New IF Shots

More new paint shots rolling out of the factory in New Market.  I swear, these guys keep getting better and better, and I never thought it possible.  Well done fellas.

A beautiful blue/white scheme on a Crown Jewel.  Maybe a little busy for my taste on a classic steel bike, but I can certainly understand why someone would like this.

This shot just opens a new world of ideas.  I'm a pretty toned-down-paint-scheme kind of guy, but a row of bikes showing color like this makes me yearn for something bright.

Personally I wouldn't ride a bike with the Lion of Flanders prominently displayed like this per my request, but for the right person this could be really cool.  Of course it's done well, and much like the blue/white Crown Jewel, I can appreciate it.

New IF Shots

A few new shots have recently made their way out of Independent Fabrication HQ I thought I'd share...

First up is an SSR MAX with blue/gray panels beautifully painted.  My love runs deep for the SSR having owned one in the past and currently riding an SSR MAX made like this one.  The panels turned out beautiful, though I'm still hung up on raw.

Another SSR MAX with an interesting 3/4 paint with well-executed jersey panels incorporating some raw stripes showing through.

A silver Corvid caps things off nicely.  Again, I'm personally a fan of raw on this carbon frame, but the silver turned out much better than I would have expected.  The new script is all class and I can't help but to assume once built this bike will be stunning.

That's it for now....

New Build: Stan's NoTubes Crest 29 to DT Swiss 240s Mountain Wheels

When an email came in for a new Niner Air9 Carbon, I knew special wheels were needed.  This bike is going to a great home that already has a beautiful Independent Fabrication SSR that we built a while back.  That SSR is sporting some DT Swiss wheels we built (not pictured), and since the rider was so happy with them the natural choice was 240s hubs for this new build.

Actually, lets check out this IF SSR.  Custom paint all over, tons of little custom touches, Super Record:

Now you see where we were starting and why these wheels needed to be something nice.  The choice of a rear 240s hub is simple.  DT Swiss engagement and quality are well known, there's no debate there.  The front 240s hub is also a perfect match for the SID XX fork since it has a 15mm Maxle thru axle.

The wheels were built with DT Swiss Competition spokes laced 3x all the way around.  Competition spokes offer light weight and excellent durability and stiffness.  DT Swiss ProLoc black brass nipples were used to match the black theme and to provide a solid base to work from.

Rotors are Shimano IceTech XT, which in my opinion are setting a new standard.  I've never used a brake set that was so powerful and so functionally flawless.  They are a little heavier than some of their counterparts, but will more than make up for their weight with their unbelievable performance.

Cassette is also Shimano XT, an 11-36.  Wide range cassettes have opened the door to 2x10 drivetrains and Shimano has provided on that front.  With excellent shifting and a light action, XT shifting provides great feedback without too much effort placed on your thumbs.

The bare wheelset came in at 1,580g, about 30g lighter than I expected.  Always a welcome surprise!

Independent Fabrication SSR - Rapha-inspired

Does it get any classier?  IF SSR, black/pink/raw Rapha-inspired paint, Lightweight wheels, SR11.  Grabbed this one from 34x18 blog.

NEW BIKE DAY! Surly Cross-Check Custom

Surly is a brand that's near and dear to us.  Bikes made to do work, flexible in design, reasonably priced, and built with quality.  The complete builds are really a steal, but what makes Surly so special to us is how easily they can be customized.  Buy any model as a complete bike or a frameset to start and go from there.

This particular one only has slight modifications from stock.  A Brooks B17S saddle, matching Brooks leather bar tape, Michelin City 700 x 32c tires, and a 42cm FSA Omega Compact bar make this bike even more city friendly than before while also adding (not a small amount) of comfort for the long rides.

The drivetrain was kept stock, and for good reason.  The bar end shifters are bomb-proof, and everything on the bike was built to last.  Since this bike was built to be ridden, a lot, the stock drivetrain made tons of sense.

The Brooks B17S saddle that was added is so subtle in black, but so absolutely beautiful.  It perfectly compliments everything this bike is about.

The Brooks Leather bar tape was a touch we took upon ourselves.  The tape of course matches the saddle perfectly, but it also adds a nice touch of class to the front of the bike.  It doesn't hurt that it'll also last forever.

There you have it.  Small touches, small changes, and the bike becomes something all it's own.

Independent Fabrication Steel Club Racer

Steel, custom, ready for anything,  Do they get better?

Independent Fabrication Steel Club Racer w/ SRAM Rival

On a completely opposite end of the paint spectrum from our last IF, we have this super-stealth Steel Club Racer.  While similar in construction, both are steel with steel forks and made in Somerville, this one opted for no logos at all other than the IF Crown headtube decal.

Also particularly awesome about this bike is the added clearance the Club Racer brings to the table.  With enough room for 28's easily, and maybe even some smooth 32's from certain brands, this bike is ready for good roads and bad.

We should point out that even though this bike has seen a ton of miles, the first generation SRAM Rival is still kicking!  I don't care to even imagine how many shifts it's seen in it's lifetime, but the polish remains nearly perfect and the shifting action is flawless.  What I wouldn't give for some silver Rival stuff right about now....

Independent Fabrication Steel Crown Jewel w/ Campagnolo Chorus 10

Here is the beauty I've been gushing over.  Independent Fabrication Steel Crown Jewel with a matching steel fork, Campagnolo Chorus 10-speed, hand-built Record hubs to Mavic rims, Thomson seat post, and Tiffany-inspired teal main color with Lamborghini-inspired green panels.

This thing is just so classic....

I love jobs like this....

I'm happy to see anyone bring just about anything into the shop that we can work on.  No, I'm not going to start replacing spark plugs on the bikes that someone rigged up with an engine, but if the rider is the sole source of power we most likely want to work on it.

Sometimes though, we have bikes like this one come in.  The Crown Jewel is a staple of the Independent Fabrication line-up.  It's their history, it's the baseline of their stable.  This one in particular is made even better with Campy, hand-built wheels, and custom paint.  The main color is oh-so-close to the packaging Tiffany is known for.  The panels are painted a beautiful lime green.

There's something special about this one.  I get excited when it comes in the door, I get excited when it goes into the stand, and I get excited when I see it on the road.  This one has seen the road for plenty of miles over it's 12 year life.

Yes, this bike is 12 years old.

That's what you get when you make the investment upfront, a beautifully crafted steel bike, custom for you, that over a decade later will look as good as the day you bought it yet provide you with even more value every day.

IF and Alchemy at NAHBS

The North American Handmade Bike Show is one of my favorite times of year.  I wish I could have gone this year, but instead I spent about 72 hours straight on social media following photos being posted of the show.

Now that it's long-since wrapped up, we have a little info to share.  First off, Independent Fabrication came to the show with a killer new SSR Max (which we have scheduled to arrive on Monday), an outrageous single speed townie, an over-the-top Ti Factory Lightweight CX bike with disc brakes, and a pair of sweet mountain bikes.  More info can be found here.

Alchemy came away with a highly-coveted "Best Carbon Bike" award for their custom Carbon Aero Road frame.  Having had one in the shop in the fall, I can attest to the quality of the frame.  The design is beautiful, the quality is stunning.

*Alchemy photo credit to Cog Blog

Independent Fabrication Picture Collection

I wish I could say I had built all of these, but this is just a random collection of photos from around the web.  Enjoy.