Richmond Frames
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Richmond Frames
Today on my bike, a car pulled up next to me. Guy driving said he was looking for a route to avoid a busy street on his next ride and thought this might me the right direction. I suggested a route and we talked bikes a bit.
He said he had a vintage bike built by a guy named Richmond in the Bay Area but he was sure I had never heard of Richmond.
He was right. I had not heard of Richmond. So when I got home, I tried looking up Richmond Bikes, Richmond Frames, Richmond Cycles, etc.
So while I now know a lot about what I might buy in Richmond, Va, I still know nothing about Richmond, the frame builder.
Anyone ever heard of these frames?
He said he had a vintage bike built by a guy named Richmond in the Bay Area but he was sure I had never heard of Richmond.
He was right. I had not heard of Richmond. So when I got home, I tried looking up Richmond Bikes, Richmond Frames, Richmond Cycles, etc.
So while I now know a lot about what I might buy in Richmond, Va, I still know nothing about Richmond, the frame builder.
Anyone ever heard of these frames?
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 12,906
Bikes: (2) ti TiCycles, 2007 w/ triple and 2011 fixed, 1979 Peter Mooney, ~1983 Trek 420 now fixed and ~1973 Raleigh Carlton Competition gravel grinder
Mentioned: 129 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4806 Post(s)
Liked 3,931 Times
in
2,556 Posts
There's Ed Litton in Richmond, CA. Bay Area all right. He's an excellent framebuilder and has been doing it under his name since 1984.
Ben
Ben
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Litton I have heard of and maybe even talked to when the handmade bike show was in Portland. But did he build frames labeled Richmond ? The guy Intalked to insisted that his bike was decayed as Richmond but removed them because “ people would ask about the bike and the explanation was too long.”
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Evanston, IL
Posts: 5,095
Bikes: many
Mentioned: 63 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1444 Post(s)
Liked 1,394 Times
in
761 Posts
Might be worth touching base with Mr. Litton to see if he recognizes the name as a Bay Area builder. American Cyclery in SF or Cupertino Bike Shop might also be able to offer some leads.
#5
Stop reading my posts!
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 12,584
Mentioned: 90 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1444 Post(s)
Liked 1,063 Times
in
788 Posts
I have lived here for most of my long years and never heard of any bike named "Richmond" or a custom builder named "Richmond" (and either connected with the City of or the SF District of) but agree that if there IS one Ed Litton might be best positioned to know...Ed's shop is in POINT Richmond, a distinct separated region of the city of Richmond CA and on the Bay, home of the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park.
(my civic boosterism now done for the year!)
If somebody comes up with an example of an eponymous "Richmond" frame from the Bay Area I'll be surprised, but crazier things have happened around here!
(my civic boosterism now done for the year!)
If somebody comes up with an example of an eponymous "Richmond" frame from the Bay Area I'll be surprised, but crazier things have happened around here!
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 14,744
Bikes: Yes
Mentioned: 525 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3230 Post(s)
Liked 3,868 Times
in
1,439 Posts
__________________
My Bikes
My Bikes
#7
Stop reading my posts!
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 12,584
Mentioned: 90 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1444 Post(s)
Liked 1,063 Times
in
788 Posts
Ah-HA!^ I think you may be on to something now! I didn't even think of RichMAN because I thought of him as strictly a Mountain Bike builder, but clearly he made some road frames, too. But AFIAK Richman was never located in Richmond, CA...rather up North in Petaluma now located in Fulton, CA IIRC.
#8
Bike Butcher of Portland
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,639
Bikes: It's complicated.
Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4682 Post(s)
Liked 5,801 Times
in
2,285 Posts
Pix or, well, you know...
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#9
Senior Member
Thread Starter
It coulda been Richman. He was across the street, talking through the window of his not so quiet car. I am going with that.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
SparkCycles
Framebuilders
5
09-09-16 04:47 PM