noglider 

I love the various styles that the different nationalities have. And there is certainly a lot to be said about the small production American makers!

merziac

2020 Strawberry by Dave Levy at TiCycles, built with Andy's full blessing, parts, input and help.

bikemig 

I picked up this 48 cm Gangl today. It's beautiful and has very few miles. Campy hubs and headset; Shimano 600 crank, pedals, derailleurs, and brakes.

Doug Fattic 

If I wasn't a frame builder myself I would have either Rich or Jeff Bock in Iowa where you live build me a frame. Rich is more race or performance oriented while Jeff focuses more on all the other the other kind of bikes we enjoy. They are both master painters as well.

gios

Who are some good steel frame makers that are still active?

polymorphself 

JP Weigle is a big one. Check out his Flickr.

Dfrost 

Two that I’d consider if I was in the market:

Jeff Lyon in Oregon
https://www.lyonsport.com
Also check his Flickr album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/30361758@N08/

Terraferma Cycles
Terraferma Cycles

Pretty sure Richard Sachs is building, but the waiting list goes out years, I’ve heard.
https://www.richardsachs.com

merziac

The man in the post right before yours is a great place to start, and he makes a couple of great recommendations as well.

There are lots of great builders, we have many here in PDX where it has been going on for the better part of 50 years.

Look up NAHBS and go through the list there and research the ones that pique your interest.

My PDX short list would include Mark DiNucci, In Sisters OR now but started in PDX, Dave Levy at TiCycles, built my new Strawberry when Andy bowed out, Joseph Aherne, Chris Igleheart, Ira Ryan, Tony Pereira, Rob Kamzelski of Bantam bikes, came from Bilenky, and Vanilla.

There are others, we have been an epicenter of frame building since the early 70's when Andy Newlands of Strawberry, Mark DiNucci and Jim Merz started building here.

pcb 

Last I heard Richard Sachs' order book was closed. He's building what's left in the order book, and his team stuff, then no more.

squirtdad

dave kirk is top of my list if i ever do it Kirk Frameworks | Custom Bicycles super nice builds and Joe bell paint

If I were to do local I know these guys https://www.silvacycles.com/ in a perfect world I would get 2 bikes one kirk and one silva not happening

pcb 

Gee whiz, a lot of water under the bridge since this thread started! Looking back over what I've posted here, spun off a bunch, converted a few, and only picked up a couple more.

Found new homes for: Weigle Special, Kellogg Spectrum, Kelly Knobby-X, Kelly Bonestock, Mikkelsen Special Road and the Peter Mooney. I had already sold the Redcay, and Merziac had snagged my Bruce Gordon.

The Kvale, Columbine/Green, Kirk Terraplane and Zanc all went 1x, and little bit weight-weenie.

The DiNucci briefly had a full-on sportif build with fenders, for Peter Weigle's French Fender Day.

The Columbine/Silver went almost full vintage.

Only sold the Weigle Special 'cause of tire clearance, so I didn't turn down an '82 Weigle Sportif when it presented itself. And I missed the Knobby-X, so I snagged another one. That's pretty much it for new US builder bikes. I lost focus and let in a few UK/Euro blokes...

Not sure I posted my '76 Strawberry/DiNucci, so I'll throw one of those up. It's disassembled now, was planning a repaint, not sure now if I want to just have the fork resprayed to match the original paint, or have the whole thing resprayed. I don't mind plain-ish paint schemes, and I like leaving original paint alone when it's not trashed, but between the mis-matching fork paint and no downtube decal...I dunno, I think it should be prettier. Mark wants me to repaint it, I guess that should count for something.

'82 Columbine/Green: 1x, 21.6lbs w/rear rack


'82 Columbine/Silver: vintage build, '82-'85ish Campy & Modolo, w/Merz Tripelizer



'83 DiNucci; w/fenders



'05 Kirk Terraplane: 1x, 20.9lbs w/fenders



'78 Kvale: 1x, 18.9lbs



'06 Zanconato: 1x, 21.5lbs



'76 Strawberry/DiNucci



New-To-Me Kelly Knobby-X, 95ish? 1x, 20.6lbs



New-To-Me '82 Weigle, all JEX Suntour/Sugino/Dia-Compe now, still has some Campy leftovers in photo; I think this was the build for French Fender Day. The Campy crank w/Merz tripelizer went to the silver Columbine.

beicster 

84 Paramount Touring. It does not currently have fenders.
https://Untitled by Andy Beichler, on Flickr

bikemig 

I live in Des Moines. I know Jeff Bock slightly. I see his bikes out on the road. They're beautiful. I had never heard of Gangl bikes before one popped up for sale locally. The bike is radically too small at me at 48 cm which is too bad. The workmanship on it is beautiful

bikemig 

I have 3 custom US built bikes, only one of which is a long-term keeper. I have a Mike Melton touring bike that I bought in a bike shop I used to work in. It is one of the best riding bikes I have ever owned. I also have a Davidson and a Gangl both of which I need to move on one of these days. The Davidson is my size; the Gangl is not.

Kabuki12

1982 Medici Pro Strada




My only American bike, and I love it. I call it Halloween!

Kabuki12

I agree about the Medici. I have a 1982 and have fallen in love with the way it rides. I am waiting for the engraved stem like you have to arrive. Mine is a 1982 as well and yes, the paint is fabulous mine still shines nicely and yours is exquisite! Hail Team Medici! Joe

tacreamer

Born in Kentucky 2014


Alex Meade Stainless Steel Randonnuer

mstateglfr 

As Doug Fattic mentioned just above, Jeff Bock is one who isnt well known, but is fantastic.
He built full time long ago and did race bikes as well as touring and commuter styles. Then taught school for decades and built on the side. So that plus what seems like a lack of desire to market and be better known has meant he isn't a common name.
Recent styles are mostly rando/touring/commute. And he does refinishing in older bikes.
His thinned lugs are so smooth and his attention to detail is top notch.

I've seen lots of his work thru the years and its all incredible.
The bike below is mine that I built in a class he taught a few years ago. He painted it once the frame and fork were finished.

PhotonDon

With apologies to Mr Collins

nlerner

Currently I have two American-made bikes in the stable:

Milwaukee Bicycle Company, made by Waterford, single speed:



John Clay of Tallahassee, FL, 650b sport tourer:

SuperLJ

Here's my contribution - a 2016 Nobilette.

I spent many years collecting parts for what would be my "ultimate" bike, financing them almost entirely by selling stuff on eBay. As far a ride quality and handling, I knew I wanted the new bike to match my favorite vintage ride, a '78 Andre Bertin C35. To that end, with the help of an ace bike mechanic friend of mine we carefully measuresed and re-measured the Bertin. The only nod to modernity is that the top tube slopes up 1.5 degrees, so that I can get the bars up where my aged back needs them to be.

There were a few builders on my short list, but I decided to go with Mark Nobilette because he seemed like he'd be easy to work with, his prices were reasonable, and his waiting list wasn't years long. I'm sure most of you are familiar with Mark, but just in case, here's a quick bio: He attended one of Albert Eisentraut's first frame building classes (along with Bruce Gordon!) and became Albert's apprentice. Mark later ventured out on his own, and has been building frames under his own name since the mid-70's. He also builds all of the custom Rivendells, and the reincarnated Rene Hereses.

I the end, I was so glad I went with him. Someone once said that Mark has the "highest ratio of competence to humility" of any professional that they had ever met. I couldn't agree more.

aprieto28

1992 Schwinn Parmount

aprieto28

1992 Schwinn Parmount

Markeologist

bikemig 

I've been riding and tinkering with my Melton touring bike. It's more of a fast day bike than a full on touring bike but it has rack braze ons, a pump peg, and 3 water bottle braze ons. It is one of the best riding bikes I have ever owned.