Only Burley and Rodriguez?

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08-02-2006, 11:19 AM
KnottedYet

Only Burley and Rodriguez?

Are Burley and Rodriguez the only all-steel production (not custom) frames made in the US?

The Rivendell production bikes (Atlantis, Rambouillet, etc) are utterly beautiful, but for the same price as one of those frames made by hand in another country I can buy an entire bike with a frame made by hand here. (well, let me amend that. I could buy an entire Burley and almost an entire Rodriguez.)

Not that I'm dissing a bike frame made in Japan! The Riv site says they are very particular about the work done by the Osaka company, and that they follow Riv designs to the letter.

No, my interest in a US made frame is that I feel the US manufacturing industry is waaaay too focussed on cars and we need to be producing more bikes.

Besides, locally grown frame builders have a James Dean aura that makes me swoon.....

Are there any other companies? (not custom. I can't afford custom)
08-02-2006, 11:24 AM
mimitabby

you can go used (buy a used bike) like i did.
08-02-2006, 11:25 AM
KnottedYet

But what other brands (new or used) are steel and made in the US?
08-02-2006, 11:33 AM
SadieKate

Off the top of my head, Gunnar and Kelly. Gunnar is still in production. Kelly is not but you might find a used frame.

As of a few weeks ago, Kelly still had some frames.
http://www.kellybike.com/2nd_rr_gobsale.html
08-02-2006, 11:37 AM
Eden

I couldn't find anything on their web site about where the bikes are made, but how about Surly? They are known for their minimalist steel frame bikes that are reasonably priced. For the most part they don't offer full bikes - just the frames and you add the components.
08-02-2006, 11:40 AM
tulip

Luna makes custom, but also pre-built. $2000 is what you'll pay, which is cheaper than custom, but may be over your budget. They are made in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Most bikes are not made in Japan, but in Taiwan. I've found the quality of my Jamis to be exceptional. And it's steel.
08-02-2006, 11:42 AM
KnottedYet

Is this not a beaut of a bike? I guess that bluish-white is the "color of the month"

http://www.gunnarbikes.com/sport.php

Most of my bikes have been made in Taiwan, too. Rivendell's production bikes are made by Toyo in Osaka, Japan. I loooved the Jamis I rode. That bike is gonna be my benchmark against which I measure all the other full-steels as I work my way toward getting a bike next year.
LBS told me both Surly and Soma are made in China.

I guess it's good that I can't afford to buy my new bike yet, because it gives me the chance to savor all the options out there. (and save more money as I wait)
08-02-2006, 11:45 AM
mimitabby

good luck even finding aluminum frames actually built in the USA!
you've been to freerange cycle, they have some steel frame bikes there; cool bikes..i forget the name though.
08-02-2006, 11:46 AM
mimitabby

Quote:

Originally Posted by KnottedYet

Is this not a beaut of a bike? I guess that bluish-white is the "color of the month"

http://www.gunnarbikes.com/sport.php

looks like mother's milk!
08-02-2006, 11:50 AM
Bikingmomof3

What about Trek?
08-02-2006, 11:52 AM
KnottedYet

How cool! Already TE is coming up with production steel frames made in the US, you guys are awesome.

So far we've got:
Kelly, Gunnar, Burley, and Rodriguez

Mimi- The Jamis I rode was at Free Range. They didn't have any steel made in the US.

I can't make Trek's website work on my Mac. I know my Trek 570 was made in Taiwan (ooooh, I never should've sold it!!), does anyone know where the Trek 520 is made?
08-02-2006, 11:53 AM
SadieKate

Doesn't Trek use aluminum and carbon only?
08-02-2006, 11:55 AM
Eden

They still make a touring bike (the 520) in steel - but somehow I doubt that it is still made here. I think they only do their highest end carbon here now.
08-02-2006, 11:57 AM
SalsaMTB

Ionic Bikes is a steel bike manufacturer, owned and operated as the same guys as Dean (dean is Ti, Ionic is steel). They offer custom and non-custom. They make phenominal frames, but their wait times are really long. One word of advice, do not trust the time they quote you on the phone. Your bike will be forever at the paint shop. People who have them, swear they are worth the wait though

www.ionicbikes.com
08-02-2006, 11:58 AM
SadieKate

As far as I know Inglis and Retrotec do their own production frames. I totally have the hots for a Retrotec road frame. Snap and I were drooling all over these at the Handmade Bike Show.

http://www.ingliscycles.com/
08-02-2006, 12:01 PM
SalsaMTB

Also,

If you are looking for an offroad frame, rocky mountain and cove are built in Canada

Thought of another road steel not fully custom builder...

www.viciouscycles.com
08-02-2006, 12:07 PM
Fredwina

Bike Fridays (execpt for the "Air" models) are steel and made in Eugene, OR. Granted, they are not "mainstream" models, but I wouldn't have a problem with using mine as an everyday bike. They do now offer some stock models.
08-02-2006, 02:42 PM
Bikingmomof3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eden

They still make a touring bike (the 520) in steel - but somehow I doubt that it is still made here. I think they only do their highest end carbon here now.

From what the Trek guys told me and what I can access from the site, they are made in Wisconsin. Granted I could be wrong. When we lived there we went to the production facility, which was cool.
08-02-2006, 03:00 PM
Eden

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bikingmomof3

From what the Trek guys told me and what I can access from the site, they are made in Wisconsin. Granted I could be wrong. When we lived there we went to the production facility, which was cool.

That's cool - I know they used to make all of their bikes here, but I'd heard they moved most of the production overseas. I'm pretty sure all of the really high end bikes are made here still, since they are not allowed to send the really high grade CF overseas. I couldn't find anything on the web site about where each bike was made, but perhaps I've heard wrong and they still make all of them here.
08-02-2006, 03:13 PM
WrensMom

Wow, check out the photo book at the Vicious Cycles website! Those are too cool! I have this custom paint job in my mind--black cherry metallic, with little cherries on it. Someday...
08-02-2006, 03:14 PM
jeannierides

I have a Gunnar Roadie, and it's made in the US by Waterford. I love it.
http://www.gunnarbikes.com/roadie.php
08-02-2006, 03:21 PM
Trekhawk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eden

That's cool - I know they used to make all of their bikes here, but I'd heard they moved most of the production overseas. I'm pretty sure all of the really high end bikes are made here still, since they are not allowed to send the really high grade CF overseas. I couldn't find anything on the web site about where each bike was made, but perhaps I've heard wrong and they still make all of them here.

No you are right they did move production overseas. Not sure about the top end stuff. I have a 2005 Trek 5000 and apparently this was the last year this model was made in the USA.
08-02-2006, 03:23 PM
BleeckerSt_Girl

Is it important whether the steel itself was made in the US, or only that the frame was put-together in the US?
08-02-2006, 05:58 PM
Quillfred

What about this nice Seattle company.....

http://www.davidsonbicycles.com/html/home.shtml

Not exactly chopped liva.....:p
08-02-2006, 06:51 PM
KnottedYet

Hmmmm, yet another made in the US steel bike! Woohoo! I've hit the jackpot!

You guys are too awesome!

I spent an interesting half hour or so at R+E (home of Rodriguez) talking to Smiley about bikes. Made right here in Seattle! So, the Rodriguez Adventure ($2,200 with Campy Mirage) sounds like my Rodriguez. Right down to the bottle opener on the chain stay. (gotta be able to open those Red Hook ESB's!)

That was the first stop of the afternoon. Second stop was the bank, ain't enough money in my "bike acct" for wheels, let alone a bike yet. But it will get there. I deposited another $100 today.

Third stop was the dentist. Oh, crud. I need a root canal and a crown. Preliminary estimate: $3,600. First words out of my mouth: "That's more than a Rodriguez with full Campy Veloce!" (aka $2,800) My dentist is a biker, so he understood. And he sympathized.

The tooth is structually pretty ok with a stable big crack down the root, it's just the pain. How long can I stand the pain? I haven't chewed on that side in about 3 years. What's another year or two anyway? A couple beers (Red Hook ESB, of course) and the pain eases up. Will my dental insurance pay for a Rodriguez since I can use the bottle opener chain stay to get to the beer which dulls the pain of the cracked tooth?
08-02-2006, 07:21 PM
mimitabby

Knotted,
I am glad you talked to Smiley, I like him. He fitted us to our tandem. Never missed a step.
After drooling over the Rivendell Ramboulet for years DH decided to get a locally made bike instead (Sunday) so he put in an order for a Davidson; steel of course.. That's down at Elliott Bay Bikes.

Keep saving your money... And I hope your dental insurance pays for most of that tooth!
08-03-2006, 05:21 AM
SalsaMTB

For some reason, I think I read in a magazine recently that Lemond steel frames are built in the US, but not positive.

If you can save up for your local builder, definitely go for that! I ride a quiring right now and love it. Supporting a local building makes spending the money a lot easiers I have found!
08-03-2006, 05:35 AM
SalsaMTB

Quote:

Originally Posted by WrensMom

Wow, check out the photo book at the Vicious Cycles website! Those are too cool! I have this custom paint job in my mind--black cherry metallic, with little cherries on it. Someday...

Have you ever looked at the Spectrum Powder Works website.

Very nice pictures of paint jobs.

http://www.spectrumpowderworks.com/SPWPictures.php
08-03-2006, 05:35 AM
jeannierides

Knotted, my SO found my Gunnar frame on EBay - for $450 - then built it up himself with Campy, Thomson, Chris King - and the handmade pink wheels! It probably rounds up to around 2 grand, but there are other components that are good, that aren't as pricey as some of those.... just a thought...:rolleyes: (Of course, if I lived in a place where someone actually built beautiful bikes - I'd probably save my money and go there too!):p
08-03-2006, 06:20 AM
KnottedYet

I can't seem to make a link directly to the Rodriguez Adventure, but here's the website. At the moment, the Adventure is the first bike to pop up when you hit the link for "Touring Bikes" on the left of the page.

www.rodcycle.com

And they are made a mere 3/4 mile from where I used to live! (about 10 miles from where I am now.)
08-03-2006, 06:39 AM
mimitabby

I found a few more steel bike makers on that Paint website
here's one:

http://www.desalvocycles.com/
08-03-2006, 07:28 AM
Eden

Another place that makes really sweet steel bikes (and is also right here in Seattle) is Hampsten Cycles - yes as in Andy Hampsten. They make a lovely super light steel bike.

www.hampsten.com
08-03-2006, 11:50 AM
Trek420

More bikes ....

Canadian hand made bike:

Marinoni cycles, they are lovely!

US:

De la Santa (I think he's in Nevada) my LBS has a loaner I've used when my baby's being worked on. It's a good thing it's just a little too big for me. :rolleyes: