Brief Steelman history from Brent's pov

Born in 1960. Discovered bikes in 1964 and was wrenching them by 1965. Before I was 6 years old my cousins and I were tearing down, rebuilding, modifying, and tweaking our various bikes, trikes, scooters, you name it. Pre and early teens were all about Sting Rays (this is pre bmx era) which we constantly tore down, repainted, and modified. At 12 years of age I was imprinted for life when I saw a sparkling new cobalt blue Ron Cooper Nuovo Record road racing bike. There is a lot I am leaving out here, but started hanging out at bike shops around 1973. Rode everywhere. My high school had a phenomenal vocational program and I took all the classes (except auto shop...was not into cars at all). Machining, sheet metal, general metals, brazing, welding, plastics, woodworking, and even sewing. My Mother was very supportive of my bicycle fanaticism and helped me buy my first hand built racing bike made by Tom Ritchey in 1977. Rode my bike everywhere. Got into bicycle racing and loaded bike touring.

Was 18 or 19 when I began working at Garners Pro Bike Shop in Redwood City. Mike and Rick Garner had both built some frames and had jigs and torches and files! So I begged them to let me help, pleeeeeeeeeease. They finally caved and set me loose. Working on the frames was natural, as if I had done it before. Reynolds 531 and Columbus SL felt so comfortable in my hands. Maybe it is in the genes.

More riding, racing, and also working as a carpenter. In 1982 my Mother (and other very important people) helped me set up my first frame building shop in Mom's garage. January of 1983 Steelman Cycles was officially underway. After a few months in Mom's garage, I moved the shop to an incubator light industrial space in nearby San Carlos. That proved too small and within a year I moved again to a bigger space down the street in Belmont.

Track bike built for a Pen Velo racer 1984

Roger and I bonding a lugged carbon frame 2004

2007 found me in a funk. I was depressed and felt like we were going nowhere fast. My outlook dimmed to the point of trying to sell the business and start fresh with something else. I spent very little time at the shop and did not accept new orders. After eight or nine months of hiatus I had an epiphany and suddenly felt hungry to create bikes again. Having spent over half my life building custom bicycles I only needed to step outside of it for a few months to realize how much I love doing what I do. A big part of my psychological resurrection was a result of the rekindled interest in steel frames, especially finely detailed lugged construction. It was full circle for me.

That brings us to the present, 2010. All the frames are steel with just under half of customers choosing lugged construction. Steel forks have really made a comeback too. Motivation is at historic levels and it feels like there is some kind of young blood flowing through my veins. Thanks for reading this and I hope to meet you someday if you like what I do.
It's 2010, may I take your order?