Koichi Yamaguchi

Koichi Yamaguchi is a noted American bicycle framebuilder.

Background

Koichi was trained as a Master framebuilder at the legendary 3Rensho company in Japan, building bicycles for professional Keirin riders (notably, the ten-time Sprint World Champion Koichi Nakano).

In 1987, Koichi came to the United States and founded his own bicycle building company, Yamaguchi Bicycles, based in Rifle, Colorado. He began working closely with the US Cycling Federation as the National Team Mechanic in 1988 and, in 1989, his projects included prototype frames for the US National Cycling Team. That same year, Koichi became the official framebuilder for the United States Olympic Cycling Team. [ [http://yamaguchibike.com/history/index.htm Yamaguchi History ] ]

Koichi was honored for his contributions to competitive cycling as the first framebuilder to become an Olympic Flame runner at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Koichi Yamaguchi's bicycle designs have been ridden by winning competitive bicyclists and bicycling teams:

* 1992 United States Professional Racing Organization Criterium Champion Mike McCarthy [ [http://www.sportsgrandprix.com/uspromens.html National Criterium Championships of Cycling and Inline Skating - Downers Grove, IL ] ]
* 1992 World Championship winners - US Women's 50km Team time trial squad [http://www.usoc.org/education/general_olympic_education/sportsummaries.pdf]
* 1995 Madison National Champion Steve Hegg [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/archives/jan97/11b_1.html www.cyclingnews.com presents ] ]
* 2000 Para-Olympic Games Time Trial Gold Medal and World Record time winners, Team USA Tandem members Al Whaley and Pam Fernandez [ [http://www.dsusa.org/ChallMagarchive/challmag-article-fall00-aussies-cycling.html Disabled Sports USA ] ]

See also

* Yamaguchi Bicycles

References