Makers (part 5): Whose Bike Is That Anyway?

Professional cycling teams are often sponsored by bicycle brands. That sponsorship, however, hasn't always meant those bike brands made the bikes their teams used. Throughout the history of bicycle racing cycling teams or individual riders went to "contractors," for their racing bikes. Though the perception now is that this occurs less than before I really can't say how true that is. In the late 1980s carbon fiber was just starting to be used as a material for bicycle construction. Craig Calfee, of Watsonville, CA, started Calfee Designs after making his first carbon frame in 1987. His brand was built on an initial relationship as a contractor, building bikes for Greg Lemond's Z-Team. Here's a classic Z-Team-era bike that Calfee Designs was repairing while I was at the shop. I was lucky enough to tour the facility recently while shooting a story for Bicycling Magazine. The story focuses on the surging business of carbon fiber frame repair which Calfee Designs is a leader in. This story is in print and on the newsstand this week. An expanded photo gallery is available via digital subscription and on Bicycling.com.