts to get them out the door to customers that have been more than patiently waiting for them, we've been remiss in documenting and sharing them.

To try and make up for that, Chris Milliman will be in the house next week to lend his keen eye and sharp lens to the cause. He'll be shooting bikes, people and place, so stay tuned. If you haven't heard of Chris, then you haven't been paying attention to the photo credits in just about any cycling magazine out there. He's a fellow Granite State resident, so we are psyched to have him ply his craft with us.

In the meantime, here's some random stuff that has been collecting on my iPhone.

Chris, placing the first Newmarket mill tower decal on a frame:

Filigreed fenders, to match each end of a fade:

Shawn inside the custom green and yellow welding fun house:

Torch-rific...

Tuesday night burger ride. Do the miles, earn the meal:

Everyone should have their own custom bar stools. Ours were made by Jonathan Rummel at Hand Forged Iron Works:

A comfy place to sit and watch TV, or read a magazine. I'll be there watching la classica delle foglie morte (Giro di Lombardia) today.

What a difference...

Stop by and say hello:

Happy falling leaves, and smiles with your miles,

G.

Meet The Neighbors: Part 4

2011-09-16T17:44:00.004-04:00

Today's neighbor in our MTN series is Get The Scoop, Main Street's very own creperie, smoothie, and ice cream bar. Here you can satisfy your cravings with a great selection of breakfast, lunch, and dinner crepes. It's also the perfect spot to bring a date and share a banana split (made from Portsmouth's own Annabelle's Ice Cream). Friendly service, delicious sweets, and old cartoons are always at Get The Scoop. You'll love it! Kick back, have a banana nutella crepe (my favorite, but they're all awesome) and watch old episodes of Popeye.

Neighbor: Get The Scoop (80 Main Street).

Type of business: Creperie, Smoothies, Ice Cream

Years Running: 3

Name: Laura Martin

How did you get into this line of work? I have always been in the service business, whether it be at a restaurant, as a banquet server, or bar tending. I wanted to specialize in crepes, and the space was available, so my fiance and I grabbed it!

Something special your business does (weekly/monthly events, community service, etc.): We offer all-you-can-eat sweet crepes for $5 Monday-Friday, and we also donate to a few local programs.

What's your favorite thing about Newmarket? The people here are great! It's a very unique community.

If you could add any type of business to Main Street, what would you choose? I'd welcome anything special that would entice folks from out of town to shop here. I think the Mill renovations will eventually do a good job at this.

You find a genie's lamp and he grants you 1 wish. What do you wish for? Kitchen renovations would be great!

Describe or draw your dream bicycle: I'd love some sort of 3-person tandem bicycle so that my family could ride together!

I couldn't help asking Laura what the record was for the most crepes eaten in one sitting of all-you-can-eat crepes. The number is 9. Think you can beat it? Head to Get The Scoop and give it a go! Make sure you show up with plenty of room in your stomach (and maybe some room in your day for a nap too).

-Ryan

Meet The Neighbors: Part 3

2011-08-26T10:07:00.007-04:00

Hello all. As you may have noticed, we took a few Fridays off from our MTN posts. We've been putting all of our energy into your bicycles, and I have to say, they look better than ever. The new facility and equipment are truly helping us make a good thing great.

One place in particular that has fueled a lot of solid work days at IF is The Big Bean Cafe. "The Bean", as it's called around here, has a warm, comforting atmosphere, with a counter to pull up to, as well as both indoor and outdoor tables. Their daily menu is jam packed with mouth-watering dishes, and they always have creative new items on their specials list (with even more creative names...a few weeks ago, each special was named after a character from Ron Howard's 1988 classic, Willow). The Big Bean provides three great things: breakfast, lunch, and fantastic service. You could almost blindly order anything on the menu and be completely happy with not only the taste, but also how quickly it's prepared and served. My go-to lunch order is their triple decker turkey club sandwich; and in the morning I love The Bean's breakfast pizza. Yes, you read that correctly: breakfast pizza. So awesome!

The Bean is co-owned by Jack O'Sullivan and Sarah Howard. Sarah's on maternity leave, so Jack was kind enough to do a quick solo interview.

Neighbor: The Big Bean Cafe & Bakery (118 Main Street).

Type of business: Breakfast/Lunch cafe

Years Running: 5 years with us (Jack/Sarah), and 17 years total

Name: Jack O'Sullivan

How did you get into this line of work? My partner and I have always worked in restaurants. We saw The Bean for sale in 2006, and jumped at the chance to buy it!

Something special your business does (weekly/monthly events, community service, etc.): At The Bean, we love creating inspiring new dishes, and trying new and different food items in our recipes. We also take pride in composting, and above all else, hard work.

What's your favorite thing about Newmarket? The size. It's small, but not too small. There's always something going on here, and the size really creates a sense of community.

If you could add any type of business to Main Street, what would you choose? Well, the Lamprey River runs directly through Newmarket, right behind the Mills. It would be cool to have water recreation rentals.

You find a genie's lamp and he grants you 1 wish. What do you wish for? C'mon, that's silly. I'd wish to not have any wishes.

Do you own a bicycle? If so, what kind? Currently, no. I live in town and it's easy to walk most places.

Describe or draw your dream bicycle:

From the above photo it's clear that Jack is not an artist (in the traditional sense), but put the man in a kitchen or behind a grill and he's in a category all his own. Stop by The Big Bean Cafe today and see, better yet taste for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

-Ryan

Doing Well and Doing Good :: D2R2 Raffle Frame

2011-08-14T13:00:00.009-04:00

It's a pretty simple thing, society is better off when we help each other out.

Good folks like Sandy Whittlesey and the entire crew at the Franklin Land Trust set a standard for us all to follow. They work hard every day to preserve the land and rich heritage of Franklin County in Northwestern Massachusetts.

That Sandy is an avid cyclist and decided to marry his love of cycling with FLT's mission by creating the Deerfield to Deerfield Dirt Road Randonnee is a gift to all of us. D2R2 as it is called, is a benefit bike ride through some of the most scenic and rugged back roads in New England.

I struck up a conversation with Sandy after the ride last year about what constitutes the perfect bike for a ride like D2R2. I also suggested that if we could come up with a frame design that we were satisfied with, that we should raffle off a custom build to help raise money and awareness for the Franklin Land Trust.

Here's what Sandy has to say about the frame that we jointly developed and displayed earlier this year at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show:

"The raffle frame is designed specifically for the bumpy back roads and dirt roads of Franklin County. It looks like a racing bike, but there is clearance for slightly larger tires and fenders, and the design is lower to the ground for stability. The rear of the frame is designed to flex over bumps in the road. This is not a superlight racing bike any more than it is a heavy touring bike - it is, literally, the best conceivable design for a ride on the very roads we have here. And, the best part, it comes with FLT artwork! This is just the second frame ever built like this, a collector's item."

She's resplendent in British Racing Green and Vanilla Shake panels, although you could choose a different color combination if you are the winner. We all win when we have beautiful places to ride, so please take a moment to click through here and help out the Franklin Land Trust by entering the raffle.

Better yet, register for the ride itself, and purchase raffle tickets at the same time here.

Hope to see you in a few weeks out on the back roads of Franklin County doing well and doing good.

Cheers,

55 Main Street :: Coming Together

2011-08-08T12:42:00.020-04:00

We're getting settled into our new home, working out the kinks and building bikes again. It's been a long time coming, so here are a few pictures of the space.

First up is the showroom space. As I type, Jonathan Rummel of Hand Forged Iron Works is hanging his custom bike holders on the posts.

This is the "tree" that Jonathan built to hold bags and other merchandise.

From the showroom you can look through windows (actually the old windows that we replaced on the outside of the building) and see bikes being made on one side, and bags being made on the other side.

These are shots of the tacking and welding area. Its nice to have all of the big windows to let the light and breeze in, but it's not ideal for TIG welding, so we have some new custom curtains on order for the welding cells, kind of like what you'd find in a hospital room on tracks suspended from the ceiling. It'll let us open the area up when we want, and protect the welding when necessary.

Next up is our new paint booth. Chris just can't stop saying, "this thing is amazing". It is amazing; down draft, heated make up air, bake cycle, fully programmable logic controllers, integrated mixing room, and oh yeah, it's white and bright.

You couldn't make a painter any more happy.

Unless of course, you also add in an extremely well lit and clean prep area...

On the happiness note, it was extremely important to me that our new home reflect a real team spirit, so that meant adding employee amenities like a well equipped break room, lockers and clean showers.

We've got a ways to go to get everything dialed in and ready for a grand opening over Labor Day Weekend, so stay tuned. In the meantime, if you find yourself in 03857, stop in and check out the new place.

Cheers,

Meet The Neighbors: Part 2

2011-08-05T14:20:00.005-04:00

This week's neighbor in our MTN series is Panzanella's, a local (and very delicious) pizzeria. Almost directly across the street from our new location here in Newmarket, Panzanella's is the perfect spot to grab a quick afternoon slice (or 2. You'll definitely want another). Feel free to get creative; they'll add any topping(s) you like to a single slice. My personal favorite is fresh green pepper and grilled chicken. Can't beat it! At Panzanella's you'll enjoy simple, classic Italian food, paired with fast and friendly service. I was impressed by their extensive menu selection, and it took close to 15 minutes for me to decide on a pasta dish for lunch today. After much debate, I kept it simple and had their stuffed shells. Served up with plenty of garlic bread and a generous helping of red sauce for dipping, it was just like Grandma used to make. Manga!

Neighbor: Panzanella's Italian Pizzeria and Restaurant (72 Main Street).

Type of business: Italian-American pizzeria

Years running: 10

Owner: Jared Ernest Woodman Sr.

How did you get into this line of work? I began working as a dishwasher at another pizzeria when I was 12 years old. Over the course of 8 years, I went from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the barrel. I knew I could do it myself, so I did!

Something special your business does (weekly/monthly events, community service, etc.): We sponsor local youth sports teams and donate to many local organizations, on top of providing top notch service to our many loyal customers.

What's your favorite thing about Newmarket? I'd have to say the restoration of the Newmarket Mills. I like what it's doing for business, and it's doing wonders for the downtown landscape.

If you could add any type of business to Main Street, what would you choose? Easy. I'd choose a single screen movie theater that plays classic movies like My Cousin Vinny.

You find a genie's lamp and he grants you 1 wish. What do you wish for? I would wish for my son to make it into the NBA.

Do you own a bicycle? If so, what kind? Yes, I do own a bicycle. It's a Schwinn. My wife and I love to go for rides together around our home town. I pop wheelies!

Describe or draw your dream bicycle:

J-Rad is awesome and he runs a solid pizza place. But don't take my word for it. Go there! Grab a few slices by yourself or enjoy a good meal with your friends or family. You'll leave satisfied and smiling.

Breakfast fans: tune in next week!

-Ryan

Meet The Neighbors: Part 1

2011-07-29T14:03:00.009-04:00

Greetings! There's lots happening here in Newmarket, NH. We're still slightly under construction and getting settled into our new space (It's beautiful!). So far everything is far exceeding our expectations. I'm in love with the big windows and exposed brick in my office area. The riding here is great and the people are extra friendly.

They're so friendly in fact that I've decided to introduce you to a few of our new friends in town. Each Friday I'll be posting to the IF blog for a series called "Meet The Neighbors". Here I'll be sharing with you the people and places that make Newmarket such a fantastic town to live and work in. I made up a short list of questions to get you better acquainted with each of our neighbors. So read on, and come back each Friday. You'll feel like a local in no time.

Our first neighbor in the MTN series is Crackskull's, a local coffee and used book store. What can I say? Great coffee, fresh baked pastries, good music (masters of Pandora radio), all in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Between the delicious coffee and the always cheery/adorable baristas, it didn't take long for me to become a regular at Crackskull's. My go-to morning order is a large banana hazelnut iced coffee and an everything bagel. I also highly recommend their house brewed iced peach tea. Superb!

Neighbor: Crackskull's Coffee & Books. (86. Main Street).

Type of business: Used books and coffee.

Years running: Almost 11.

Owner: Michelle Graves

How did you get into this line of work? I was working at a brokerage firm, and I saw the shop for sale online. It was always my teenage dream (it was the 90's) to own a coffee shop...so I went for it!

Something special your business does (weekly/monthly events, community service, etc.): Aside from free counseling? We host a monthly open mic night and a monthly game night. Currently looking to start a chess night...and later a movie night.

What's your favorite thing about Newmarket? Newmarket's sense of community is one that I've never experienced before. Neighbors helping neighbors, people supporting each other's causes...all that jazz. It's wonderful.

If you could add any type of business to Main Street, what would you choose? Definitely BURRITOS :) Newmarket has been waiting for a burrito shack for years...yummmm.

You find a genie's lamp and he grants you 1 wish. What do you wish for? Seriously? This is tough...probably to open a second Crackskull's...in Paris...with a tattoo shop in the back.

Do you own a bicycle? If so, what kind? Unfortunately no. I was born with the balance of a child on stilts. Do they make tricycles for adults?

Describe or draw your dream bicycle:

Crackskull's is ace! Come for the coffee, stay for the atmosphere (,come back for the coffee). Pizza fans, tune in next Friday!

-Ryan

Cycling Across America :: V2.0 18 Years Later

2011-07-09T09:22:00.004-04:00

New York Times reporter Bruce Weber on his new custom IF that he will be riding across the country. His bike was fit and built up by Andrew Crooks and the team at NYC Velo.

Bruce first rode a bicycle across America 18 years ago and is setting out to do it all over again. Read his story here and follow his progress on the links inside the NYT article.

Godspeed Bruce!

On the Move :: Dark Side of the Moon

2011-07-04T08:48:00.014-04:00

Happy Birthday America, and wishing you all a great 4th of July full of bikes, barbeque, family, friends, and sun.

We are now officially on the move, and have entered the zone where we are between factories... a bit like being on the dark side of the moon.

Our equipment has been picked up by the amazing folks at Cote Riggers. These guys were a pro act, operating like a precision machine. They came in and picked up our heavy equipment and placed it on their trucks like it was no big deal. Here's a video of their loaded trucks departing:

It turns out that the heavy equipment was the easiest part of this stage of the move. Sorting, packing and cleaning out 16 years worth of accumulated stuff was a far more challenging job. The crew worked non-stop to get it done. Along the way we hosted a "give-away" of excess materials and equipment for our friends in the local frame building community. Marty at Geekhouse did a nice shout out blog post here.

Despite giving away as much as we could, we still ended up filling two 30 foot roll-offs with scrap metal and equipment, not to mention having our normal dumpster tipped daily throughout the week.

Chris and Brian came up from Circle A to dismantle our old Binks spray booth and haul it back to their shop over the course of two days. It was a dirty and hard job performed by two of the nicest guys in the business, and it feels good to know that they will put the booth to good use painting many more frames in the years to come.

After we closed the door on the last load in the box truck, we took one final look around the old shop and said our goodbyes.

I'm incredibly proud of the team. They worked extremely hard to pull off an epic task, even after the paint and shipping crew had worked for the past 25 days straight, doing their best to complete as many orders as possible before we shut down to move.

After some much needed rest over the holiday weekend, we'll be working hard to get our new home set up and running.

We'll be dark for the next few days as we get our phone and computer systems up and running on 55 Main Street in Newmarket, so please be patient with us.

Cheers,

Studio Velo Mill Valley California :: PicFest

2011-06-11T07:20:00.014-04:00

Studio Velo in Mill Valley California is one of our best dealers. Scott, Colin and Chris are great representatives of IF given both their passion for, and participation in, the sport. They provide unrivaled customer service and fitting skills, contribute to the community, and they design some fine looking bikes.

Scott recently sent me a link to a Picassa photo gallery that features some of their complete builds, including a few of their personal rides. It's full of serious bike sweetness, and here is just a sampling.

Titanium Factory Lightweight:

Steel Factory Lightweight:

Titanium Deluxe 29er:

A Belgian flag paneled steel Planet X:

Di2 equipped XS:

SSR with polished panels:

Scott's personal Planet X with disc brakes and S&S couplers that he rode across Cuba:

There's lots more to ogle in the complete Picassa album here.

Thanks Scott, Colin and Chris for doing what you do... you make us look good.

Cheers,

G.

Good Wood :: Salmon Falls Woodworks

2011-06-05T17:11:00.007-04:00

I made a field trip late last week to visit Fred Loucks at his Salmon Falls Woodworks shop to see a number of the pieces that his crew is working on for our new facility.
He's got an amazing shop, full of every kind of modern and traditional wood working tool that you could imagine. Among the many things that he is working on for us is the 24 linear foot curved bar that will be the centerpiece of our showroom.
Our build station and service area will be behind the bar, and the top will feature built in windows to showcase our favorite components.

My personal favorite is the way that Fred is incorporating our logo into the doors of our custom team lockers. The lockers will be pro-sports style (see the example below) with a large open area topped by lockable cabinets. He is CNC routing our logo into the cabinet doors to provide ventilation. Pretty trick.

Some might think that its silly to spend so much time and resource on stuff like a bar for folks to simply hang out at and pro-style team lockers.

I say nay... one of the most compelling reasons to move out of the hood is to be in a place where we can actually make the audio match the video of our brand.

The locker room and other employee amenities are there to acknowledge that our folks are in fact pros, and part of a very special team. We've rebuilt much of our team over the past six months as a necessary part of this move, with some skilled veterans coming back to IF and some fresh young talent signing on. As a result, the clubhouse atmosphere is vastly improved.

We want our new home to be a welcoming place where folks can come in, pull up a seat in the metaphorical kitchen and watch us bake cookies. Folks like Fred and his crew at Salmon Falls Woodworks are helping us set the table.

We look forward to hosting you in our new digs.

Part of the Game :: Of the Space

2011-05-24T07:07:00.013-04:00

This past weekend saw us load up the team van and make the drive down to the velodrome in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania; the starting, and Rouxbaix-style finishing point, for this year's northeast edition of Rapha's annual Gentlemen's Race.

This is an unsanctioned, team oriented affair, that represents all that is good about our crazy love affair with bicycles. Teams of six depart in a staggered time format based on self-declared skill level, and follow a course designed for maximum joy and suffering (I know, those two are stark opposites, but this being Rapha and all, it is about enduring a "suffer-fest" that will be declared "epic" once the post ride beer flows and the pain subsides).

This year's 214 kilometer course (gotta use kilometers because it sounds more Euro-pro) was cooked up by Bill Strickland and his evil minions at Bicycling Magazine, possessors of all the local road beta given their offices in nearby Emmaus.

What's special about this event is that it is a race without being a race, a group ride without being a group ride, and a general celebration of all that is good about the little corner of the business and sporting world that we play in. Your team time only counts if all six finish. No Thunderdome here, all six enter, and all six must finish.

The 21 teams that participated this year represented all facets of our sport. There were the serious contenders who treat this as a real race, and there are the teams that acknowledge up front their lack of contention and aim to have fun and compete within themselves (visualize the team on tandems).

We fell somewhere in between. Therein lies my personal dilemma, and the missive that follows.

Obviously the key to this type of race/ride, which is essentially a team time trial, is to strike the right balance between the strengths and weaknesses within the team, and work together to get the best net result out of the collective.

It's more complex than "you're not going any faster than the slowest person", but more about how do you get the slowest person to go faster than they otherwise could on their own. It's also about getting the fastest people on the team to be selfless and ride in support of the team as a whole.

My experience in last year's edition of this race, held in beautiful Northwest Connecticut, was, in a word, awful. The "team" was a total failure from the get go, complete with the "slow person with bad attitude", to the "fast person riding off the front" (and making wrong turns), culminating with an individual that had been off the back all day, riding off on his own to the finish and denying us the final dignity of at least riding across the finish line as a complete team.

So, needless to say, I put together a new team this year with a bit of trepidation, and found myself looking for excuses to not do the ride as the date approached. Aside from last year's poor team dynamic, I was also pretty certain that this year I would be the slowest person on the team.

We've all been there, and no one enjoys it. We call it the slow-man's curse. You catch up to the waiting group and they are ready to roll, tired of waiting, but you need a break. The cumulative physical effect of this scenario begins to further break you down, but is not nearly as destructive as the mental toll of riding solo off the back, left with nothing but your own thoughts of what a burden you are to your team.

And so it was, that we lined up on Saturday morning at our prescribed start time. Alongside me were Brian and Ron from our shop, and three dealers. Nathan and Colin from Wheelworks in Boston, and Scott all the way from StudioVelo in California. Ironically, Scott was the only one that I'd ever ridden with before.

We set off, and quickly settled into a nice rhythm. The weather was perfect, the scenery sublime, and the team dynamic was fantastic. It was clear from the start that this crew, despite never having ridden together before, all knew how to ride in a tight pace line and make the best use of the team as a whole.

A new twist to this year's race was the lack of prominent marking on the course, and the sheer volume of turns, placing a real premium on effective navigation. Our team fell into a nice balance of folks watching for markers and folks calling out directions from the queue sheets and monitoring mileage.

We were making steady progress, managing to pass two teams that had started ahead of us and only making two minor navigational errors in the first twenty or so miles. A few steep climbs in those early miles also let it settle in that this would be a very long day in the saddle and the key would be a steady pace and attention to hydration and nutrition.

As we settled into the first steep, sustained climb of the day, my stressing about being the slow man was realized when Scott pulled up behind me and began to push me by the small of my back. At first I was embarrassed, and a bit indignant to myself about needing to be pushed this early in the game to keep the team together on the long climbs, but it made me pedal harder, and I also realized that I'd be able to make my contribution to the team effort by pulling on the more gentle rollers.

Before we departed, the race organizers had warned us of an abrupt T-intersection at the bottom of a very steep descent about 25 miles in, so as that mileage approached, we reminded ourselves to be a bit more cautious. No sooner had someone called out such a warning as we were bombing the descent did I find myself coming into a sharp right hander a bit too hot and too high. My rear wheel lost grip on the wet pavement and began to slide out from under me.

This is where it gets surreal. Time does indeed slow down. Your built in defense mechanisms kick in, and you become incredibly focused on the simple act of surviving whatever threat is in front of you. So focused in my case, that I did not even hear my own tire blow, yet all of my team mates did along with a lady working in her yard who heard it and came running.

Micro-seconds turned into virtual minutes in my brain, and all I really recall is an intense calm taking over... an involuntary relaxation in a moment of pure panic. The next thing I know I am on the ground, not really having felt the actual impact. I remained in my own head long enough to realize that I was in fact alive, and that all major components seemed to be functional.

As I came outside of my own thoughts and my brain was trying to spool back up to real time, I couldn't process everything. A woman in an SUV pulled up alongside me in the road and asked if I needed help. It seems ungracious now, but I don't think that I responded. I was trying to assess my physical damage and could vaguely make out someone walking down a driveway to my left and asking if we needed a pump or any tools. All I wanted to do was try and stand up, and as soon as I did, all I wanted to do was sit down.

As those first few post crash moments passed, I was overwhelmed by the sense that I had let my team down. It was clear to me that something was broken in my right hand or wrist, my wheel was tacoed, and there was no way that I was continuing to ride. Just 25 miles in and I was careless enough to over-cook a corner on a steep descent that we had been warned about.

The call was made for help, and all I could do was walk down the rest of the hill and try to act stoic. When we got to the bottom of the hill, teams that were behind us were now coming through, and a photographer for the event had pulled up. I desperately wanted to sit down, but there was no place that seemed appropriate. Brian, you've got to love him, had straightened out my wheel against a tree and replaced the tire. He suggested that, although far from true, it would work in the wider clearance of his CX bike, and that if I wanted to continue we could swap wheels.

I must have seemed less shattered than I was, because there was no way that I was capable of riding a bike. I told the team to carry on without me and apologized for being so careless.

Soon enough a volunteer driven van was dispatched to fetch me and my bike. Jed, the driver, was from Philly and a most gracious guy. As I got in his minivan and tried to avoid getting blood on his seat, I took my helmet off. When I did, a bunch of debris fell out of it all over the interior of his van. I apologized and did my best to clean it up, and then it occurred to me that I had hit my head in the crash.

I turned the helmet over and sure enough, it had a deep compression on the right side and broken ribs inside. I then flipped down the van's visor and looked in the mirror to find bruises on my head from the impact of the helmet. It's hard to say for sure, but it appears that I did a head plant, and then flipped onto my right side and back.

Either way, and all cliches aside, my helmet certainly saved me from far more serious injuries. Its not worth the electrons on the web to even debate the merit of wearing a helmet. There's nothing "pro" or cool about riding without one.

Jed dropped me off back at the velodrome, and helped me load my bike into my van. I stumbled into the showers and proceeded to inflict massive amounts of self-torture as I cleaned out all of my road rash in the hot shower. The good thing is that the pain of that act masked all of the other damage that I'd have the joy of discovering later.

When I got out of the shower I asked a few folks sitting in the courtyard of the track for directions to the hospital. A little boy on his bike pulled up and was staring at my bleeding arm and leg. When I looked down at him he wasn't wearing a helmet. I asked him where his parents were, and he said they were on the track. I then asked him where his helmet was, and he said that he forgot it. My present context aside, it's just hard to fathom that his parents would think that its OK for him to ride around the concrete courtyard without a helmet while they got in their track time.

I drove myself to the hospital, and won't bore you with the details, but suffice it to say that the folks at the Lehigh Valley Medical Center were very nice, and the physician's assistant that treated me, Marci, happened to be a biker, so she understood.

Understood that it is part of the game. It is going to happen eventually. It is not a matter of if, but only a matter of when.

If you are like me, and you've been fortunate enough to ride many years and many miles without going down at speed, then you get to the point where you think that it only happens to the pros on TV, or folks who are not the gifted bike handler that you begin to think that you are.

All it takes is one small lapse of attention and in the blink of an eye you are down. There are a million little things that could cause it... stressing about being the slow man, the lack of sleep the night before, the cool car in the driveway that catches your eye... the list is endless. All it does is underscore the fine line that separates the joy of our sport from the reality of how fragile you are sitting atop a lightweight machine in what amounts to little more than underwear at speeds normally reserved for internal combustion.

Hemingway once said "there are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games". Macho crap aside, if his common denominator was the high probability of real bodily injury, or even death, then he left out cycling.

So what of it? I've had plenty of time these past few days to reflect on it all. All of my initial stress about letting my team down was for naught. We never really had much of a chance for the "win", and they all rode on to the finish and had a great day. Scott even made it back to Philly in time for his grand-mother's 90th birthday party. My crash saved me, and them, from being the slow man.

My cuts and bruises are already healing, but the fractured hand will keep me off the bike for six weeks or so. The worst is the badly bruised ass. Trust me, you don't want a damaged ass. It's connected to more than you realize, and walking around like an old man carrying a pillow to sit on makes you feel... well, like an old man.

I guess on some level I am old, a thought that has weighed heavy on me of late. I had at least a decade on everyone on my team, and most likely on just about everyone else in the event. Add to age the familiar litany of excuses about the demands of fatherhood, home, multiple business ownership, etc., and it becomes too easy to rationalize away the need to stay on the edge.

To the notion of giving in to age and so-called "adult" responsibilities, I say, "screw that".

In my career in the outdoor and bike industries I've observed two types of folks: those that are in the space, and those that are of the space. Those that are in the space are there because at one point they may have been active participants in the sport, or they may have just been intrigued by the equipment or allure of the sport overall, but for these folks it is just the way that they make their living, not the way that they live their life.

Those that are truly of the space are a different breed, and I would argue more successful for it. They are there because it is the way they choose to live their life, and the making a living part is a gift with purchase... the marriage of passion with purpose.

I may have reached the point where more often than not I am going to be the slow man, but I refuse to give up and just be in the space. If I don't actively participate, meaning if I don't actually ride, and try to ride as hard as I can, then I am not truly of the space. My purpose will lack passion, and I might as well go do something more lucrative.

And so, I will get back on the bike as soon as I can, albeit with a new helmet, and still unwilling to accept my role as the slow man.

Ride safe.

tiFLW :: Customer Builds

2011-05-12T08:52:00.000-04:00

We have been delivering the first of our new titanium Factory Light Weight frame-sets over the past few months, and since we don't get to see many of them in their fully built up state, I thought I'd share links to a few blog posts featuring them complete.

First up is a stunning silver and white edition from Canton Velo. This is one of the best paint combinations yet IMO.

One Window :: A New Beginning

2011-05-10T17:44:00.005-04:00

Some of you may have heard about our upcoming move, 58 miles north, to Newmarket, New Hampshire.

This will be the first of many installments describing the transformation of the old textile mill on the Lamprey River that will become our new home.

I could go on and on about all of the reasons why we need to move, but there has been enough chatter about that in the press and on the interwebs... very little of it having any grounding in reality.

All of that polemic aside, the coolest thing about this... full stop... is to be part of bringing life back to what was once a vibrant place of manufacturing jobs.

The window above is the "model" that was installed in advance of all the others in order to gain approval from the historic commission overseeing the old mill's transformation. It's just one of many to come, but exciting to see in the context of what will be, and an apt metaphor for our new outlook.

This is a shot of some of our manufacturing space before it was stripped down to the bare wood and brick.

The shot below is after the sand-blasting and just after the new lightweight, reinforced concrete floors were poured.
The floors have since been stained and polished, and the crews are in framing up the walls for the locker room, break room, photo studio, office area, showroom, etc..

Each day now something new takes shape, and it is really gratifying to work with such a fine group of folks led by Chinburg Builders, the developer/builder for the entire project.

Just yesterday, Dave and Rob from Spray Booth Services were in laying out our new down-draft paint system, built in the USA by Garmat.

Its also funny how bike people have a habit of finding other bike people, and we've been fortunate to connect with some amazing crafts-people who also share a passion for bikes.

Fred Loukes of Salmon Falls Woodworks, an avid roadie, is making a 24 linear foot bar/service area out of Leeds certified materials and recycled steel, along with our custom lockers and tables.

Jonathan Rummel, of Hand Forged Works, an avid MTB'er, is hand-forging fixtures and racks out of new and re-purposed metals.

Now that things are really starting to come together, we're getting excited, and look forward to sharing progress with you over the coming weeks.

Need For Speed :: Steel Speed, that is...

2011-05-05T06:42:00.002-04:00

Just got this from the good folks at Trophy Bikes who somehow think that steel is still relevant enough to have a dedicated TT race category. We, of course, know that it is not just crazy talk, since we love us some steel bike goodness.

There has to be some of the IF faithful out there in the greater Philly/tri-state area that can show up and represent at what sounds like a great event.

News from Trophy Bikes and Tri-State Velo Club

CONTACT:

Michael McGettigan Trophy Bikes cell 215.990.9275 (not for publication) michaelmcgettigan@mac.com

Ron Ruggerio Tri-State Velo Club tri-statevelo@verizon.net

SHOW YOUR METAL in the Steel/Vintage Class Time Trial

The 2011 Philadelphia Amateur Time Trials, June 4^th

Presented by the Pro Cycling Tour and Hosted by Tri-State Velo Club

The region’s largest cycling time trial has added something new—and old—a class exclusively for steel bicycles, both new and vintage.

The “Steel/Vintage” class is sponsored by Trophy Bikes and will be restricted to bikes made of steel—including the fork. That’s right: no aluminum, no titanium, and none of that new-fangled carbon fiber. But don’t be surprised to see some brand-new machines at this event. For many independent bike crafters, steel remains the best material for making frames.

“With the resurgence of steel as the material of choice for many top American frame builders, the time seems right to showcase the steel racing bike,” says Trophy Bikes’ Michael McGettigan. “Steel bikes can be light—that’s a fact. Steel still rivals any other material for ease of construction. Of course, steel has been under development for more than 150 years—it’s no surprise that it still offers advantages that carbon fiber and aluminum can’t match.”

McGettigan says he expects to see plenty of classic machines from the 1970s and ’80s—and maybe even a few from the 1890s—when the first lightweight steel racers were already appearing. Thousands of vintage racing machines are still being loved and used every day by their owners, even if they own carbon fiber bikes for racing.

Grand Prize—a handcrafted steel fork from Bilenky Cycle Works.

For Steve Bilenky, owner of Philadelphia’s legendary Bilenky Cycle Works, steel is a favorite as well. Bilenky will be making the grand prize for the time trial’s top male and female finishers. Each will get a handmade steel fork.

The rules for the Steel/Vintage class are simple: the entire bike frame and fork must be steel. No carbon fiber on the bike. Aero components aren’t banned, but riders are asked to honor the spirit of the competition by using parts appropriate to their bike.

On race day, McGettigan and company will be on hand to ensure that the bikes entered in the steel class are really made of that material. “It’s pretty simple,” says McGettigan. “We’re bringing a magnet.”

For more information, go to www.tristatevelo.com

To enter: www.bikereg.com Bilenky Cycle Works: www.bilenky.com

Background

Trophy Bikes est’d 1998. Two stores: University City 3131 Walnut Street, and Northern Liberties 1040 North American St.

Brands include:

Jamis. Surly. Brompton. Waterford. Independent Fabrication. Marin. Gunnar.

L'enfer du nord

2011-04-21T07:39:00.024-04:00

Paris-Roubaix is the race that got me interested in cycling. Ever since I first saw it on television back in 1987 with commentary by John Tesh. Now don't get me wrong, I love the Giro and the Tour, but Paris-Roubaix is my favorite hands down. Fast forward 24 years and a bunch of miles later, I finally got my wish. My good friend Dan Farrand got the idea planted in my head and I couldn't say no.

For those who don't know, northern France is SUPER flat, fast and smooth roads as far as the eye can see. That is of course until you hit the cobbles. The first section I rode was Wallers/Arenberg. When I finally stopped and took a look around, I couldn't believe that I'd made it here. All the memories of races I've watched over the years comes right back. After taking a bunch of pictures, I was ready to ride. The road leading up to the forest is flat, straight and fast. But once you hit the cobbles everything goes downhill fast.

The only way I could describe it would be to imagine yourself riding over land mines and your handlebar is red hot and hard to hold. After about 300 yards I stopped with fear that I was going to crash. My hands already had blisters the size of silver dollars. After about 5 minutes I made it to the end with my teeth intact.

The day of the race is like no other. Locals are already dressed up with flags flying by 8 am. You pretty much have only one section to watch the race and since Arenberg is our favorite, that's where we went. As we were waiting, a reporter and camera man interviewed me for Belgian TV (which we saw later that night).

My friends and I could maintain about 15-20 mph through the cobbles. The pros on the other hand were going at least 25-30. You could tell when they were approaching by the roar of the helicopters, motorcycles, support cars and of course the fans.

The ghost train has arrived.

L to R; Me, James Mason, Dan Farrand, Andy Mason

On Monday we decided to head up to the Roubaix velodrome and check it out. One word, impressive. The track is so smooth and the banks are STEEP. This is the last year that the race will end on the original track. Next year, it will finish in the new one which is being built just a stones throw from the old one.

About 50 paces from the track is the office/museum for the track/race. Since this is northern France and Belgium is not too far away, it only makes sense to have a bar inside. Above it are listed all of the riders who won over the years.

No matter what you see on tv, real pave is 1000X harder than it looks. I guess that's why I have more respect for the riders who focus on the classics instead of one race. They turn themselves inside out on the worst roads and weather. The one with the best handling skills wins, it's that simple.

-Ronaldinho

Ps. go see this race in person.

Thanks Adam! :: Go Bruins!

2011-04-20T08:31:00.009-04:00

Ever been in one of those situations where you're up to your eyeballs, you don't know what you're going to do, and then someone comes along and extends a hand?

I think we've all been there, and as the song says, we get by with a little help from our friends. I consider myself very fortunate to have had the helping hand of Adam Deemer over the past few months.

Adam is off to New Mexico to start a new adventure with his family, and we will miss his mad mechanic skills, willingness to do any crappy job that needs to get done, and most important, his enthusiasm and love of all things bike.

The best thing that we could do to show our appreciation to Adam was to help him build his dream bike, which had to be done in Boston Bruins livery. I was hoping to get this shot properly in our studio, but it hasn't stood still long enough, so here are a few snaps from the build stand and a link to a recent Bike Rumor outing of Adam's new ride:

Adam, best of luck to you and your family in New Mexico and many, many thanks for your support.

Go Bruins!

TiFLW :: Cycling Weekly Review

2011-04-01T19:31:00.013-04:00

Our good friends at Mosquito Bikes in London have been introducing our Sprout Green Titanium Factory Lightweight to the press since showing it off at the London Bicycle Show back in January (excuse the cell phone pic, there are some great detail shots in the online article linked below).

Cycling Weekly recently did an online preview and then a print review after throwing a leg over it.

We set out to make a modern metal (mostly) race bike in the same spirit as the muscle cars that came out of Detroit in the late 60's and early 70's (e.g., everything you need for performance, and nothing extraneous, wrapped in aggressive aesthetics).

Modern in the adoption of standards such as BB30 compatible bottom brackets and head tubes for 44mm in-set head-sets, which provide the platform for large diameter tubing to create an extremely rigid frame-set, yet retaining the sweet ride of titanium.

On the aesthetic front, I've taken some heat for limiting the paint scheme and color options on the TiFLW, and even forgone some orders as a result, but after reading Neil Webb's last line in the print review, "the TiFLW is exceptionally well finished, the bike will fit perfectly, and the paint job itself is worth 20 watts!", I feel justified in taking a firm stance on the bike's aggressive aesthetics.

It's not for everyone, and that is a good thing, worth reflecting on from time to time. We make custom bikes, and that is often over simplified into "we make exactly what the customer wants". While we aspire to exceed customer expectations, we aim to do that within the unique context of what makes an IF an IF. Marketeers can go all buzz-babble about brand DNA and such, but sometimes it's best to just be who you are and let the customer decide if they want to dance with you.

Let's face it, lots of folks can join tubes together and make a decent bike... just look at the expanding list of exhibitors at NAHBS. What separates those that can just make a bike from those that will endure over time is the unique emotional context they create for themselves and their customers.

We are an American brand. No faux Euro nomenclature or heritage rip-offs here. After 16 years in the game, we have our own point of view... we make stuff that gets us excited in the morning.

Sprout Green, Omaha Orange, Velocity Yellow, Barracuda Purple, Boss Blue... good for an extra 20 watts? Not sure about that, but if looks fast and has some attitude, you will be faster.

Let's dance,

Fit Science :: Retul Fit System

2011-03-27T08:12:00.015-04:00

Joining steel, titanium and carbon fiber tubes together to make a bike takes a lot of capability based on sound principles and science. Ensuring that it will properly fit the rider takes knowledge and science as well.

Just as we strive to continuously advance our frame building skills, we've recently taken steps to significantly upgrade our fitting and frame design capability. This upgrade began with bringing Jesse Fox on board to lead our design efforts. Jesse is a certified fitter and has many years of direct fit experience in top stores in NYC, Portland and DC. He has also been through several frame building schools so he can link both fit and fab skills together.

On the science side of the equation, modern technology has advanced to the point where much of the traditional intuition, and all of the guess work, can be taken out of the process. The leader in modern fit systems is the Retul 3D Motion Capture Fit System.

We recently purchased a complete Retul set-up, and Jesse and I spent three days at Retul's Denver fit studio undergoing training and conducting actual fits on paying customers.

The Retul System utilizes light emitting diodes placed on the rider in specific anatomic locations to capture the full range of motion as the rider actually pedals their bike (or a size-cycle).

A bank of cameras captures the light and processes the data through sophisticated software to precisely measure all critical fit parameters in 3D.

When combined with power measurement, traditional physical assessments, and subjective rider input, it provides the most comprehensive and accurate gauge of rider fit and performance potential available anywhere.

The data provided on this comprehensive fit summary is more than sufficient to build a frame design in BikeCAD, which, when taken together with the riders desired ride qualities, will result in a custom build that rides and fits better.

The system is also extremely helpful at dialing in the fit of an existing bike, albeit within the constraints of the existing bike's geometry. Before making changes to the contact points of an existing bike through saddle height, fore/aft adjustments, etc., it is necessary to understand where the rider's contact points are. Traditionally this involved lots of time and manual tape measurement.

Here Jesse is using the Retul Zin tool to electronically capture the exact geometry of an existing customer bike. The system captures all of the bikes measurements to be used in before/after comparisons. This greatly reduces the risk of operator error, especially considering the contoured shapes of modern carbon frames, which make it very difficult to get precise manual measures of existing frame center to center coordinates.

We are excited to be incorporating such an advanced and easy to use tool into our fit process, and look forward to helping customers design their custom dream bike, or better dial in the fit of the their existing bikes.

Jesse and I would like to thank Todd, Ivan and Holly at Retul for being great teachers and partners.

Cyclocross :: Rallycross

2011-03-17T13:18:00.017-04:00

Don’t let the quiet demeanor fool you. Underneath his calm exterior lies a pilot light ready to go off. I first met Kevin over 10 years ago when I was living in Vermont. Since then, he has never been one to stand still. At the time, he had just started working for the Land Rover Driving School in Manchester, Vermont as an assistant driver. With his hustle and driving skills, that quickly turned into a full-time head driver position.

After years of hard work driving all over the world for Land Rover, and with a European commercial under his belt, he joined Team O’Neill Rally School up in northern New Hampshire. Coming from a mountain bike background, it only made sense that Kevin would gravitate towards rally driving.

He and I would always swap weekend racing stories; me, road/track/cross, and Kevin, rally/road/track. When I told him I got a frame building spot at IF, it didn’t take long for him to hound me for a frame. So naturally he bought a Planet Cross. In his words, “Cross racing is just like rally racing.” “You go flat out from the start and try like hell to keep things together!”

So here he is with his new “ride”. We painted the bike just like a rally car, complete with tow hooks and rally race plaques.

Building a frame for one of your best friends is the toughest challenge. But as you can see, it turned out perfectly. Thank you Kevin and much luck on the course!

Ron

NAHBS 2011 :: We win!

2011-03-07T21:37:00.011-05:00

Some folks don't like the awards at NAHBS, but that's just because they didn't win!

Austin was a great venue, made even sweeter by Shawn taking home the cash and prizes for "Best TIG Welded Bike" for our prototype ti Factory Lightweight SS Deluxe.

Awards are handed out in essentially three categories; 1) type (e.g., road, off-road, commuter, track), 2) materials (e.g., steel, carbon, titanium), and 3), construction method (e.g., lugged, fillet brazed, tig-welded).

We've now won in every category, which is very gratifying as it shows our versatility as builders; 2007 for Best Track, 2009 for Best Carbon, and now 2011 for Best Tig Welded.

Here are some more pics of the award winning bike:

The show really is about a rendezvous of folks who share a passion for bikes and the various lifestyles around them.

Not sure what was better, winning the award, or the sweet potato pecan pie that we had for desert after our celebratory dinner.

It was a blast, thanks to Don and Lesley for putting on such a great show, and thanks to all of you who stopped by to say hello and check out our stuff.

Check out all of the NAHBS 2011 award winners here. See you all in Sacramento next year.

NAHBS :: 2011 :: Sneak Peek

2011-02-23T14:32:00.022-05:00

Hey folks, our NAHBS bikes are on the truck southbound to Austin... Godspeed to Mickey and lets hope the Red Bull works.

My philosophy on show bikes is that they call it show business for a reason: you've got to show your stuff, and you have to do some business; meaning that you need to stretch the boundaries of where you've been, and do it in a way that is ultimately commercial. To that end, we try and do new spins on existing models, and fly the freak flag on some things.

Here's a sneak peek, and hope to see many of you in Austin:

First up is a ti Factory Lightweight road bike that is heading to our man Gregorio in the Philippines after the show. It's done in Boss Blue and matte black, wearing an asymmetrical set of Cole tubulars.

Up next is another IF/Rapha XS that will be on display in the Rapha booth along with the other bikes in the Rapha Bicycle Collection. This one is built up with SRAM Red and Mavic's new R-Sys SLRs that feature Exalite coating, a modern, high-tech take on their old ceramic braking surface. They look great in all matte black.

Let's throw in a little dirt to mix it up. Here we have a prototype of a ti Factory Lightweight single speed mountain bike. Chris Rowe and I had a lot of fun going all Chip Foose on this one with the stripes.

Sticking with the dirt theme, we have a steel Club Racer that is designed in collaboration with Sandy Whittlesey, the mad dirt road genius behind D2R2. If you haven't done this ride, sign up now. Similar to last year's SSR to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, we will be raffling off a custom build of this frame-set between now and August to benefit the Franklin Land Trust, the good folks that protect the beautiful scenery in Northwestern Massachusetts where D2R2 is held.

Switching from dirt to mud, we have a brand new all carbon model, the Cross Jester. Shown here in single speed belt drive, featuring Phil Wood's new rear cog for the Gates belt drive system. This cog is a work of machined art, and incorporates White Industries free wheel internals.

Last, but not least, is one near and dear to my heart (literally), since this is for my lovely wife Toni (aka Mix-T). It's the Caffeine Racer, the ultimate weapon when a speedy injection of coffee goodness is required to get through the day. Inspired by the cafe racer movement in motorbikes, this Barracuda Purple and black checkerboard beauty features an 8 speed internal hub, chrome cafe bars, Phil-centric BB, a carbon and aluminum disk brake fork, Paul racer brakes in the rear, a dynamo powered headlight, and of course, a custom painted stainless steel coffee tumbler.

I really have to give a big shout out for the crew, they've done an amazing job bringing this all together, and I couldn't be more fortunate than to work with such a great group of dedicated and fun people. Thank you Shawn, Keith, Ron, Brian, LPB, Chris, Poni, Ryan, Benny, Adam, JP, Jesse, and Toni.

And thanks to all of our fine industry friends for their support and patience with our crazy requests, Tom at Cole and Vittoria, Jason at Enve Composites, Chad at FSA, Steve at Crank Brothers and Fizik, Lynette at White Industries, Chris D. at Chris King, and all of the good folks at Phil, Paul, Gates, SRAM... awe shucks, this is turning into an Oscar acceptance speech... you all know who you are and we love you.

See you in Austin, yippee ki-yay!

SSR :: C-dub

2011-02-17T06:55:00.009-05:00

Yea, I know, it's been awhile since we showed some bike leg. It's been a crazy start to 2011, and despite the weather, shipping delays, and general madness, we have been producing some amazing bikes. This one left us a few weeks ago to find its way to C-dub, down in Houston.

Simple black and white paint scheme, with just a touch of red ano to give it some pop

C-dub's choice of build included Enve carbon clinchers with DT Swiss 190 hubs.

New Campy Record, again, with just a touch of red in the new for 2011 graphics.

Ride it well C-dub!

Stay tuned for some bikes meet auto rally car racing action, and of course, NAHBS bikes.

Cheers,

Merch-a-palooza

2011-01-29T09:55:00.021-05:00

Adding "-a-palooza" to just about anything makes it sound like a big event. Perhaps a bit cliche, or perhaps not. If you are like most folks in the Northeast, you may be suffering from cabin fever and a weekend without football, so hopping on the net and scoring some sweet new merch from your favorite bike brand may indeed be a big event, worthy of official "-a-palooza" designation.

We've got seven new items... that's right seven (imagine the voiceover from that hyper info-mercial dude); 5 new tees, a winter cycling jacket, and an insulated stainless steel coffee tumbler. We have to call that one the SSCT, to go with our SSR road bike.

Tough to think about tees when the snow cover outside is measured in feet, so we're going to be good merchants and position them as "base-layers" for now, so just roll with it.

First up, turquoise with white logos (full IF crown on the back of all logo tees):

Black and gold to get your bling on when stepping out:

Heather gray and orange, because orange is the new "it" color (you heard it here):

Brown and pink to be your Valentine's chocolate:

And one for the ladies, also in brown and pink:

That ladies tee is on our new special lady friend, the ACME adjustable ladies dress form. She may be a bit old and tattered, but she's still got it going on in size "A", and they just don't make labels like this anymore.

In keeping with the weather, and hoping for clear roads, our new winter jacket to go with our range of riding kit. These things are fantastic. The fit and finish is superb, and done by folks that understand what a jacket on the bike should be.

Finally, if you're like me, and have ever been dumb enough to try and stick a standard paper coffee cup in your water bottle holder, well... you have the burn scars on your ankles to remind you how well that works. Steve at Black Sheep Designs helped us come up with the SSCT, the stainless steel coffee tumbler. It fits in a water bottle cage and features a thumb activated lid lock for one hand operation, double wall stainless construction, and a secure screw on lid. Drinking and riding have never been so stylish, but please pay attention while enjoying your beverage of choice on the commute.

Cheers,

Snow :: We love you, but...

2011-01-25T08:14:00.002-05:00

We've already lost all, or parts of, four days of shop time in the past few weeks, and it appears that we will be getting more.

For those of you with bikes in our queue, we're doing our best to make up for it by working on the weekends. Yeah, that's right, some of us gave up watching the NFC Championship game this past Sunday because we love you, the customer... at least that's what we keep telling ourselves.

Stay warm folks.

Oncoming storm could dump 8 to 12 inches of snow on Mass.

E-mail | Print | Comments (2)Posted by Martin Finucane January 25, 2011 07:12 AM

By Globe Staff

In another blow to the weather-weary, Massachusetts is facing the possibility of yet another snowstorm. The National Weather Service says a nor'easter could dump 8 to 12 inches of snow Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning.

The service issued a winter storm watch this morning for all of the state except the Berkshires and the Cape and islands.

The weather news comes as the state is emerging from a bitter cold snap and with the state already far ahead of the average in terms of snowfall for the year.

The weather service also warned of slippery travel conditions this morning as light snow falls on the area. Up to 2 inches are expected in some areas before it tapers off early this afternoon.

Rapha Bicycle Collection :: IF XS

2011-01-11T21:13:00.009-05:00

The Rapha Bicycle Collection was launched today and we are honored to be part of the offer with a very special edition XS.

This bike is positioned within the Collection as the ultimate sportive or grand fondo bike. It has special features such as the distinctive Rapha head badge that is shared across the Collection.

The Rapha R is etched into the top tub/seat tube lug on the drive side.

Just as with the new ti Factory Lightweight, this bike features our new script down tube logo.

Laser cut titanium lugs and carbon fiber tubes... like apple pie and ice cream, some things just belong together.

Available for a limited time only.

On doubters and quitters

2011-01-06T21:52:00.020-05:00

A little space

A little time

See what it can do

A little faith

Peace of mind

See what passes through

The sun will shine on you again

A bell will ring inside your head

And all will be brand new

All will be brand new

Noel Gallagher

LPB :: Cover Girl

2010-12-31T07:41:00.006-05:00

Grab the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Momentum Magazine when it hits the stands with IF's Leah Pappas-Barnes gracing the cover and the feature story on handmade bicycles.

Happy New Year to all and safe riding tonight.

XCR :: TIG :: Stainless :: Welds :: SSR

2010-12-15T14:58:00.001-05:00

Someone in Cincinnati is gonna be very happy...

- t.e.

TiFLW :: Sprout Green :: Teaser

2010-11-30T16:31:00.002-05:00

Complete bike coming soon...

- t.e.

HadleyClay :: Limited Edition :: IF Mugs

2010-11-24T10:31:00.005-05:00

The new HadleyClay mugs are in. Just in time for Hot Toddy season!

We ordered 36 mugs, each one was handmade and no two are alike.

Pick yours up in the IFStore. When they sell out they are gone!

Hadley has documented the making of these mugs and will be posting process picture and stories on the Hadley Clay Blog. Check it out soon for "the making of" postings.

Handmade in the USA by my sister: Hadley.

'Tis the season to support your friends and family.

Tyler.

Titanium Deluxe :: Paint :: Transition

2010-11-18T12:04:00.002-05:00

Sometimes its all about the line.

And sometimes it's about the transition.

- t.e.

Prolly :: Shop Tour :: Sesh

2010-11-11T22:57:00.002-05:00

- t.e.

Nobeyama :: Yatsugatake :: Molly Cameron

2010-11-11T09:39:00.004-05:00

Daisuke Yano and Molly Cameron, the owners of two of IF's most premier bicycle studios (Yatsugatake Bicycle Studio and Portland Bicycle Studio) have combined forces at the 2010 Nobeyama Cyclocross Race. Once again all pictures are being poached from Daisuke's flicker. Beautiful race, beautiful bikes and beautiful images. Thank you both.

That's Daisuke shredding above.

Molly's backup bike at the ready as she shreds by for another lap.

Molly and Daisuke, post race.

Japanese antics.

- t.e.

Cyclemode :: TOKYO :: Yatsugatake Studio

2010-11-10T08:48:00.007-05:00

Our main man in Japan, Daisuke Yano, just put on a great show at Cyclemode, a bicycle tradeshow in Tokyo.

He conceptualized and built the booth himself (and with the help of a couple of good friends).

This is a singlespeed Club Racer with disc brakes.

Daisuke has also been documenting his builds in his studio.

Nice job Daisuke, wish I was there!

** all photo credit: Daisuke Yano.

- t.e.

TiFLW :: V2 :: Wicked.

2010-10-31T08:27:00.004-04:00

Fresh out of the Indy Fab Special Ops department: the new Titanium Factory Lightweight. Inspired by the original Factory Lightweight muscle cars that came out of Detroit in the 60's. These hot rods were defined by their high horsepower and all-out determination for maximum speed.

This is a strict racing machine, designed and engineered for sprinting, climbing and fast criteriums.

There are lots of new features packed into this model including an integrated seat mast featuring the all new IFtop secure saddle adjustment device.

Our new ISP is completely and ridiculously secure with a rider weight limit of 500lbs (all muscle of course) with bolts tightened to 10Nm.

We worked closely with aarn_wrks_dsn to do the final 3D drawings for the IFtop clamp.

When the height limit is reached a fluorescent indicator will appear in the relief hole on the back of the IFtop.

The large diameter head tube is designed to accept the new Inset 44mm headset standard.

The oversized bottom bracket shell was designed exclusively for use with the new Press Fit BB30 bottom bracket, shedding lots of weight and making it possible to stiffen the frame up considerably. This new BB in combination with the oversized head tube made it possible to use a 44.5mm diameter butted down tube. This, in combination with a few other things, delivers the maximum amount of your horsepower to the rear wheel.

Special dropouts were also made just for this model. Featuring a smaller overall size, drilled out faces and an engraved backside. Visible, both above and below, are the new single bend chainstays, stiffer and lighter than ever before.

This marks the introduction of 2011's new script decal selection. The decals are not made yet so on this bike they have been painted in. Look for them to appear as an option in the coming months.

13lbs 13oz as shown.

The TiFLW will be available for sale shortly. We are steadfastly working on finding a reliable source for the titanium tubing we need to make the head tubes. We are also working on some new fixtures that will help us to integrate this frame into our production flow.

Happy Halloween!

p.s.- Hey MADFIBER, thanks for the wheels!

- t.e.

Club Racer :: EFM :: Life

2010-10-28T17:42:00.005-04:00

I.F. employee Shawn "E.F.M." Estes has built himself a new Club Racer out of Columbus Life tubing. This frame features a secret bottle opener, safety oriented paint scheme and a painted to match pump.

Shawn opted to go with a single chainring up front, for now...

The parts consist of a blend of new and old robust componentry destined to be slayed by the long dark and salty winter commutes back and fourth between Somerville and Burlington.

This will be his new rainy day friend. All it needs is a name...

- t.e

Steel 29'er :: Best Wedding Present Ever

2010-10-25T08:45:00.015-04:00

My good friends Jon Frederick and Kathryn Grant got married this past weekend. Congrats you two! It was a beautiful weekend.

Katie asked me a few months ago about having us build a custom IF for Jon as a wedding present. Jon's been lusting after an IF for years, and developed a habit of describing his dream paint job to me. His best idea yet: a toned-down Gulf Racing paint scheme based on a Tag Monaco watch.

Asymmetric stripes. Orange on one side...

Baby blue on the other.

We pulled off some super secret spy missions to get the fit just right. Katie "lost" the keys to their garage twice so I could get a close look at his other bikes.

Groomsman and IF Racer, Todd Yezefski, gave extra feedback about Jon's fit on his current mountain bike. We turned that into a frame design and left the steerer and cables a little long to give room for fine tuning.

IF crown "number plate".

Katie presented the bike to Jon on Friday night. Jon was literally speechless. It's pretty great when a surprise really works.

Jon didn't let go of the bike for practically the rest of the night. Rubber donuts kept the paint safe. Blue zip-ties really tie the whole look together (nice!).

So much more fun than a watch.

Congratulations again, Jon and Katie. Here's to a wonderful life together. Cin cin.

- k.w.

Shop View :: Dawn :: 2010

2010-10-22T09:58:00.002-04:00

- t.e.

Shop View :: Dusk :: 2010

2010-10-21T16:44:00.002-04:00

- t.e.

Corvid :: Ed Viesturs

2010-10-15T09:19:00.017-04:00

Many of our customers are athletes in sports other than cycling, but use cycling as a key part of their training regimen.

Ed Viesturs is one of those. A world class athlete and a good friend, he is the first American to summit all 14 of the world's tallest peaks without the use of supplemental oxygen. Ed is also an environmentalist, a talented speaker, author, guide, devoted father and husband, and game enough to guide my motley crew up Mount Rainier a few years ago, so I had to repay the favor and build him a bike worthy of his talent.

We tinted the carbon on his Corvid blue, Ed's favorite color, probably because he has spent so much time in true blue skies above 26,000 feet.

Ed is no stranger to great gear, providing design input to numerous equipment makers including First Ascent, so when he sent me a note saying that, "this was the coolest thing that he'd ever received", I knew that we'd hit the mark.
Look for Ed's interview in the December issue of Bicycling magazine, where he talks about the role that cycling plays in his training, and grab a copy of his latest book, K2, Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain.

g.s.

03 TiCJ :: Boss Repaint :: Yatsugatake

2010-10-12T14:33:00.006-04:00

This 2003 Titanium Crown Jewel came back for a new paint job.

This frameset features the colors: 2011 Boss Blue, Vanilla Shake and Black with exposed shotpeened titanium rear end.

At this point they thought it would be a good idea to upgrade their fork to a new ENVE 2.0, painted to match. (good idea)

It still has the original seat collar...

... and the original Steling Silver headbadge with 7+ year old patina.

Good as new... maybe better.

- t.e.

SSWC10NZ :: NB :: IF M498's

2010-10-08T16:33:00.006-04:00

The Steel Deluxe Singlespeed frameset behind this box has a long journey ahead of it.

It is on it's way to New Zealand for the 2010 Singlespeed World Championships via our fine dealer in Australia Cycling Edge.

The frame features slider dropouts and a painted to match Niner carbon fork.

The team paint scheme is a little hard to see in this picture because of those custom IF/New Balance sneakers that are in the way.

Okay, enough teasing... Here is the skinny: Friend of the family and Grassroots racer Greg "The Leg" Montello arranged a special project for his co-worker, Manufacturing Engineer Shaina Damm, at New Balance: a special pair of M498 in IF colors and graphics.

No more will probably ever be made, but we thought we would share just the same.

(we still aren't totally sure why they made them...)

- t.e.

Corvid :: Ray Allen :: Quetzal

2010-09-27T09:30:00.003-04:00

The bicycle pictured is the realization of nearly a year long collaboration between Berlin Bicycle, Independent Fabrication, and Boston Celtic, Ray Allen.

Each carbon fiber tube was custom made to fit Ray's measurements and joined seamlessly to our carbon crown lugs which, of course, were painted Celtic's green metallic. Ray's signature was also digitized and painted in.

The bike is set up with a full Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 drivetrain, and Richey WCS components.

The guys at Berlin Bicycle and the people here at IF had a great time working with Ray throughout the planning, design, and fitting process and we wish him luck and good health for the upcoming season!

TiFLW :: V1 :: BAHBE

2010-09-23T09:41:00.006-04:00

Our first prototype of the new Titanium Factory Lightweight is nearing completion. The plan is to have it ready for the Boston Area Handmade Bicycle Exhibition (BAHBE) tonight.

Sadly this first prototype will have a short but exciting life. After the show it will be raced for 2 days, taken apart and sent out for destructive testing next week. My feeling is that it will not only survive the tests, but it will destroy the testing machines and come back to us ready to kill it in some more races.

Luckily the second prototype (V2) is not far behind. It has been welded and is scheduled for completion next week. The V2 prototype is pretty much going to blow peoples minds. It will be so aggressive and intimidating that people will run in fear.

This bike will be positioned as one of the most evil race bikes that we have ever made. It will punish and it will destroy, and it won't be gentle.

See it, tonight only, at BAHBE.... or just wait for V2.

132 Brookline Ave.
Boston, MA 02215

Starts at 7pm.

Something wicked this way comes.

- t.e.

Carbon Cyclocross :: Proto :: 001

2010-09-14T17:17:00.009-04:00

First view: our new carbon cyclocross prototype frame, currently nameless. Like our Corvid road model, the production frames will be built with rider specific custom geometry. All of our carbon parts are made right here in the USA just for I.F. by ENVE Composites, the frames are built here in Somerville in our workshop. Shown painted with a satin clear coat.

The frame features a headtube that accepts a large diameter InSet headset.

All new lugs.

All new tubes.

The frame will also feature the new press fit 30 bottom bracket standard.

The little screw beneath the BB will hold a portion of the wiring harness associated with the Shimano Di2 electronic shifting system.

This one is en route to PDX for some serious racing in the hands of none other than Molly Cameron. Molly will also be racing this frame at Cross Vegas, so keep an eye out if you are in Vegas a couple of weeks (Sept. 22nd 2010).

- t.e.

Team New Beige :: KCR :: Steel Cyclocross

2010-09-13T09:20:00.008-04:00

Kevin's got a new paint scheme for his cross rig this year, and no it's not beige**... that's the new team. Introducing Team New Beige, the new IF Factory team consisting of Kevin, Clint and Ron.

If you didn't see this bike this weekend in Bedford MA, you're bound to see it soon at any number of the New England CX races scheduled for this season.

Built to shred, this machine was put together in true cyclocross fashion, with a host of new parts and many scavenged from bikes of seasons past.

Why does the world need a new beige? Because the old one is boring, Team New Beige is going to change that.

**Kevin, Clint and Ron's new 3 person team has nothing to do with the color beige. Viva New Beige! (BTW, their team name must only be said with a Portuguese accent)

- t.e.

Touched by Strangers :: Ti Deluxe :: PF30

2010-09-10T15:19:00.008-04:00

This frame is a little dirty. We made this Ti 29'er for Cannondale to show at this year's Sea Otter event. It's design and concept were based around their new 1 1/8" Lefty fork. It was touched... a lot.

This frame was built to accept a press fit 30 (PF30) bottom bracket.

22lbs 15oz as shown.

- t.e.

Titanium Planet Cross :: Pwern

2010-09-08T12:05:00.007-04:00

Just in time for the season: an IF Titanium Planet Cross.

This bike features a bead blasted finish with brushed in logos and a small dash of paint.

16lbs 11oz as shown.

- t.e.

Cyclocross :: Ken Bloomer

2010-09-07T11:14:00.001-04:00

CYCLOCROSS by Ken Bloomer from e r t z u i ° film on Vimeo.

Inapena Fabocaysun :: Inapenda Fabicasuns

2010-08-27T08:56:00.002-04:00

IF :: 4 Frames :: Rapha Cycle Club

2010-08-25T17:30:00.008-04:00

Be there to see these four identical I.F. Steel Crown Jewel framesets get turned into bicycles by four of the finest mechanics in NYC vying for the title of FASTEST MECHANIC IN NYC!

Above photos courtesy of NYC Velo.

NY's fastest mechanic's square off Thursday night at 352 Bowery.

Ian Leitch :: Brighton Big Dog

2010-08-20T10:27:00.007-04:00

Ian Leich is really tearing it up lately! He just won the Brighton Big Dog with the fastest lap, a solo win and he beat every team.

Congratulations! Keep shredding!

More info here: XXX

Visit Ian's blog: XX XXX

SSR :: Rapha Racing NYC:: Cleaver

2010-08-18T09:45:00.004-04:00

Before leaving for their bike trip across the USA on their honeymoon, newlyweds Brett and Edie stopped by our shop to say hi. Brett had his race bike in the car and brought it in for a quick photo session.

He's been racing this stainless steel bike for quite a while now and has a pretty bomb-proof setup.

IF/Rapha sterling silver badge.

He even has a little of the modern day biopace style chainrings made by Rotor, mounted to some SRMpowermeter cranks.

Sweet machine Brett! Thanks for sharing and good luck to both of you on your journey.

- t.e.

Disturbed :: Ti Crown Jewel

2010-08-17T09:31:00.007-04:00

We went the extra mile with this one.

61cm seat tube length with a 68cm top tube.

Head tube length: 236mm.

We also made the fork in-house so we could dial in the ride and feel even further.

Every joint is double pass TIG welded by hand, the beefier the bike, the beefier the welds.

Lots of beef.

17lbs 14oz as pictured.

- t.e.

Pre-ride :: D2R2 :: Clint's Club Racer

2010-08-13T14:14:00.004-04:00

D2R2 is a little more than a week away so all of our burly rides are starting to come together.

Clint's bike is a Steel Club Racer with a painted to match pump. Painted pumps are where it's at. We should really start to offer this as an option, it just rounds out the package so nicely.

A nice set of handbuilt wheels is practically a necessity for this ride. Here we have White Industry hubs laced up to some Mavic Open Pros and a wide ratio cassette.

Comfy seat.

His fenders are there to keep the evil kitten of the woods from pouncing upon his tires and fang-puncturing his latex tubes.

More to come on these evil kittens. We have a team in the woods documenting their activities now.

Rapha Continental :: Cycle Club NYC :: Event

2010-08-10T09:49:00.007-04:00

The Rapha Cycle Club is a really unique place. It was set up as a temporary store in the heart of Manhattan. They have weekly rides as well as screen cycling movies.

There is a gallery space in the back that does rotating shows. This show is about the Rapha Continental. Photographs from their trips were on the wall along with sketches of all the riders by our good pal Peter Rubiano.

A few of the riders were there including IF rider Rich Bravo. We will be seeing Rich (and the entire Continental team) again soon at the upcoming D2R2. Hopefully his eyes will open by then. He was struck with a horrible case of double eyeshutitis. Our prayers are with you Rich!

Above is a journal entry from the 2008 ride.

This is going to be a great ride. All will get a healthy dose of Vitamin G.

NYC Velo :: Summer 2010

2010-08-06T10:18:00.006-04:00

While in NYC I had a chance to drop by one of our most super shops: NYC Velo.

Andrew (above) gave me a tour of the shop and their fit area and told me of some pretty grand plans of expansion and refinement. It looks so good now I can't even imagine how much better it's going to be.

They had some cool IFs on display, some mounted to the wall, some up on other displays and a super rad SSR in the lead mechanic Dave Sommerville's stand being built up. (nice last name, but I'm sure you get that a lot)

Throughout the shop was a host of vintage mountain bikes and iconic paraphernalia. Bikes from a not so distant past in pristine condition adorned the shop.

And of course... coffee. Fresh and delicious coffee.

Be sure to come and cheer on NYC Velo's own Dave Sommerville as he attempts to become: THE ‘FASTEST MECHANIC IN NYC on Thursday, August 26, 6:30pm, 352 Bowery (Rapha Cycle Club) NYC. Hope to see you there.

And, just for fun, check out the 5ive Points double interview with me and Gary at the NYC Velo blog: HERE.

Rapha Continental :: Cycle Club NYC

2010-08-04T11:36:00.006-04:00

Thursday, August 5, 6:00pm: THE RAPHA CONTINENTAL

An exhibition opening event for the photography, film, sketches and custom-built bicycles from the ongoing, epic tour around North America. See the photgraphy of Dan Sharp and Chris Milliman and art from Pete Rubijono. We will have some of our Continental bikes on display as well. Come meet me, Tyler Evans of Independent Fabrication as well as some of the other Rapha Continental framebuilders.

I hope to see you there!

[rsvp to nyc.cc@rapha.cc]

352 Bowery NYC.

Next event:

Thursday, August 26, 6:30pm: THE ‘FASTEST MECHANIC IN NYC ’ COMPETITION

Beginning this Th ursday on NYVelocity.com, New York cyclists will vote for their top four NYC-based shop mechanics to compete to see who can build a complete bike the fastest. Typically magicians behind the scenes for racers, these top mechanics will be the showracing in plain view with four identical Independent Fabrication frames (seen above in the IF paint department) and matching kit of parts. Beverages and music mixing with the smell of grease will make for intoxicating evening, and if you pay attention, you will definitely learn some tricks from the best of NY.

This event is also rsvp.

- t.e.

Crema :: Steel Cyclocross

2010-07-28T15:47:00.005-04:00

Ken, our main man in Germany, of Crema Cycles sent us some pics of a steel Plant Cross that he just built up for a customer.
The paint is Baby Blue Pearl with orange on white decals.

The customer designed his own Critical Dirt headbadge and sent it over to us to screw into the headtube.

Thanks for the lead on the pics Ken!

- t.e.

SSR :: XCr :: Stainless Road

2010-07-21T11:18:00.005-04:00

Columbus XCr stainless steel has got to be the best tubing to come out of Italy since... I don't even know when.

It makes for a light weight, super robust and shiny as all hell frame. The shiny qualities of the stainless make for frame details that hearken back to the days of chrome.

But this frameset is anything but a throwback to vintage performance. The SSR is 100% modern and some could even argue that it is on the cutting edge of custom performance race bikes.

- t.e.

Corvid :: Geoff :: Quetzal

2010-07-19T09:54:00.010-04:00

A lot of Corvids (would the plural be Corvidae?) have been going through the shop lately.

The paint on this one is particularly stunning.

Quetzal green painted lugs and painted in graphics.

Also a little bit of exposed carbon on the fork in the form of the IF crown.

The frame is made to accept the new larger OD inset headset standard. Excuse the rubber nubbins that are holding the fork in place for the shoot. The bottom bracket is designed to work with the new BB30 standard. Look for a press fit BB30 coming soon.

All of the carbon fiber lugs are cast at angles specific to the individual build. The molds that the lugs are cast into are articulated to give us a broad range of angles, so as not to have the lug limit the custom geometry of the bike. This also makes for an uncompromised lug.

The seat post slides into a precision e-glass insert that is bonded inside the seat tube.

CNC machined Ti 6Al-4Va 2 piece TIG welded dropouts solidify the rear wheel interface. Keep a look out for the new Cross Corvid coming later this year...

- t.e.

2010 :: IF/Primal Race Kit

2010-07-15T16:03:00.003-04:00

The new 2010 race kits are in! Now available at the IF store. HERE

New pint glasses also came in. HERE

IF Ride Redux :: NYC Velo

2010-07-08T17:20:00.004-04:00

Just a friendly reminder to all of you IF fans out there: The Indy Fab shop ride is happening on this Saturday, July 10th.

If you currently own an IF, are thinking of buying one, or just want to know what the deal is with custom bikes, come by the shop to meet and ride with some of us IF'ers from Somerville, MA and the NYC Velo crew on Saturday. Russ and Daughters bagels and Think Coffee will be served at 8am, and the ride heads off to Piermont at 8:30am.

Show off your bike (regardless of provenence) on a comfortable ride to Piermont, NY with like-minded individuals. Afterward the IF crew will be on hand to answer questions and show off some amazing demo bikes. Additionally, we’ll raffle some some swag, including a Level 2 paint upgrade on any new IF, a custom NYC Velo Whalemouth bag fromBaileyworks, and a custom NYC Velo Rambler backpack from Mission Workshop.

Don’t miss this opportunity to get to meet some of the great people from NYC Velo and the Indy Fab crew!

Rapha Gentlemans Race :: 2010 :: The Ride

2010-07-02T09:25:00.009-04:00

Here is the video of our ride that we have all been waiting for. Excellent job by Somerville video magician Stebs of Paper Fortress Films.

So we thought we were prepared... but we were not. Two of us had some slight adjustments that needed some roadside attention. This set us back a little right off the bat, but this ride wasn't about winning, it was about riding together as a team and exercising the gentlemanly skills that we have been refining for years.

The ride was only about 40% paved, the rest was gravel. We opted for larger tires and compact gear ratios. Once we were free from our mechanical issues therequipment was solid for the rest of the ride.

The Salmon Kool Stop brake pads were a life saver. I swapped them out just before the ride because the campy pads were getting a little thin. I will never go back.

Leah (above) and Joe (below) shredding the hills.

Below are more images of the ride borrowed from the Rapha site:

Big thanks to Rapha for putting together such a great ride. See you next year.

- t.e.

Union Foundry :: T-0001-0A Rotofixer

2010-06-22T09:23:00.013-04:00

For the last year there has been a secret here in Union Square Somerville... thinly veiled, but a secret nonetheless. So after much anticipation I finally I got the call from Aaron of Union Foundry: "It's ready. Would you like me to leave it at Open for you to pick up when you inevitably get some coffee from the coffee shop next door?" ...um, yeah.

Union Foundry is comprised of some ambitious and talented people that have congregated in and around 9 Olive Square, a complex of buildings down a dead end alley just behind Union Square. This spot has some serious history in the framebuilding world. This location (less than a mile from the IF factory) is where the Fat Chance factory was and where Merlin began and spent its formative years.

It is only fitting that this spot sees a resurgence in bicycle related manufacturing. There is truly something special brewing here in Somerville.

Aaron and Josh, along with their friends and cohorts invented something truly genius, something that we didn't even know we needed. I went to pick up "the package". In an thoughtfully packaged envelope I found the ROTOFIXER T-0001-0A. It's a tool. It is the first product to come out of the Union Foundry braintrust, and it is beautiful. Best of all, it's local. From the milling to the polishing and packaging, it's all made here.

Also located in the complex is a one man letter press company called Repeat Press. Repeat Press designed and fabricated the packaging, including some really beautiful embossing on the cardboard reveal. More on the packaging HERE. Just wait until you see the posters we make with him!

The protective wool cloth is also locally made here in Massachusetts by Penfeild.

And in case you are wondering how this ingenious little device works, here is a little video:

Smart, simple and pretty. Congratulations guys!

See you next Tuesday! Off to ride mountain bikes with IF-Bro!

- t.e.

Dropout :: TiFLW :: Final

2010-06-18T12:35:00.003-04:00

Just a few more special items to round up and then we can start building.

- t.e.

Dropout :: TiFLW :: Proto

2010-06-16T17:19:00.004-04:00

The parts are rolling in. These are a test for the final TiFLW dropout design. The programming for the engraving is all that still needs to be done. We should have most of the final parts by next week.

- t.e.