Most custom builders are quite content to craft most of their frames in-house, taking off-the-shelf items such as dropouts, lugs, and other premade bits and integrating them into their own designs – oftentimes modifying them to suit. Drew Guldalian of Engin Cycles is a little different, however. With enough equipment in his facility to make even dedicated machine shops seem sparse (and the skills to deftly operate them), he isn’t just a frame builder; he’s a bespoke fabricator who just happens to use his gorgeous bikes as a showcase for his work.
Once known for his artful steel frames, Guldalian recently shifted to primarily titanium production, citing the material’s incredible durability, unique ride quality, and long-lasting performance as ideal attributes for a high-performance bike. He’s also one of the more obsessive builders out there, poring over details that another builder might be content to take as a given or buy off-the-shelf.
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Head tubes are machined in-house and incorporate beautiful reinforcing rings at the ends
That he mills his own head tubes and seat tube inserts isn’t entirely unique – there are other titanium builders that do this, too – but Guldalian also actually machines his own dropouts in-house, he butts his own tubing, and his optional custom seatposts even use heads that he designed himself.
In other words, if he can do it himself, he does, leaving only some special finishes and smaller fittings to third parties.
You can read more at BikeRadar.com
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