Independent Fabrication

After many many years of searching I finally tracked down a used Ti Crown Jewel frame in my size (I couldn’t quite justify a new custom frame) with the raw shot peened finish of course. The workmanship is second-​to-​none and as a (mostly hack) welder, I can say that the welds are beyond textbook in perfection. I checked out Moots and Seven frames, but nothing was on par with the craftmanship and community spirit of IF. If you don’t believe me check out the very active IF owner forum (
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IF makes some of the best bikes in the world; their welds and paint jobs are exceptional. They also have quite a bit of punk rock, DIY, underdog attitude, in spite of the appeal their bikes and price tag also have to the urban executive. Since their process is fully custom, they have a responsibility to provide exceptional customer service, and they accomplish this with every frame they make.
They’re also good community members: they’ve sponsored fundraisers for un– and under-​insured messengers, currently sponsor grass-​roots athletes in a variety of cycling disciplines, and are active in New England-​area cycling advocate organizations.
Full disclosure: I interned at Independent Fabrication in 2006.

I’m a proud owner of a steel Deluxe MTB frame built by these guys, which of five different off-​road bicycles I’ve had over the years, has been my hands-​down favorite to ride yet. Plus the compliments I get for it from almost every afficionado I may encounter on the trails make me feel cool — momentarily anyway.
IF are the a co-​op of artisans dedicated to making some truly magnificent handcrafted bikes that continue the holy tradition of bike building practiced by the defunct Fat City Cycles, makers of the now legendary Fat Chance frame. When Fat City folded, all the co-​owners of that operation (sans Chris Chance) basically started the coop that is the present-​day Independent Fabrications.
Their design, material choices, and manufacturing methods have always been about accentuating the collective soul of bike and rider together — much less about super trick technology and hyped trends. And anything they build will most likely outlast your cycling lifetime.
Best of all, their co-​op structure really promotes a sense of ownership, accountability, pride and quality assurance upheld by everybody in the company. Everybody that I’ve met who works there absolutely loves what they do and are genuinely giddy to hear about how happy I am with my bike. And from the experiences of others I know who own IFs, I can tell they do go the extra mile to assure complete bike owner satisfaction.