# Gary Helfrich tandem



## fat chance guy (Jan 15, 2004)

Last week I had a chance to meet a very nice couple with their Helfrich titanium (what else?) road bike. They live in Oakland, CA so perhaps some of you folks in the Bay Area already know them and their bike? They were visiting family here in NC and brought their tandem along (!), makes perfect sense to me.

Anyway, a very cool bike, I did not know that Gary ever did tandems, they told me that this was number 8 of 8. Apparently Gary still resides in Camp Meeker but has nothing to do with the bike world.

Any other Helrich bikes out there?

rick


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## flyingsuperpetis (Jan 16, 2004)

*gurglegurglegurgle...*

Holy Moly. Did the welds look like his Ibis stem welds? I can't even imagine it. A whole TANDEM! I mean I can, but no, no I can't... Truly awesome work. I've dreamed about a helfrich hardtail done in that way. Anyone have any pics of a Helfrich frame?


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## GonaSovereign (Sep 20, 2004)

flyingsuperpetis said:


> Holy Moly. Did the welds look like his Ibis stem welds? I can't even imagine it. A whole TANDEM! I mean I can, but no, no I can't... Truly awesome work. I've dreamed about a helfrich hardtail done in that way. Anyone have any pics of a Helfrich frame?


Wish I had pics of the Helfrich-built Merlin I saw back in '88. My girlfriend's dad has two nice, long 140 Arctos Machine (Helfrich's company in the late '90's) stems, if you want a snap of those. Mighty nice.


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## flyingsuperpetis (Jan 16, 2004)

Oh yeah, I'd love to see them!


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## scant (Jan 5, 2004)

if there could be a lengendary stem,.. that is it.. look forward to pics


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## GonaSovereign (Sep 20, 2004)

scant said:


> if there could be a lengendary stem,.. that is it.. look forward to pics


I'll snap a couple pics next time I'm over there.

Geoff


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## GonaSovereign (Sep 20, 2004)

As promised, two Arctos Machine road stems, both 140 and (surprisingly) torsionally rigid. One is on a Merlin, the other on a Mariposa. Don't ask what they cost. These are both pre-Ibis, before Helfrich passed on the knowledge and stopped making them.


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## fat chance guy (Jan 15, 2004)

*Helfrich tandem*



flyingsuperpetis said:


> Holy Moly. Did the welds look like his Ibis stem welds? I can't even imagine it. A whole TANDEM! I mean I can, but no, no I can't... Truly awesome work. I've dreamed about a helfrich hardtail done in that way. Anyone have any pics of a Helfrich frame?


Actually the welds were not quite as dreamy as on the Helfrich stems that I have seen. The bike had an interesting story. Over the course of a few years the customers would ride the bike during the season and send it back to Gary to tweak during the winter. I believe they said that it took two years to get the bike originally and another two years to reach it's finished state.

I know someone else out in CA that has a Helfrich MTB, supposedly the first that he made after going west. I don't know if he has pictures but I'll ask.

I corresponded with Gary back in 90 or 91 about buying a stem (pre-Ibis) for my Wicked but never went through with it. I sure wish that I had though, now all that I have is his letter.


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## JAK (Jan 6, 2004)

*yup,*



fat chance guy said:


> Last week I had a chance to meet a very nice couple with their Helfrich titanium (what else?) road bike. They live in Oakland, CA so perhaps some of you folks in the Bay Area already know them and their bike? They were visiting family here in NC and brought their tandem along (!), makes perfect sense to me.
> 
> Anyway, a very cool bike, I did not know that Gary ever did tandems, they told me that this was number 8 of 8. Apparently Gary still resides in Camp Meeker but has nothing to do with the bike world.
> 
> ...


...not mine, but a buddy of mine has a purdy Helfrich MTB that he singlespeeds on. It is hella flexy. One of Gary's first frames. It has been repaired at least once in the last 7 or so years on one of the chainstays. the welds are of the super-polished type and it almost looks fillet brazed. Supposedly it was built with tubes taken from an old airplane frame...It is a sight...


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## Fillet-brazed (Jan 13, 2004)

JAK said:


> ...not mine, but a buddy of mine has a purdy Helfrich MTB that he singlespeeds on. It is hella flexy. One of Gary's first frames. It has been repaired at least once in the last 7 or so years on one of the chainstays. the welds are of the super-polished type and it almost looks fillet brazed. Supposedly it was built with tubes taken from an old airplane frame...It is a sight...


Can you supply a pic? Ive got an old magazine with one of the early Helfrich/Merlin/Marin mountain bikes from 87. Its got a neat ti fork and a ti bullmoose on it too. I'll try and get some pics.


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