R & E Cycles is a unique bicycle shop located in Seattle, Washington. First and foremost it combines a custom frame workshop with a retail store. R & E specializes in selling Rodriguez Custom Bicycles. These are hand made steel frames in a variety of models such as Randonneur, Sport, Road, Track, Touring, and Tandem. The bikes are fillet-brazed, giving them a very clean design. Dan Towle, the proprietor started out as an employee of R & E and in 1993 became its owner. The shop has been around for 35 years and has a very loyal staff and customer base. Many current frame builders have passed through the walls of R & E as a stepping stone on their way to becoming a master craftsman. R & E has taken the time to post a video on YouTube that highlights the way they make bicycles. It is rare find and one that any enthusiast of hand made bicycle frames should view. It will give you a great appreciation for how a frame is built.
Spokes & Cogs
R & E Cycles
Paterek Manual for Bicycle Frame Builders
Ask just about anyone on what the premier resource on bicycle frame building is and they will often mention the Paterek Manual. However, going out and acquiring this bible of bike building is a bit of a challenge. The first time I heard about the manual I swung by a few local bike stores here in Minneapolis to inquire if any of them carried it. To my disappointment, the answer was a resounding no. In fact, many of the shop staff I talked to had no idea what I was talking about.
My next stop was the all trusting Internet. Thinking that I might actually be smarter than Google, I started with Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. Again, no luck in finding a new copy of the book. I did find the book listed in the used section of Amazon.com, however I just about fell off my chair when I saw the prices… $160. At that price, I half expected the book to actually build the frame for me. Well, being a miser, I broke down and turned to Google to see if I could find anything cheaper… Say $19.95!
Well, as usual Google delivered and I was once again a doe-eyed optimist. Google returned a link to the Henry James web site (I could write a whole piece on Henry James, so I won’t cover it here). Henry James has been kind enough to keep the Paternek Manual in print and available for purchase. The price is much more reasonable at $75.00, and that is for a new edition. In learning more about the author, Tim Paterek I was surprised to see his roots in Minnesota. The reason I was surprised is that living in Minnesota I have always been surprised at the rich cycling history of the state and the booming cycling industry that it supports.
Like most cycling enthusiasts, Tim started his interest at a young age and became a mechanic at a local Bloomington, MN. He raced throughout high school and went on to race in college at the University of Wisconsin - River Falls. (An aside is that this area of Wisconsin is the few areas in the upper mid west that actually has some hills). While in college, Tim started a mechanic shop for bicycles and then went on to apprentice under Terry Osell, a Minneapolis custom frame builder. Today, Tim lives in Vancouver, Washington and focuses on teaching and developing educational materials for frame builders, including keeping his Paterek Manual current.
North American Handmade Bicycle Show
The largest show for the custom frame builders kicks off in just a few weeks. This is called the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. In essence this show is the equivalent of Interbike for custom frame builders. It is a chance for the custom builder to showcase their wares, engage with prospective clients, compete with their fellow custom builders, and interact with their distributors and vendors.
In 2008, the show is being held in Portland, Oregon from Feb 8 - 10 at the Portland convention center. The seminars available look quiet interesting:
- Reynolds 953, Progress and Future, by Keith Noranha of Reynolds
- How to Work the Media, by veteran journalist and media guy, Paul Skilbeck
- Cross Bike Geometry, by Paul Sadoff of Rock Lobster Bicycles
- Bike Fit for Framebuilders, by Richard Schwinn
- Wood Rims - the lore, the artistry, the technology, by Ric Hjertberg
- Decals and Graphic treatments for bicycles, By Gary Prange of Screen Specialties Shop, Ink.
- My way of doing the “shiny stuff”, by Darrell Llewellyn McCulloch
- The Business of Professional Framebuilding, Presented by Carl Strong
- Carbon Tube-to-Tube Construction, by Nick Crumpton
- The Titanium Frame Builder; Working with Titanium, By Steve Potts
- BikeCAD, by Brent Curry
- Powder vs. Liquid Paint, by Mark Brandt, Spectrum Powder Works
- Long Distance Cycling Workshop, by David Rowe
- The Spirit of Columbus, presented by Fabrizio Aghito
- Aluminum Frame Design Considerations by Mike Ahrens
- Insurance For Framebuilders by Lora Van Dixhorn
If you are new to frame building, a few years into your business, or even a seasoned builder there are topics for each of you.
Welcome to Spokes & Cogs
Spokes & Cogs has a mission of providing the most comprehensive information for the cycling enthusiast. So what, right? Well, while there are great sites for cycling news, commerce sites for product purchases, and online magazine sites geared to all facets of cycling, there seems to be a lack of information when it comes to a buyers guide for cyclists. I am talking about everything from custom frame builders to wheel manufacturers to simply a state by state listing of bicycle shops.
Spokes and Cogs, over time hopes to fulfill that void for the cycling enthusiast. Our current project is focused on developing a database of custom frame builders. We should have a first draft of this database available for use in the coming weeks. Our hope is that as we build a community of readers, they will help direct us in the information and services they would like. So if you have an idea, please leave a comment and we will do our best to address it. Welcome and we look forward to serving you, the cycling enthusiast.