The 'Vergine' by Zullo of Italy. Built with Columbus XCr stainless steel tubing
The latest masterpiece from San Diego, California legend Brian Baylis.
A 2006 're-working' of a 1961 Masi, by Californian master Rob Roberson.
Close-up of the Masi 'Clone Project'; stunning from any angle.
Frameforum's 'Bike Of The Year': the minimalist beauty of Fixie Inc's 'Five Star'.
Superb in every detail; nothing is left to the ordinary on Fixie Inc's 'Five Star'.
Frameforum is a site dedicated to the art and craft of the handmade bicycle. It’s about the people who make them; it’s about the people who ride them. Frameforum is the place to be if you’re considering the 'custom alternative' – a bike that gives you everything 'off-the-shelf ' bikes don’t.
It’s about you - not Mr or Ms. Average. A custom bike is more than just a paint job. A custom bike isn't about shaving grams for bragging rights either. It’s about you and your builder considering every aspect of the bike. The process starts with finding the best dimensions, followed by designing and building the frame, then deciding on each and every component part of the bike - your bike.
A bike that's been custom-built for you will fit you better than a stock bike ever could. It can be as individual as you are; it can suit your particular style of riding, your particular needs and be built from a material that suits you ... not the coffee stop crew.
Frameforum is also a great place those who build, or aspire to build, custom bikes. In the forum section, you’ll find members embarking on their first steps in framebuilding as well as some of the greats of the framebuilding game; iconic builders making iconic bikes. If you want to ask questions and get answers on frame building from the folks who actually build them, this is the place.
In short; if handmade bicycles are your thing - whether rider, collector or creator - make Frameforum your first port of call!
Alistair Gow has been a stalwart of the West of Scotland cycling community for more years than he cares to remember (or admit!).
He’s the archetypal ‘clubman’; a tireless worker for his club Glasgow Nightingale CC and a font of knowledge on all things cycling.
Over the years, he’s helped literally hundreds of Scottish cyclists find their feet when they first enter the sport; just read the chapter of Graeme Obree’s autobiography on his formative years in the bike game to find out the part "Big Al" played in Graeme’s transition from 'gringo’' to world beater.
As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also a first-rate wheelbuilder and mechanic.
With his encyclopaedic knowledge of hubs, rim types and spoke lengths, he’s the man Scottish bikies go to when they need ‘real’ wheels. The West of Scotland is hard on riders and hard on equipment. In this age of boutique, factory-built hoops with exotic lacing patterns, he’s as busy now as he ever was. Gram-shaving ‘for racing only’ stuff doesn’t really cut it around here.
Alistair’s talent for building wheels means his small but well-stocked shop, Wheelcraft, in the picture-postcard village of Clachan of Campsie, is a magnet for local riders. Pick up your wheels from Alistair, and he’ll tell you to drop them back for a quick check-over after a few hundred miles. Chances are they’ll need no adjustment, thanks to Alistair’s ability to get it right first time and his good judgement in applying just the right number of turns on the nipples.
For this set of wheels, only one requirement was made – silver rims. Alistair settled on the Ambrosio Evolution for their consistent quality, their resilience, and importantly, the cost of replacement if a rim gets pretzelled. Like I said, the roads round here are hard on equipment and no rim is invulnerable to Scottish pot holes.
If you’re ever close by, pop in and say hello. You’re sure of a warm welcome, a hot coffee or a cold beer. Oh, and a disapproving glance at your boutique wheels.....
Alistair after all, knows best!
Some of the Worlds' leading bike fit specialists have joined together to establish an association for Professional bike-fitting practitioners and businesses.
The seed was planted at a bike-fitting conference, held last year in the USA. This led to a follow-up get-together in New York in November 2008. At this three-day meeting, the 'I's were dotted and the 'T's crossed by the the founding members, or the "6.0" as they have come to be known, and The Master Bike Fitters Association was born.
According to their website: "The idea of MBFA grew out of a meeting at last year's SICI Symposium in Colorado. Present at the meeting were some of the most established and respected fit-centric businesses in the world - they all also happened to be run by current or past instructors at the SICI Fitting School in either the USA or London. They decided to form a fitting trade association that would represent and govern the very best of the best to the public. Although they worked together periodically the six or '6.0'as they had now been dubbed by SICI decided to meet in New York for three days to share their combined wisdom and experience to refine and identify the very best fit practices in the industry."
"The Master Bicycle Fitter Association (MBFA) is dedicated to creating, evaluating and promoting universal and recognizable dealer standards for the cycling industry in regards to:
• Bicycle fitting methodology and equipment • Knowledge of cycling technology • Independent product selection and sales for dealers
In conjunction with SICI (the cycling industry's most established bicycle fit institute), MBFA recognizes those dealers who lead the industry in the above standards and serves as a consumer resource to help cyclists locate these dealers."
The MFBA website not only acts as a directory of professional bike-fitting specialists, it also serves as a reference point and resource to help the cyclist "make informed decisions on cycling fit practices and product selection".
'6.0' Conference In New York
At their New York meeting, the MFBA set out their mission: "Whilst it is exciting that the fitting industry is growing at an accelerated rate, as people see and feel fitting's potential to improve performance and efficiency, it was felt by 6.0 that the fitting market needed more clarity and defined standards to help guide the public to make an informed choices about where they could get the best advice and fit experience. SICI's Paraic McGlynn, Director of Applied Cycling Science, was kind enough to donate his high-tech 'Fit-Lab' for our research. Paraic also contibuted his own fifteen year experience fitting some the world's best known professional riders to the 6.0 event.
Criteria and Standards
To set the MBFA criteria 6.0 first had to re-evaluate critique and if possible improve every step of the Advanced SICI Syllabus to consistently deliver the highest possible levels of professionalism and client satisfaction in the industry. All of the members of 6.0 in their own ways have pushed beyond even the Advanced SICI Syllabus working day to day with their own way in their own practices. Each had strengths, research and specialities that could improve and inform the whole group. This search for excellence resulted in the Uniform Fit Elements and Uniform Dealer Standards that today underpins MBFA membership and guarantees the consumer an surpassed experience. Some of the criteria and standards are so stringent that they became aspirational and some of 6.0 had to make slight changes and update their businesses to fulfil them.
It is the long term goal of MBFA to encourage the cycling industry to embrace fitting and strive for improved levels of fit-related education and qualifications. Moreover MBFA wants to improve and enhance consumer experience with the fit process and from that their relationship with their bike and sport."
The formation of the Master Bike Fitters Association by this like-minded group of forward-thinking bike-fit professionals heralds a new era in Cycling Science.
Frameforum wishes the founding members of the MBFA every success with their vision and congratulates them on acheiving something the framebuilding scene clearly lacks.
Perhaps the MBFA will serve as inspiration for the framebuilding community.
Links and Further Info:
Serotta International Cycling Institute - SICI Master Bike Fitters Association - MBFA
