a midway bikelog

Twin Cities area custom framebuilders

An evolving list of some local framebuilders in and around the Twin Cities (listed alphabetically). Sketchy info, i know, but most have websites if you want to know more.

Dave Anderson
St. Paul, MN. Lugged and filet brazed steel and carbon frames. Nice understated style to what looks like the standard paint job.

Bob Brown
website: http://bobbrowncycles.com/
St. Paul, MN. Super custom work such as lugged tandems, repairs and nice paint work. Builds the Route 29er production frames for The Route bike shop, using his own cool fork crown design. Builds lugged, filet brazed and welded steel. One of the (or maybe the) first builders in the country to make a lugged frame with the new Reynolds 953 stainless tubing. Does a fair bit of mountain bike and ‘cross racing locally with the Kenwoodies.

Capricorn Cycles
Brad Wilson
Home Phone: 414-238-4393
Work Address: 500 E 36th St Mpls 55408 (Purity Bakery Bldg)
Email: brad@capricornbicycles.com
Website (Blog): www.capricornbicycles.blogspot.com
Apparently an ex-Waterford framebuilder. Has this bike on the FGG, and some nice work on his blog.

Clockworks
Joel Greenblatt, Minneapolis, MN.
website: http://www.clockworkbikes.com
Filet brazed or lugged steel. Nice range of styles and ideas, like the one-piece stem/bars. I think i’ve seen one at local CX races.

Vincent Dominguez
St. Paul, MN
website: http://www.dominguezcycles.com/
Apprenticed with Wyganowski, now building on his own. I saw a guy riding a Dominguez fixed gear on the Greenway, turns out it was Vincent himself, commuting home on a beautiful day.

Curt Goodrich
website: http://curtgoodrich.com
St. Paul, MN. Builds for Rivendell, plus his own line of customs. One of the very best framebuilders in the country. Does a nice job with French bikes and randonneus bikes in particular. All steel, mostly lugged, some filet. Our commutes cross paths some days, i first met him at a stoplight along Summit Ave.

Chris Kvale
Minneapolis, MN. More racing-oriented road bikes, has been building since the ’70s. Lugged steel. Known for his amazing paper-thin lugwork.

Terry Osell
612-331-2723 (no web site)
Minneapolis, MN. Long-time local builder, not sure how much he’s still building. Lugged steel for sure, probably filet too. A neighborhood friend has a lovely touring bike from Osell with cool flying buttress lugs.

Peacock Groove
Erik Noren
website: http://www.peacockgroove.com
Odd name, cool bikes. Very custom work, lots and lots of pictures of one very cool bike on their site. I’ve seen two of his bikes this year (2007) at cyclocross races, very nice understated work. Great use of stainless for the logos, i like that effect.

Mark Stonich
website: http://bikesmithdesign.com
Minneapolis, MN. Long-time hobby framebuilder, well-known for his recumbents. Now retired into a more specialized career in metalwork and custom fittings. Has designed some very useful tools for 3-speed work.

Twin Cities area custom framebuilders

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