CLASSIC AMERICAN BICYCLES - the map
 

Hello everybody!
I am happy to share this last project of mine, in which I redesign and mapped 180 American brands.
This time I had the chance to go beyond Road and exlore some pioneers in MTB and MBX brands.
Hope you guys like this as you made for my other previous project (Italy, France and UK).

Printed version available on **********************

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1dbd75c7d1.jpg

Wow! Your research is astounding. I had no idea there were so many American manufacturers!

These must take a lot of research. :thumb:

While still looking for enough display space for your maps, I am tempted to order one of these just to see who that company is shown for College Park, MD.

Saw Huffman on there. Good man:thumb:

If he had gone back to the late 1800s, there would have been even more. It seemed like every small town had at least one blacksmith who converted from shoeing horses to making bicycles. When the automobile business stated taking off, some of those same companies converted again into making cars.

Maybe lighthouse cycles of Santa Ynez California missing?

Yes, you are correct! I mentioned some old manufaturers, like Pope and other builders from NY. But I eventually focused more on the after war period.

Proteus Design

Really? That's cool. I live near there, worked there for a time long ago, and rode with the Proteus Velo Club as recently as last Saturday... but the round blue logo looks unfamiliar.

Hello the logo came from the cover of their frambuilding guide book.

Very nice. I suggest that you might wish to include Ellis cycles in Franklin, Wisconsin. Dave Wages spent years making frames for Waterford before striking out on his own well over 10 years ago. He makes impeccably finished custom frames incorporating a wide range of technologies - from old school to through axle with disc brakes.

And of course Mike Appel.
EDIT - I see it now, as A.R.C.

There are quite a few great steel frame builders not on the map but I think "classic" limited the newer brands included. I'm not sure what the exact cut-off date was, but maybe the 90s?

Great work. Did I miss carbon piioneers Kestrel and Calfee? Both of them were (are?) based in Santa Cruz. Also Zipp and HED wheels- more carbon pioneers- based in Indianapolis and Minnesota.
Also, American Classic based in I believe Tampa, FL. True Temper in Memphis TN, SRAM in Chicago, Velocity wheels in Grand Rapids MI, Sun wheels. Terry who was a pioneer for women-specific bikes. Quintana Roo- pioneer in tri-bikes. Park Tools doesn't make bikes, but they make enough iconic bike tools to be worth a mention, right?

Wright brothers, Dayton, Oh?

Thanks for taking the time and effort to produce these. It looks like a great referral for the US makers.

However the majority of my American bikes are omitted.
Stan Johnson
Michael Johnson

And one that is irrelevant because he was just a hobbyist, building only 35 frames)

Joe McElroy

As usual, very nice work.

The one omission I noticed is David Kirk in Bozeman, Montana, he of the tree of Serotta and maker of incredibly nice frames.

The one that is there that blew me away was Clarence Witt in Hayward, California. He and his wife, Barbara (I'm 90% sure it's Barbara) had a smallish mom-and-pop retail shop (called "Witt's," not surprisingly) for years on Mission Blvd in Hayward and were sponsors of the Hayward Hubmen club. Truly wonderful people who were very nice, incredibly patient and not in the least bit condescending to a noob teen who knew next to nothing but had delusions of racing. They made it a point to see to it that I spent my few shekels on good, high-bang-for-the-buck stuff and not just what was most popular or most flashy. It felt like you were dealing with your next door neighbor, the one you trusted with a spare key to your house and invited you over for barbecues and helped make the neighborhood feel like home. Simply great people, the kind you were actively happy to do business with.

Barbara mostly did the front-of-the-store stuff and Clarence mostly did the wrenching. He was very good at coming up with creative solutions to problems - for example, he was the only one I know who would rivet TA cleats to Detto Pietro shoes for a very secure attachment. For a while in the mid and late 70s (maybe longer; I was off to jobs and college and didn't make it over the hill to their shop after that), he built and sold some frames. I have no idea how many, but it could not have been a lot as he was a one-man operation and had all the day-to-day bike shop stuff to do. A friend had one, and I remember it as being very nice.

Thanks for the happy memories.

WOW. Bio-Cam. Never heard seen that before and they were in Oklahoma of all places. What a wild design, I want to ride one!
BioCam, home

Peter Dreesens, Dreesens Bicycles in Pennsylvania, I miss it or I did'nt look good enough.

Jon Tallerico, Bay Area, CA
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...155a6eef56.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6051499612.jpg

Once again Andrea, your research and graphic design have blown me away!

Great to see BF member and C&V enthusiast Doug Fattic on the map, too!

I was born and raised in Cos Cob CT. I have never heard of Weyless Bicycles. From when to when and where? Anyone know?

Yes I noticed that unclear yellow logo next to Holland out of Baltimore

+1 !

Can add Habanero Cycles | 18 Buffum Street | Salem, MA | 01970
3Al / 2.5V Brushed Titanium Frames from $995