About us

"I don't chase trends or engage in hype. I just build frames that are straightforward, functional, beautiful, and above all, fun to ride. I build all Steelman frames one at a time to the most exacting standards using only the finest steel tubing available. Thank you for considering my products."

Frame construction

Every Steelman frame, fork, and stem, is constructed in our Redwood City shop to what many would consider excessive quality standards. Over the years, I have developed procedures, tooling, and techniques that emphasize precision, efficiency, and finished product integrity and performance.

Steelman frames are assembled using TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding. TIG welding is desirable for its high strength and light weight, but not all TIG welds are created equally. We start by thoroughly cleaning all the tubes and fittings. Frame tubes are inspected for irregularities in straightness, wall thickness, butting, and surface imperfections. After cutting and machining, just prior to welding, the tubes are thoroughly cleaned again. The tubes are positioned precisely, and TIG tacked, without stress, in our custom engineered fixtures. Before welding, frames are checked for alignment, and adjusted if necessary. Welding is performed to exacting standards using a sequential process that we developed to maintain frame alignment after welding. To ensure weld integrity every frame is internally purged with argon gas during the welding process. This eliminates the possibility of atmospheric contamination of the weld which can lead to premature failure. The care and time we invest in our welding procedure results in precise fatigue resistant frames that are flawless in appearance.

Material

All the bicycle frames that I build are, and always have been, made from steel tubing. There are many other materials available to the bicycle builder: carbon fiber/composites, aluminum, titanium, and so on. All of these materials are valid and have certain properties desirable to the cyclist.

It is my belief, however, that alloy steel tubing remains by far the material of choice. Compared with all of the materials mentioned above, steel offers undeniable advantages in strength, fatigue resistance, and ride character. From a designer's perspective, using steel means unparalleled selection. There are five major steel tubing suppliers producing at least seven high strength alloys in literally thousands of diameters, wall thicknesses, butting designs, and shapes! And with the introduction of several new super high strength alloys, steel bike frames continue to be the market leader in performance and customer satisfaction.

Finish

Steelman frames are exquisitely finished to order with super durable powder coating. Powder coating is a special process in which a polyester resin is electrostatically applied as a powder to the prepared frame, then baked at about 400°. As the powder melts it forms a strong bond to the metal substrate making it nearly impossible to chip. Powder coating is also environmentally friendly and non-toxic to apply.

Our powder coating vendor, Maas Brothers Tech Coat, has perfected a two stage application process, using both color and clear coats, that rivals the luster and gloss of wet paint.

After powder coating, every frame is treated internally to prevent corrosion with an industrial strength rust inhibitor spray. This treatment can dramatically extend the life of your frame. We recommend retreating the inside of your frame every couple of years.

Thank you for considering my frames, forks, and stems. I take great pride in my work and offer unsurpassed craftsmanship and attention to detail.

We sell complete bikes and frames.

Standard frames

• Road Racing
• Cyclo-Cross
• Mountain
• Eurocross
  • Weeks wait 6

Custom frames

• Road Racing
• Cyclo-Cross
• Mountain
• Eurocross
• Woman specific
• Triathlon
• Hybrid
• Time trial
• Track
• Touring
  • Weeks wait 10

Retrofitting services

• Not Available

Construction methods

• TIG welded

Frame materials

• Steel

Purchase from

• We sell through retailers but will sell direct in areas where we aren't represented.

Steelman Cycles
3600 Haven Ave. #5
Redwood City, CA 94063 

Phone: 650-364-3939 
Fax: 650-364-4029 
e-mail: info@steelmancycles.com

Steelman Cycles Home Page

S and S Machine, 9334 Viking Place, Roseville, CA. 95747
TEL. 916-771-0235 FAX 771-0397
e-mail: steve@sandsmachine.com