Re: [CR] Early Eisentraut

No

From: joeb-z@comcast.net [mailto:joeb-z@comcast.net] Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 1:16 PM To: Jay Jacobs Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR] Early Eisentraut

Jay,

Do you mean a post Velo-Sport frame?

Joe Bender-Zanoni

Whitneyville, CT

http://www.bicycletrader.com/archives/21articles.html - [ Cached Version ] Published on: 5/11/2006 Last Visited: 3/11/2007

Albert Eisentraut ... The Godfather of Modern Day Frame Building - Albert Eisentraut ... Albert Eisentraut built his first frame in his father's basement in 1959. He was aided only by a frame jig that he machined himself.Although he did not know it at the time, it was the beginning of a career in custom frame building that would span five decades.Prior to Eisentraut , the last full-time custom builder may have been Alvin Drysdale in NYC. ... It was not until Eisentraut emerged in the late 60's that someone actually made a living as a full-time custom frame builder.Along the way, he has built thousands of frames and taught dozens his craft. He is single-handedly responsible for reviving the custom frame in this country. He is the Godfather of American frame building.

Since as his father raced bicycles with the frame building great Oscar Wastyn , Eisentraut grew up with cycling in his blood. ... Eisentraut began racing in 1955 and competed on the velodrome at Kenosha, Wisconsin.By age 18, he won nearly every race in the Kenosha area.Known for his competitiveness, he once rose from a massive field pileup, picked up his bike and ran across the finish line for third place!At age 21, he joined the Army and became a member of the US Army cycling team.Allowed to train only three months of the year, Eisentraut found it difficult to maintain racing fitness.By the age of 23, he retired from racing and returned to college.In 1967, he received his Masters degree in Art.After teaching for two years in the Oakland public schools, he started working at Velo-Sport .

Velo-Sport was a cycling Mecca in that era.The Berkeley, CA bicycle shop, owned by Peter Rich, is where Eisentraut built frames from 1969-71. ... This led to my hiring of Albert Eisentraut ."

After two years of building frames under the Velo-Sport label, Eisentraut decided that he wanted more control over the business and the product. He left Velo-Sport and shortly there after Lee Katz, of Turin Cycles in Chicago, contracted to buy 90% of his output. Eisentraut immediately had orders for a thousand frames.Working alone, he turned out one hundred.Eisentraut's frame building company was off and running.At its peak, he employed fourteen people and was capable of producing one hundred frames a month.There was so much interest from people wanting to apprentice in his shop that he toured the US conducting frame building classes in Olympia, WA, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Austin and Vermont. ... Mary Jane Reoch, Sheila Young, Cindy Olavarri, and the 1994 US National Sprint Champion, Jeff Solt have all ridden Eisentraut's to victory. ... In a 1987 Bicycle Guide article on Eisentraut , Howard noted, "Most everybody was riding production bikes back then, so the Eisentraut bikes were different. ... Twenty five years later, Eisentraut is still turning out exquisite "artsy" frames.A true artist, he enjoys it most when a customer gives him free reign over the frame's paint scheme.Recently, the Acacia Winery owner, located in the cool grape growing region of Carneros, ordered a custom frame from Eisentraut . ... Having long ago mastered the mechanical aspects of frame building, brazing, mitering tubes, filing lugs etc., Eisentraut is completely focused on the perfect fit for each customer."Many builders want to get out a product to make a sale.I'm focused on getting the customer properly fitted", stated Eisentraut .

The starting point for a custom fitting are the body measurements.From measurements of the customers legs, Eisentraut is able to calculate the seat tube length.The top tube length is determined by the inner ear! Eisentraut said, "You want the bike and body to experience a turn at the same time.This occurs when the inner ear is aligned with the steering axis." He continued, "If the inner ear is in front of the steering axis than the bike could feel sluggish and if behind than the bike would feel squirrelly.The bike fits when you stop thinking about it." Eisentraut is so concerned about fit that he once X-rayed himself seated on the bike in order to confirm the location of the hip ball joint. He confirmed his theory that the hip joint was in line with the axis of the seat tube.

Today Eisentraut continues to build frames from his shop in Oakland, CA. His three sons have all bee a part of the business. His youngest son, Zachary, is committed to being a life-long frame builder.Learning to weld at the age of 8, Zachary now has over 19 years of welding experience. Eisentraut beamed, "Zachary's skills are on par with the best builders.With eyes thirty years younger than mine, he can easily see details that I now must strain to see."

Eisentraut commented, "the only constant in my life is the forever changing bicycle business."Currently, he is planning to expand his business through the Internet. Eisentraut hopes that a WEB page will provide the kind of advertising that he always needed but could never afford. His fantasy is to grow the business to the point where he can employ his three sons and provide a salary that would allow them to continuing living in the Bay area.

Having taught his sons the art frame building, he has ensured the future of Eisentraut frames.In parting he stated, "If Eisentraut is on the frame, an Eisentraut did the work."

If you are interested in an Eisentraut frame contact: