SF Bay Area frame repairers

I need to have new rear dropouts installed on my Rivendell (steel frame). Does anyone know of a very
good Bay Area builder who could do this? I've left several messages with Paul Taylor and Ed Litton
to no avail and I need my frame fixed ASAP. Paint does not matter in this.

 

On 18 Feb 2004 15:55:50 -0800, [email protected] (Ace Mechanic) wrote:

>I need to have new rear dropouts installed on my Rivendell (steel frame). Does anyone know of a
>very good Bay Area builder who could do this? I've left several messages with Paul Taylor and Ed
>Litton to no avail and I need my frame fixed ASAP. Paint does not matter in this.

I keep hearing good things about Bernie Mikkelsen-

http://www.mikkelsenframes.com/pages/803200/index.htm

Use the phone, not email, if you want to reach him quickly.

I haven't used him yet, but I did speak to him about redoing some dropouts, adding braze-ons, etc.
He is happy to do this kind of work.

 

[email protected] (Ace Mechanic) wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> I need to have new rear dropouts installed on my Rivendell (steel frame). Does anyone know of a
> very good Bay Area builder who could do this? I've left several messages with Paul Taylor and Ed
> Litton to no avail and I need my frame fixed ASAP. Paint does not matter in this.

Er, why wouldn't you want to talk to Rivendell in Walnut Creek?

--
Doug Goodwin YMMV

The thing about the cold is that you can never tell how cold it is from looking out a kitchen
window. You have to dress up, get out training and when you come back, you then know how cold it is.
--Sean Kelly

 

On 19 Feb 2004 01:50:08 GMT, Doug G <[email protected]> wrote:

>[email protected] (Ace Mechanic) wrote in news:[email protected]:
>
>> I need to have new rear dropouts installed on my Rivendell (steel frame). Does anyone know of a
>> very good Bay Area builder who could do this? I've left several messages with Paul Taylor and Ed
>> Litton to no avail and I need my frame fixed ASAP. Paint does not matter in this.
>
>Er, why wouldn't you want to talk to Rivendell in Walnut Creek?

fear of excommunication?

 

"Dan Daniel" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 18 Feb 2004 15:55:50 -0800, [email protected] (Ace Mechanic) wrote:
>
> >I need to have new rear dropouts installed on my Rivendell (steel frame). Does anyone know of a
> >very good Bay Area builder who could do this? I've left several messages with Paul Taylor and Ed
> >Litton to no avail and I need my frame fixed ASAP. Paint does not matter in this.
>
> I keep hearing good things about Bernie Mikkelsen-
>
> http://www.mikkelsenframes.com/pages/803200/index.htm
>
> Use the phone, not email, if you want to reach him quickly.
>
> I haven't used him yet, but I did speak to him about redoing some dropouts, adding braze-ons, etc.
> He is happy to do this kind of work.

A couple of other builders in the Bay Area you can contact:

Albert Eisentraut, Oakland - Ph/FAX: (510)452-4485 http://www.eisentraut.com

Brent Steelman, Redwood City - 650/364.3939 http://www.steelmancycles.com

 

On 19 Feb 2004 01:50:08 GMT, Doug G <[email protected]> wrote:

>[email protected] (Ace Mechanic) wrote in news:[email protected]:
>
>> I need to have new rear dropouts installed on my Rivendell (steel frame). Does anyone know of a
>> very good Bay Area builder who could do this? I've left several messages with Paul Taylor and Ed
>> Litton to no avail and I need my frame fixed ASAP. Paint does not matter in this.
>
>Er, why wouldn't you want to talk to Rivendell in Walnut Creek?

Sounds to me that he wants to get it back ASAP. Rivendell is not a frame builder. It is a frame
designer and marketer, and others build the frames. It would probably be a hunk of time, shipping
out and back to the actual frame builder.

Then again, why doesn't he call Rivendell and have them recommend someone? They should know all the
decent frame builders in the Bay Area..... Something fishy in the serial number? Oh well, wherever
he goes, they will probably run a quick check on the number if they have any doubts.

 

Paint does not matter to a Rivendell owner? This DOES sound fishy.

What kind of event makes new dropouts necessary but doesn't damage the seat stays?

 

"Ace Mechanic" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I need to have new rear dropouts installed on my Rivendell (steel frame). Does anyone know of a
> very good Bay Area builder who could do this? I've left several messages with Paul Taylor and Ed
> Litton to no avail and I need my frame fixed ASAP. Paint does not matter in this.

Steel and Bernie are both good. Bernie's shop is in the old Alameda Naval Air Station and Steel is
over on the SF Peninsula someplace and he advertises in Velonews. Both do spectacular work. You can
also call Stone's Bicycle Shop in Alameda and ask Dennis for a recommendation.

Chris Kelly in Oakland used to do repairs but I haven't seen him in a couple of years so I don't
know if he's still active.

You MIGHT be able to talk Clarence Witt in Hayward to do it. Witt's Bicycle Shop.

But your first thought was the best. For my money Ed Litton is the best. He does excellent repairs
and can do factory-like paint as well.

 

On 18 Feb 2004 15:55:50 -0800, [email protected] (Ace Mechanic) wrote:

>I need to have new rear dropouts installed on my Rivendell (steel frame). Does anyone know of a
>very good Bay Area builder who could do this? I've left several messages with Paul Taylor and Ed
>Litton to no avail and I need my frame fixed ASAP. Paint does not matter in this.

Talk to Jon Tallerico. He is at The Bicycle Outfitter in Los Altos. He has been doing some frame
mods/repairs for Rivendell, so certain he can handle it.

 

Rick Warner <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> On 18 Feb 2004 15:55:50 -0800, [email protected] (Ace Mechanic) wrote:
>
> >I need to have new rear dropouts installed on my Rivendell (steel frame). Does anyone know of a
> >very good Bay Area builder who could do this? I've left several messages with Paul Taylor and Ed
> >Litton to no avail and I need my frame fixed ASAP. Paint does not matter in this.
>
> Talk to Jon Tallerico. He is at The Bicycle Outfitter in Los Altos. He has been doing some frame
> mods/repairs for Rivendell, so certain he can handle it.

Thanks for the tip. I'll call Jon and Ed Litton and see what happens. To answer a few questions:

First thing I did was call Grant at Rivendell. This is my third Rivendell frame so I have talked
with Grant before. I'm not the original owner so I did not expect Rivendell to fix the frame for me;
I was calling to get suggestions. He mentioned Ed Litton, who did call me back last night. I rode
this frame as a fixed gear for several years which is probably why the right side drop out finally
broke. As for the serial number /paint doesn't matter fishieness, the BB has a stamp that says
"EVEREST"; maybe the builder at Waterford? I'm going with a Joe Bell paint job after the frame gets
fixed. I just don't need a repair AND a paint job.

Ace

 

Bell does great paint jobs but Ed is also a master. But you have to tell him what you want.

Tom

"Ace Mechanic" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Rick Warner <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > On 18 Feb 2004 15:55:50 -0800, [email protected] (Ace Mechanic) wrote:
> >
> > >I need to have new rear dropouts installed on my Rivendell (steel frame). Does anyone know of a
> > >very good Bay Area builder who could do this? I've left several messages with Paul Taylor and
> > >Ed Litton to no avail and I need my frame fixed ASAP. Paint does not matter in this.
> >
> > Talk to Jon Tallerico. He is at The Bicycle Outfitter in Los Altos. He has been doing some frame
> > mods/repairs for Rivendell, so certain he can handle it.
>
> Thanks for the tip. I'll call Jon and Ed Litton and see what happens. To answer a few questions:
>
> First thing I did was call Grant at Rivendell. This is my third Rivendell frame so I have talked
> with Grant before. I'm not the original owner so I did not expect Rivendell to fix the frame for
> me; I was calling to get suggestions. He mentioned Ed Litton, who did call me back last night. I
> rode this frame as a fixed gear for several years which is probably why the right side drop out
> finally broke. As for the serial number /paint doesn't matter fishieness, the BB has a stamp that
> says "EVEREST"; maybe the builder at Waterford? I'm going with a Joe Bell paint job after the
> frame gets fixed. I just don't need a repair AND a paint job.
>
> Ace

 

20 Feb 2004 09:22:03 -0800,
<[email protected]>, [email protected]
(Ace Mechanic) wrote:

>the BB has a stamp that says "EVEREST"; maybe the builder at Waterford?

The maker of the casting.
--
zk

 

>Steel and Bernie are both good. Bernie's shop is in the old Alameda Naval Air Station and Steel is
>over on the SF Peninsula someplace and he advertises in Velonews.

That would be Bernie Mikkelson for those unable to read Mr. K's mind over the net.

Chris Neary [email protected]

"Cycle tracks will abound in Utopia" - H.G. Wells

 

Sat, 21 Feb 2004 00:15:27 GMT,
<[email protected]>,
Chris Neary <[email protected] > wrote:

>>Steel and Bernie are both good. Bernie's shop is in the old Alameda Naval Air Station and Steel is
>>over on the SF Peninsula someplace and he advertises in Velonews.
>
>That would be Bernie Mikkelson for those unable to read Mr. K's mind over the net.

Curses, foiled by the beanie.
--
zk

 

"Zoot Katz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sat, 21 Feb 2004 00:15:27 GMT, <[email protected]>, Chris Neary
> <[email protected] > wrote:
>
> >>Steel and Bernie are both good. Bernie's shop is in the old Alameda
Naval
> >>Air Station and Steel is over on the SF Peninsula someplace and he advertises in Velonews.
> >
> >That would be Bernie Mikkelson for those unable to read Mr. K's mind over the net.
>
> Curses, foiled by the beanie.

And Brent Steelman for those unaware of him as well.

The San Francisco bay area has a surfeit of good frame builders. Remember that Calfee is a custom
carbon bike shop as well.

But my choice for all around factory-like work is Ed Litton.