Framebuilder Entrepreneurship
Retrieved September
Framebuilder Entrepreneurship
Joshua Shuart 0
0 Sacred Heart University
Part of the Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Commons
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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)