Framebuilder Entrepreneurship

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, Nov 2014

The handmade bicycle industry has grown exponentially over the past decade. Although existing for decades in much smaller numbers, the popularity and credibility of framebuilder entrepreneurship —custom, handmade bike frames—has increased significantly in the past 10 years. The companies that specialize in custom-producing bicycle frames vary in size, scope, reputation, profitability, and even building materials.

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Framebuilder Entrepreneurship

Retrieved September Framebuilder Entrepreneurship Joshua Shuart 0 0 Sacred Heart University Part of the Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons - Joshua Shuart he handmade bicycle industry has grown exponentially over the past decade. Although existing for decades in much smaller numbers, the popularity and credibility of framebuilder entrepreneurship—custom, handmade bike frames—has increased significantly in the past 10 years. The companies that specialize in custom -producing bicycle frames vary in size, scope, reputation, profitability, and even building materials. A Framebuilders’ Primer Two major initiatives have aided the ascension of framebuilding entrepreneurs into the media spotlight—the establishment and perpetuation of The Framebuilders’ Collective (TFC) and the first annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) in 2005. The Framebuilders’ Collective TFC is a group of some of the most influential, powerful, and successful framebuilding individuals and companies in the industry. Currently, TFC includes 14 members, 7 of which were founding members (see Figure 1). Among the collective’s chief purposes are to gather like-minded veterans to establish unspoken quality standards, to disseminate information and insights to others, to act as mentors to younger builders, and to support the highest professional standards. There are several qualifications that members must satisfy, which is why the membership is small, and is limited to some of the biggest names in the framebuilder community. Above all, there is a commitment by all members to “pay it forward” in the spirit of growing the reputation of the industry, and in helping younger builders to establish themselves. For example, one of the icons of bicycle framebuilding, Carl Strong of Strong Frames, has continuously given back to industry colleagues by sharing specifics about his methods, techniques, and practices. Many of these TFC members have apprentices learning directly in their shops. For the uninitiated wanting to break into framebuilding, “you either apprentice or you go somewhere like Frame Building Classes (e.g., United Bicycle Institute) (Ferris, 2011). To begin, it is important to look at the types of builders in the industry and the types of materials they use to construct their frames. Types of Builders and Types of Materials. Custom brands are the large, well-known, high-end bike brands commonly referred to as custom even though the majority of their production has a very limited (or no) actual custom element in the frame. In these instances, the term “custom” refers most often to the parts, which may be custom selected depending on the dealer. Examples of custom brands include DeRosa, Colnalgo, and Litespeed. Custom manufacturers are smaller companies that sell through bike shops. They offer custom frames but the customer has little to no direct contact with the company and no one person builds the frame. Examples of custom manufacturers include Independent Fabrication, Serotta, and Seven. Small custom builders can best be described as a one- or twoperson shop. The frame is built for the specific customer and the customer deals directly with the person who is fabricating it. Examples of small custom builders are Strong Frames, Kirk Frameworks, and Richard Sachs Cycles. (Strong, 2011). In addition to types of builders, the chosen type of frame materials is of primary importance. Some builders are chiefly known for either their choice of frame material and/or some specific framebuilding techniques. Figure 2, for example, shows the material of choice for all 50 of the known framebuilders in New England as of 2012. North American Handmade Bicycle Show Another beneficial initiative for framebuilders was the establishment in 2005 of a major annual get-together, the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS). Simply stated, the NAHBS is the Super Bowl for framebuilding entrepreneurs. In addition to being a trade show and exhibition, it also yields a yearly awards ceremony for the best products and handcrafted bicycles. Additionally, NAHBS acts as a showcase for academic and practical seminars and presentations, many given by influential builders on their craft. Don Walker founded NAHBS and also acts as the organization’s president. NAHBS’s greatest contributions to the industry are positive public relations, marketing, dissemination of information, and organization of the annual show. The annual event is the preeminent and largest handmade bike show in the world. “Since its first year in 2005, NAHBS has grown from a show with 23 exhibitors and 700 attendees, to a highwater mark of 172 exhibitors and 7,300 attendees in 2011. The overall trend from 2005–11 has been one of steady growth at a rate of 8 to 10 percent a year” (NAHBS, 2015). Business of Bike Building The “craft” of framebuilding aside, the “business” end of this industry is the critical piece in determining success and profitability for each (...truncated)


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Joshua Shuart. Framebuilder Entrepreneurship, New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, 2014, Volume 17, Issue 1,