FBQ #3 Bruce Gordon

Coming up under the tutelage of legendary builder Albert Eisentraut, our next frame builder has earned his place amongst the top of the frame building pyramid.  Not many builders can lay claim to having had one of their cycles share pages with the minimally clad ladies of Playboy Magazine.

In his own unique way, I give you Bruce Gordon...

1.  How old are you?

56

2.  Where were you born?

Chicago         

3.  What's your earliest memory of a bicycle or something bicycle related?

Breaking my collar bone on my 20” balloon tired Schwinn

4.  What was your first cycle?

20” balloon tired Schwinn

5.  How about first "high-end" cycle?

Raleigh Pro 1971

6.  Did (does) your family (parents, siblings, etc) ride also?

My father never knew how to ride a bike

7.  Did you like to tinker with bikes back then?

A little

8.  Did you ever work in a Bike Shop... if so, where/how long?

Culver City – 6 months    3 years in Berkeley

9.  Have you ever done any organized racing?

Just novice class

10.  How about cyclo-touring?

A little now and then

11.  What job(s) did you have before frame building and also-do you have any other job currently besides frame building?

Worked in a camera store and drove a cab in Chicago

12.  When did you start building?

1974

13.  Who would you say is your greatest influence in designing & frame building?

I learned from Albert Eisentraut

14.  Did you apprentice... if so, with who?

Albert Eisentraut – then Part owner of Eisentraut Bicycles for 2 years

15.  What's your idea of the "perfect cycle" regardless if you built it or not?

???

16.  Shooting a guess... how many frames would you say you've built?

2000 to 3000

17.  Any cycles out there that you secretly wished, "Darn, I wish I'd built that!"?

???

18.  Your idea of the perfect client?

One who buys something

19.  What defines a nightmare client in your experience?

???

20.  Any words of advice to up & coming frame builders?

Don’t do it – unless you have an outside source of income

21.  What do you find most funny or peculiar (in a kind way-not brutal) about the cycle-buying public... what don't they get or aren't they seeing?

The Rivendell Cult

22.  What do you think of mass-produced bikes (without naming names)?

They are pretty good these days

23.  What cycle don't you have anymore that you wished you did?

My first Raleigh Pro

24.  What cycle do you currently ride most, even if it wasn't built by you?

My city bike, TI Road bike, or TI Mountain bike

25.  When did you last ride your bike and for how far?

Last week – 20 miles

26.  What's your idea of the perfect ride?

Sonoma County back roads

27.  Could you ever see yourself being Car Free... just using mass-transportation and your bike to get around?

No – but I only drive about 5000 miles a year

28.  Why do you think so many folks have romanticized bicycles & bicycling?

Because they don’t have a life

29.  Any (other) passions or hobbies in your life?

No time for hobbies – just trying to stay alive in the bike business

30.  If you could say one thing to Lance Armstrong what would it be?

I’ll build you a bike if you would ride it.

31.  In a pinch... McDonalds or Burger King?

Neither

32.  What kind of shampoo did you last use?

????

33.  Favorite libation: wine, beer or fire water?

Wine or beer

34.  Even though there seems to be a real tradition to it-what do you think of folks who spend more time setting up their cycle with just the right color saddle, bar tape, bags, hoods, etc than actually riding or at least commenting on the ride?

You don’t want to know

35.  Did you go to college... if so, what was your major?

Ohio University Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography.  Dropped out of Graduate School at the Art Institute of Chicago - photography

36.  Your favorite music while working (if any)?

Talk Radio – Really Right Wing wackos – or Air America left wing, or PBS

37.  If you had it to do all over again... would you be building cycles?

NO – I’d want a job that I could make more than $6.00 per hour

38.  What's your favorite lunch food during a work day in the shop?

Burrito

39.  When it's all said & done-what kind of legacy will you hope to have left behind?

????

40.  How can folks get in touch with you to order a custom cycle?

Bruce Gordon Cycles
409 Petaluma Blvd. South
Suite B
Petaluma, CA. 94952
707 762-5601
[email protected]
www.bgcycles.com

Comments

[Todd Guess]

All my respect to Bruce Gordon, he builds beautiful bikes, but frankly, if you have such disdain for the bicycle industry, and if you hate so much that you make so little money building bikes then quit.

I'm sure you could put your degree to good use AND make more than $6.00/hr snapping photos of kids and families in the portrait department at K-Mart.

Todd Guess

[fixedgear]

He is by all accounts a major misanthrope/crumudgeon and that becomes abundantly clear here. Did he really not understand the simple questions he asnwered with ???

I do love this:

21. What do you find most funny or peculiar (in a kind way-not brutal) about the cycle-buying public... what don't they get or aren't they seeing?

The Rivendell Cult

I've only sipped the Kool-Aid but some folks have consumed gallons of the stuff, so, yeah...

[Jim]

I tend to agree with BG and fixedgear regarding the Riv cult. While it is evident to anyone who reads my site that I admire the Riv approach and bikes, I find that I can't relate to many of the folks I meet on the Riv email list (where I intersect with Riv owners most frequently). I think many of them are fine people, and some are impressive bicyclists, but most of them, it seems, are far more concerned with owning certain products or setting things up in a certain way than they are about just having fun riding. While bike detailing is a fine hobby - I won't deny anybody that pleasure - it seems that there is no end to it, and if you aren't going to ride it, what's the point? This was elucidated for me on about the first day I signed up to receive the Riv-list emails. Somebody posed a question regarding whether Atlantis, Rambouillet, QB owners could legitimately claim to be "Rivendell owners". The responses were varied, but I got the impression that the owners of the full custom bikes considered themselves to be in the upper eschelons of the club, and didn't want to be seen as equals to those of us on lesser Atlantises and Rams, etc.

Another side of it, and where I think BG's bitterness is rooted, is that Grant Peterson knows how to operate a 21st century business (though he may not carry the most contemporary merchandise). He is selling far more than bicycles and accessories. He is selling identity and an experience in the same way that Home Depot is not just a hardware store but is also selling the "you can do it, we can help" experience. BG and many others just sell bicycles, and as nice as they are, they don't come with the sense of community that has been built around Riv ownership. In other words, BG has spent a lifetime of hard work producing extremely fine bicycles, and has seen it be diminished to an extent by a 10 year old upstart (Riv) who understands that the customers are, by and large, looking for more than the bike.

[hatta]

The Cult of Riv - pretty small cult all things considered. You nailed it IMO Jim, it's all about selling a lifestyle. And yet it is rooted in practicality and simplicity. For me I'm only as far in the cult as it intersects with those and other principles that I share. I like that Riv has a philosophy and that it is a harmless or even positive philosophy. To contrast consider say, the Surly philosophy. They are selling a rebel attitude, and I find rebellion through consumerism to require a little too much cognitive dissonance for me. You could look at Riv as promoting a responsible consumerism, I mean most of us will need to consume to some degree and I think that Riv tries to get you to buy stuff that has a proven track record, will last and works. If it is simple enough that you can work on it yourself all the better. Where I separate from the Cult members is when you see those guys (and it's always guys) who have like 6 Rivendells. Too be honest I can't really see owning more then 2 or at most 3 bicycles.

But if you really want to see a genuine cult check out any fixed gear message board. Jesus.

[Scott]

Ya gotta give it up for Bruce on one thing though... he NEVER leaves anyone sitting on a (err-strike that), on *any* fence in how they feel about him.

He's an original...

-Me (Large Fella)

[Greg]

Man, can I relate to this guy.

One of the joys of aging and life experience is that you can get away with being a major curmudgeon. It's fun,and you get to say *exactly* what you mean.

He obviously gets some joy out of what he does, or he'd be doing something else.

[Jim]

"He obviously gets some joy out of what he does, or he'd be doing something else."

Yet I know plenty of people who hate what they do, and don't do something else. But I have a feeling BG isn't as miserable as he lets on.

[hatta]

Me, I love Bruce I find his curmudgeon-ness, amusing and cuts through a lot of BS. That being said I'm not really a fan of his bicycles - can't get those handlebars high enough for me. But I'll buy a titanium shot glass off him if he seriously makes those.

[Miles]

Don't believe that $6.00/hr smoke screen.

BG is Big Buisness.

Look at the web site: http://www.bgcycles.com/

[Bruce Gordon]

"Don't believe that $6.00/hr smoke screen.

BG is Big Buisness.

Look at the web site: http://www.bgcycles.com/"

Posted by: Miles |

This post in particular caught my eye - Do you know something I don't know????, are you and my accountant hiding something from me???? You are certain that BG is "Big Business"?? I don't know how much smaller BG Cycles can get - I am the only full time employee besides the Shop Cat Linus, and the welder who works one day every week or two.
Regards,
Bruce Gordon

[fixedgear]

Miles is just sucked in by a well designed web interface.

[Joe Starck]

"Miles is just sucked in by a well-designed web interface."

That snappy Tom Waits tune sucked me in. I saw Waits live roundabout '76 and "Big in Japan" sounds a whole lot different than his "Closing Time" stuff. I'm tempted to buy "Mule Variations." Sold!, Bruce!

[Perry]

>>>The Rivendell Cult

HeHe. Good one. Curmudgeons rule! I'm happy that we have Grant/Riv, though. Would the Albatross be around without them?

[kane]

I had a bike that was damaged by UPS on the down tube. Bruce was nice enough to take a look at it and advise me that it was very safe to ride. The bike (Bridgestone MB1) has been riding for twelve more years without a problem. Actually, it has one problem. I gave it to my brother, who knows nothing about maintainence.

Bruce has been kind enough to offer additional advice over the years.

Cheers,

Kane

[Thylacine]

Three cheers for Bruce for keepin' it real.

Three '???' for the rote, boring questionare and the cult of the framebuilder.

:)

[e-RICHIE]

keepin "what" real?!

time for some decaf, warwick!

[Jack Jenkins]

Whoa. If those answers by BG make him a curmudgeon, then the curmudgeon label is far easier to come by than it once was!
Seemed like pretty straight-forward stuff to me. If honest answers make one a curmudgeon, well... sign me up.

Keep on truckin' Bruce. We need more folks like you.

[Bill Richardson]

Due to health problems, I have to sell my lightly used Bruce Gordon Rock and Road. Can anyone refer me to a forum for selling bikes? Thanks. [email protected]

[Logan]

if that was really bruce gordon who responded then that is hilarious.

[Scott]

Logan-

I assure you, that was Bruce Gordon.

-Me

[Brian]

I met Bruce at Interbike. I was taking macro pictures of his bikes there. I told him what a truely brilliant artist, adn craftsman he is and that I wish I had the $ to buy one of his bikes. I could tell that he appreciated the praise. The next year he wasn't so nice. I was taking pix again when he said something like, "If you like it so much why don't you buy one." I gotta hand it to him...I feel the same way when looky lou's come through my shop asking questions, wasting my time. I'm a one man band too. I have two kids in college, two more to go who are in high school now. I worked at Boeing for 18 years building wings and the pay was "Good" but I got no respect, or appreciation for doing a good job no matter how much craftsmanship I put into it. I actually make about as much take home pay now running my shop but that's not taking into account the loss of benifits. And there's a lot more stress now that I'm the one responsible for paying myself. I have anxiety attacks from time to time. I'm my own manager, secretary, assembler, salesman, buyer, mechanic, etc...you get the pix??? I love what I do. But believe me when I tell you I can relate to Bruce Gordons bad attitude. It's easy for Grant Peterson to write a Riv Reader every now and then...He's got like ten people working for him. (I'm not knocking Grant) but please understand that it'd be nice if people who could afford it....support Bruce Gordon...buy one of his bikes. Grant Peterson said you should buy something for $5.00 each time you go to a bike shop. Well, Bruce Gordon doesn't have anything for $5.00. But my promise to him is true...when I buy my next bike, It will be a Bruce Gordon. Thanks again Bruce