Friday, March 4, 2011

MPLS at NAHBS: Anderson Custom Cycles

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Easily my favorite builder at the show this year was David Anderson who builds out of Oakdale (a suburb of St.Paul) Minnesota. To tell you the truth I was pretty shocked that this dude existed. How a master frame builder living and working in my adopted hometown for the past 15 years escaped me I'll never know, and when I started asking other people about him they all were blank too. Apparently this guy flies well below the radar, and was just coming out into the sunlight for his first NAHBS.

I spoke with David briefly at NAHBS and he has been building full time out of his home workshop since '95, builds standard steel but people only seem to order stainless, has his own paint booth and has a year wait on his framesets.

Take a look, there is just something so clean and compelling about his bikes that I can barely stand it.
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lugged stainless - so immaculate, no hint of silver or brass (I don't know which they use to braze stainless)

look at those lugs, so lovely

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Check the nice front derailleur cable adjuster. That finish? Hand brushed to a beautiful satin. He says it takes him two days to brush out a frame to his liking.

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chain guide to protect the stays in case of droppage

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lugged stainless, it's unbelievable

go to his website for more info