Independent Fabrication

Infobox_Company
company_name = Independent Fabrication
company_
company_type = Private
company_slogan = "Living The Dream"
foundation = 1995
location = Somerville, MA
key_people = Matt Bracken, Shawn Estes, Tyler Evans, Lloyd Graves, Joe Ingram, Joel Kennedy, Brian Kelly, Jamie Medeiros, Jill Rogers, Keith Rouse, Spencer LeBouef, Jim Wilding, Jason Williams
industry = Bicycles
products = Custom Bicycles
revenue = undisclosed
num_employees = 13
homepage = [http://www.ifbikes.com Independent Fabrication]

The Independent Fabrication (IF) bicycle company is located in Somerville, MA. The company is often mistakenly referred to as "Independent Fabrications". It is also affectionately called "Indy Fab". They are known for manufacturing custom bicycle frames from steel, titanium and carbon fiber. They twice won the Bicycling Magazine "Dream Bike of the Year" for their carbon tubed, titanium lugged XS road frameset. [ [http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-1-2-14625-1,00.html Road Bike Reviews: Editor's Choice 2006 - bicycling.com ] ] . Independent Fabrication is an employee-founded and employee-owned corporation. In 2005 the company was selected to participate in a CNN television program called The TurnAround [ [http://money.cnn.com/ontv/turnaround/archive.10.html CNN/Money: The Turnaround ] ] . The show pairs an up and coming business with a mentor from a more successful company. Independent Fabrication were paired with the CEO Jeff Swartz from Timberland [ [http://www.dirtragmag.com/web/news-article.php?ID=448 Dirt Rag {Web Rag: News} ] ] .

The company are renowned for their custom paint finishes and attention to detail. Both on and off road IF bikes are used for World Class racing to trans continental touring [ [http://www.bikemagic.com/news/article/mps/uan/5207 Ian Leitch's IF Deluxe - BIKEmagic Gear News ] ] . In the past they have built a number of bikes to order and as one offs for particular customers. The high-quality of manufacture and associated relatively high cost of Independent Fabrication framesets (due to their low-volume handbuilt in the USA, rather than mass-produced in Taiwan business model) means they are regarded as a prestige products. As the [http://www.ifrider.com Owners' Club] website demonstrates, many owners become repeat customers buying a number of models from the product range. IF is one of a few frame builders who shot-peen titanium framesets to increase fatigue life.

History Of Independent Fabrication

Independent Fabrication was formed by the former employees of Fat City Cycles [ [http://www.bikemagic.com/news/article/mps/uan/1138 Fat City Cycles to close - BIKEmagic Gear News ] ] and later Merlin Metalworks. The Independent Fabrication website has comprehensive details and specifics on the history of the company from formation through to present day [ [http://www.ifbikes.com/who2/ifhistory.shtml Independent Fabrication ] ] . The company earned the respected UCI rainbow stripes when Giana Roberge won the Gold Medal at the 2004 World Master's Time Trial Championships in Austria riding an XS.

Bicycle Frames

Independent Fabrication currently manufactures the following custom bicycle frame models:

Road

*XS (Carbon and Titanium) [ [http://www.bicycling.com/gear/detail/0,7989,s1-16-153-1068-0,00.html Gear & Bike Reviews: The Independent Fabrication XS Review at Bicycling.com ] ] [http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/UAN/1218/v/2/sp/]
*Factory Lightweight (Steel)
*Crown Jewel (Steel; Steel Special Edition (SE); Steel Special Edition Carbon (SEC) [ [http://www.mensjournal.com/toolsToys/0507/roadbikes.html MJ GEAR GUIDE: High in Fiber - Lighter, faster, carbon fiber road bikes ] ] ; Titanium; and Titanium SEC)
*SSR (953 Stainless Steel; SSR SEC) [ [http://www.bicycling.com/gear/detail/0,7989,s1-16-153-793-0,00.html Gear & Bike Reviews: The Independent Fabrication 953 Review at Bicycling.com ] ] [ [http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/uan/3315 Independent Fabrication SSR 953 - RoadCyclingUK Reviews ] ]
*Club Racer (Steel or Titanium)

Note SEC features carbon wishbone seat stays.

Cyclocross

*Planet Cross (Steel or Titanium) [ [http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/news/article/mps/uan/3213 Independent Fabrication Planet X - RoadCyclingUK Gear news ] ]
*SSX (953 Stainless Steel)

Off Road

*Deluxe (Steel or Titanium) [Steel Deluxe reviewed in bike group test. Singletrack Mountain Bike Magazine, Issue 9. Todmorden, UK.] [Titanium Deluxe reviewed in bike group test. Singletrack Mountain Bike Magazine, Issue 29. Todmorden, UK.]
*Beatstick (Steel)

Touring

*Independence (Steel or Titanium)

pecials

Independent Fabrication have also produced a number of specials and one off bikes. Some of these are show bikes, others have been built to the special requirements of their customers or other companies:

*BMXS [ [http://www.bicycling.com/gear/detail/0,7989,s1-16-88-1365-0,00.html Gear & Bike Reviews: The Independent Fabrication BMXS Review at Bicycling.com ] ]
*XS version of the Planet Cross cyclocross bike.
*Phil Wood "Piss Off" (which had a limited production run)
*Tungsten Electrode [Prototype reviewed in bike group test. Singletrack Mountain Bike Magazine, Issue 16. Todmorden, UK.] full suspension (prototyped in steel and titanium)
*Various Dual Slalom/4X frames.

Owners' Club

An Independent Fabrication Owners' Club was launched in 2004 with the backing of Independent Fabrication. The club is served by a separate website, [http://www.ifrider.com ifrider.com] , which aims to give ideas and inspiration to people thinking of buying an Independent Fabrication frame and having a custom build. Visitors can browse or search through the frames and models on the site. A key part of the Owners’ Club website is an international register of IF bikes, which now has over 1,000 IFs registered (the factory produces around 900 frames per year). All owners are welcome to join, add their bikes and share their experience of ownership through comments and forum posts. Members have access to exclusive content and deals on IF merchandise.

Grassroots Racing

Independent Fabrication has a small but successful grassroots racing program. Some notable racers past and present include:

*Tiffany Mann
*Maureen Bruno Roy [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php?id=news/2005/dec05/dec24crossnews www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling ] ]
*Brian Keich [ [http://www.dirtragmag.com/web/news-article.php?ID=721 Dirt Rag {Web Rag: News} ] ]
*Eric Roman

IF Racing

In February 2008 IF Racing was formed by Team Director Jonathan Bruno. The squad is a newly expanded U25 Development program for road racing and pro mountain bike racing. In addition to efforts to promote environmental sustainability and healthy choices in conjunction with similarly minded sponsors, the team will participate in an after school cycling program for Boston Public Schools, where Bruno teaches high school and helped launch cycling the program, and support a scholarship for public school students.

11 time US national champion and ex-pro Todd Yezefski (formerly of Nerac and TIAA-CREF) will lead the development team of young, talented riders from across the New England states on their new SSR road bike made from the Reynold's latest 953 stainless steel. On the mountain bike side, Trish Stevenson will join Harlan Price to bolster the team's endurance racing efforts off road. Asheville's Stevenson is returning to full time racing after suffering a broken back in late 2006. Both cross country riders, who will be riding Ti Deluxe 29ers, are dominant figures in the National Ultra Endurance series as well as 12 hour and multi-day stage races across the North and Central America. This season, Price will venture overseas to contest a World Cup Marathon in France in October.

IF Racing Squad for 2008
*Adam Branfman (U25) (road)
*Jonathan Bruno (road)
*David Berryman (road)
*John Hanson (U25) (ex-pro) (road)
*Tom Gosselin (U25) (road)
*Stan Jurga (road)
*Luke Krisch (U25) (road)
*Thomas Lebosquet (road)
*Greg Montello [ [http://www.dirtragmag.com/blogarific/wilderness-101/ Dirt Rag Magazine Blog » Blog Archive » Wilderness 101 ] ] (road)
*Harlan Price (mountain)
*Sam Silver (U25) (road)
*Trish Stevenson (mountain)
*Jerome Townsend (U25) (road)
*Andrew Walters (U25) (road)
*Kevin Wolfson (U25) (road)
*Todd Yezefski (ex-pro) (road)

Independent Fabrication Women's Team

The team, which started as Merlin/Smartfuel in 1997 and in 2000 picked up title sponsorship from Independent Fabrication, is based in New England and races a full schedule of regional and National Racing Calendar events. The women on this elite amateur team have amassed impressive results over the past few years. [ [http://ifwomenroadteam.blogspot.com/ Independent Fabrication/Kempner Women's Cycling Team ] ] [ [http://ifelitewomenroadteam.typepad.com/ Independent Fabrication/Kempner Elite Women's Road Racing Team ] ]

Current Riders:

*Brenda Bahnson
*Pauline Frascone
*Zoe Sheehan
*Michele Smith
*Silke Wunderwald

Former Riders:

*Katrina Davis
*Kirsten Grasshoff
*Katheryn Curi Mattis [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katheryn_Curi]
*Lisa Maxwell
*Julia Oh
*Heather Peck
*Jessica Phillips
*Kathryn Roszko
*Marianne Stover
*Sarah Uhl
*Aimee Vasse

Gallery

External links

* [http://www.ifbikes.com/ Independent Fabrication]
* [http://www.ifrider.com/ Independent Fabrication Owners' Club]
* [http://www.ifbikes.com/grassroots/ Independent Fabrication Racing Team]

References