|
Sycip Designs (pronounced "see-sip")
P.O. Box 192421
San Francisco, California 94119-2421
Phone - 415.399.1142
Fax - 415.399.1148
Email
Ever wonder how a custom bicycle frame is built? We were curious too, so we went out and got some answers from a custom frame builder in San Francisco; Sycip Designs.
You don't see custom Sycip bikes on the road or trail too often, but there has got to be something great about them when they're the preferred choice of many local bike shop mechanics, bicycle industry folks and competitive cyclists.
Jeremy Sycip and his brother Jay run the show at Sycip Designs, located at the end of a pier that juts out into the San Francisco Bay. Their number one passion is building frames and riding them. So much so that in order to survive in the business of building frames, they also perform metal-working services such as making and repairing fixtures and furniture. When we asked Jeremy what he is most proud of as proprietor of Sycip Designs, he said, "That I'm able to build custom frames and see the customer enjoys riding the bike."
Jeremy left art school to pursue frame building. To get his feet wet in the industry he held an apprenticeship at a custom frame builder based in Santa Cruz, California; Rock Lobster Cycles. After some hands-on experience there, he took lessons from master frame builder, Albert Eisentraut at the United Bicycle Institute (UBI). After completing the training program at UBI, Jeremy got more hands-on experience at Rock Lobster before moving on to found Sycip Designs in 1992. His brother Jay, who shares the same passion for cycling and the art of frame building, is a co-founder of the company. Jay has a degree in art and runs the business with Jeremy.
Sycip Designs offers a high level of customization. They build road, mountain, cyclocross and tandem bikes. Their frame material of choice is steel (Reynolds, Ritchey, Columbus, Dedaccai). They offer various weld types such as tig, fillet-brazed and lugged. They'll even customize the lugs to suit your taste and style. Other useful offerings are cable loops welded onto the head tube (prevents the shifter cable from scratching the paint) and additional braze-ons for touring gear. Each frame is hand finished with creative touches, such as powder-coat paint, custom paint jobs and really cool-looking Sycip decals.
|
