Those of you who have seen or heard of DeSalvo bicycle frames might be surprised to learn that it is literally a one-man operation. That man is Mike DeSalvo.
The Ashland (Oregon) Daily Tidings published an article on its hometown frame-builder recently, reporting that DeSalvo sells 110 to 130 bike frames a year from the shop in back of his home. He started in the bike biz at a Yreka, Calif., shop and honed his frame-building craft at the United Bicycle Institute in Ashland.
DeSalvo Custom Cycles displayed some of its frames, above, at Interbike in Las Vegas last month. He markets from his website and mails bike frames to customers around the world. DeSalvo told the newspaper:
“I hate to use the art analogy, but I really think people are drawn to different builders for their style.”
DeSalvo makes frames for road, mountain, cyclocross, singlespeed and track from steel and titanium. The frames get a custom paint job at Spectrum Powder Works in Colorado Springs, Colo.
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