Glenn Erickson of R&E (Rodriguez & Erickson) Cycles in Seattle, long time builder of beautiful and ornately carved lugged steel frames. Also noted leader of European bike tours. Picked up this titanium bike by Erickson but find little history on his website. Did Erickson build these frames in house or outsource them? Bike was a custom order with S&S couplers in 2006. Maybe too new for C&V, but R&E date to 1973.

That is pretty.

I'm pretty sure 2006 was after Glenn retired. He left R+E (not R&E!) to go out on his own in '84. I'm close to 100% sure he never made anything but steel, himself. He made some Al alloy tandems, but they were welded by someone else.

After Glenn retired, he sold the name back to R+E, so they regained the right to make Erickson frames. By then Rodriguez was also retired, so there was neither an R nor an E at R+E. Frames were made for some years by Dennis Bushnell, a genius fabricator, but he left too, and then they were made by a guy who trained under Bushnell (sorry I forget his name). I don't know the year of Dennis's departure, so this frame may have been made on his watch.

Or someone could have slapped an Erickson decal on a frame made in China (or anywhere). Have you asked current R+E folks? There's been a lot of churn and ownership changes, so maybe no one there now will know. I'm not saying it's fraudulent, though it could be, someone other than R+E could have got ahold of some decals. But it could also be a "house brand" frame brought in and sold by the legitimate holders of the IP, namely R+E. They have a long history of that, from selling English-made Tonard road and track frames, and French made Follis tandems, with Rodriguez decals. That was in the '70s and '80s, when I worked there. They were honest and up-front about it, not trying to fool anyone. It allowed them to have frames to sell to people who didn't want to wait for a full custom, and you got to choose braze-ons and paint color, while still getting it pronto. I made the full custom Rodriguez tandems for most of the time I was there. I was the only one making them, and the waiting list stretched out to 3 years at its peak, can you imagine waiting that long? The Follis wasn't as good but it was good enough, and a great deal for the price. Ain't nothin' wrong with that.

Mark B

Thanks, was hoping Bulgie would comment. More to the story that suggests this is a legit Erickson - though perhaps constructed by another builder. Acquired from the original owner, now over 80 years old, who joined several Erickson-led European tours. He shared that Erickson suggested he should have Glenn build him a custom, and hence, the bike. Included with the bike is a diagram of the frame design by Erickson using some frame design software, and an Erickson price list, dated 2004, with the 4 crossed out and a 7 over written. The list details pricing for steel and titanium custom frames, with multiple options and component groups to make complete bikes, including Campagnolo Chorus, which the owner said is original to the bike. There is a serial number on the bike, but it is mostly obscured by the derailleur cable guide under the BB shell. Also, the S&S couplers - don't imagine too many builders could install them, yet R+E did offer that.

The R+E website is nice, including a history section and period catalogue PDF's. There is an article describing building with titanium, and offering Ti frames around this time "due to popular demand" while extolling the virtues of steel. The 2006 and later catalogues list Rodriguez branded bikes, and "Trillium" customs, no Erickson's. Hence my inquiry. This suggests Erickson may have continued to build frames after departing R+E, but perhaps only customs, and perhaps in very limited numbers. Perhaps he was able to use R+E equipment to weld this frame, perhaps he tapped into any number of Ti builders from the period to build to his design. The owner did not know, thought perhaps a builder in Colorado may have made the frame?

I bet he made more frames on his own after '84 than he did during his R+E residency. But yeah, all custom one-offs, I don't think he ever dabbled in stock production models. Always a one-man shop, no employees. His shop for a number of years was in a one-car garage, about 50 feet from my house, so I used to go there pretty often.

Yes now that you mention it, that rings a bell. I think he had Kent Erickson (no relation) in Colorado build his Ti frames. If I'm remembering right, that's a good thing, Kent Erickson is a very talented Ti builder.

I'd be surprised if he partnered with R+E, I'm pretty sure there was next to no contact between him and them after he sold his share and moved on in '84. Things were just a little tense around the time of the breakup, and they were competitors after that. Though years later after Angel also sold and moved back to Panama, he came back for a visit and it was nice to see those two pal around again. They were good friends at the start of their partnership. I remember watching those two wrestle at a party once — the laughing, fun (and alcohol-fueled, no doubt) kind of wrestling, but they're both very competitive and they both really wanted to win. It got intense, furniture was knocked over, very entertaining!

Mark B

I think it is an Ericksen built frame. There is an ebay listing for an Erickson frame that has many details same as the Erickson. Serial number location, font, 3 digits. BB cable guide, including two bolts. Plastic plugs in vent holes. Chainstay creases. Ovalizing top tube at the seat and head tube junctions. Reinforcing head tube rings. Brake bridge. Rear dropouts. Rear brake braze-on cable stop style and location. Seat tube collar. Here is the ebay listing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/26629360729...3ABFBM7pOHj7xi

Yes that seems to nail it, thanks. I apologize for spelling Eriksen wrong in my earlier post.

An Eriksen-made Erickson (with S&S couplers no less) is a really great find, congrats.

As you may have heard, Glenn isn't doing so well, he has advanced dementia from Parkinson's. I have wept many tears over this unfair end for such a great guy. A humble but magnetic guy, he collected a huge tribe of friends and fans. A great rider (many championship medals from racing), ride leader, and absolute genius framebuilder.

Mark B