Joe Starck is a name well-known among frame builders & two-wheeled aficionados alike. Having cut his teeth at Trek in their early salad days on everything from applying decals & tapping threads to alignment & ultimately becoming an expert brazer, the seeds were planted for what was to follow. 
When Dave Tesch called to enlist Starck's skills at Masi the call was heeded and history was in the making. Starck's flower bloomed at Masi as a complete frame builder. Having built some of the worlds most beautiful & beautifully crafted cycles, Joe Starck has left his mark on literally thousands of frames. This is what he had to say...
1. How old are you?
44
2. Where were you born?
Madison, Wisconsin
3. What's your earliest memory of a bicycle or something bicycle related?
Getting a good-sized tricycle when I was 3 or so. My Dad installed a motor on it: A D-cell powered plastic noisemaker. I remember I was content with its performance on the flats but uphill it bogged down. I even recall getting off the trike on an incline, flipping the on/off switch-- that was the extent of my troubleshooting -- trying to figure out why it wasn't working, perplexed as to why it wasn't helping me pedal up the grade.
4. What was your first cycle?
A mutt Stingray, very used.
5. How about first "high-end" cycle?
I got a 26-inch wheeled, yellow, Sears "Free Spirit" as a Lutheran Confirmation present when I was 13. Then, at the age of 20, during my employment at Trek, I made myself a lugged frame built up with a Campagnolo Gran Sport group.
6. Did (does) your family (parents, siblings, etc) ride also?
My older brother rides a bit.
7. Did you like to tinker with bikes back then?
I only "tinkered" during my grade-school Stingray era, not for the fun of tinkering but for the fun of the tinkering result: Sissy bar, fork extensions for the chopper effect, spray-can painting (parts on)...
8. Did you ever work in a Bike Shop... if so, where/how long?
No.
9. Have you ever done any organized racing?
I had a Cat. 4 license for one year in San Diego, around 1987. I attempted one criterium, fell off the back, dropped out. Then, first night on the velodrome, I crashed and burned; I used up lots of silvadene in the days that followed. That's the total of my racing experience.
10. How about cyclo-touring?
No. I could see myself somewhere though. I'd leave my hotel, get a cheap bicycle, pedal where ever and then go back to the hotel. If I had a mechanical problem out and about, I'd just give the bike to someone, and hail a taxi back to the spa.
11. What job(s) did you have before frame building and also-do you have any other job currently besides frame building?
Before framebuilding: paperboy, ring-toss carnival
barker, canning factory worker, janitor/warehouse
stocker, pea combine/tractor driver.
After framebuilding: I mostly run around the block and
then I write poems. Here's two:
---------------------------
red man's southern vacation diary
black pickett fence
grey matter of fat
white bred
uh said
do you have a reservation?
--------------------------
2008 Olympian diary
red door
bound for beijing
six feet to the furthermost wee puddle of pearl jam
gold coin.
12. When did you start building?
I started building complete frames at Masi in the mid-80s.
13. Who would you say is your greatest influence in designing & frame building?
Every frame I've looked at and everything said by every framebuilder/designer is my greatest influence.
14. Did you apprentice... if so, with who?
I learned to braze at Trek and I learned alot about tooling and fixturing there in the early 80s. I learned to build frames at Masi in the mid 80s. I refined everything in the 90s at Bill Holland's shop.
15. What's your idea of the "perfect cycle" regardless if you built it or not?
I've made a few, but there's one I'll always remember. It was a fillet-brazed road for Bill Holland. The
brass layed down just right, I finished the fillets
ever so sweet, and braze-ons, alignment, everything
just magically came togther perfect. It was a perfect
moment of framebuilding. It's like when people say
they had the perfect vacation or a perfect night out
with friends or a perfect snuggle of two under a
blanket watching the sunset, bodies interlocked in
comfort. Those are perfect moments. They were perfect
moments then and they will always be remembered as
perfect moments. And the frame I made will always be
perfect. Perfectionists strive for perfection. That's
what they do. But just because one has had a perfect
moment in whatever endeavor, that isn't the same as
present complacency or an end to striving. If one
tries and one improves, probabilities of time will
reward with the perfect moment, or a string of perfect moments, be it in one frame or whatever. And this is all in context,
under the trained senses, within parameters of
whatever the subject is.
It works like this:
Dig a hole for a tree.
"How's that?"
"It's perfect."
This bicycle was made by Richard Nye as a wedding gift for his wife.
I think it's perfect:
Photos Here
16. Shooting a guess... how many frames would you say you've built?
Several thousand complete frames and then a total brazing equivalent of about ten thousand.
17. Any cycles out there that you secretly wished, "Darn, I wish I'd built that!"?
I wish I would have made more bicycles for myself and kept them: a Trek, a Masi, a Fuso, a Holland, a Rivendell, a Starck. It would be nice to have them, but not having them doesn't gnaw at me; I've moved on. I've seen some frames' lugs with a more three-dimensional style of customizing than the usual flat cutting. Like, lug pieces overlapping others, like a Bruce Gordon I've seen, I think, or carvings into the surfaces, like the Columbine stuff. So, to combine it all...yowza!
18. Your idea of the perfect client?
Someone who patrons the perfect builder.
19. What defines a nightmare client in your experience?
Someone who patrons an imperfect builder.
20. Any words of advice to up & coming frame builders?
Don't give away frames to up-and-coming racers or sell frames cheap; hold out for real clients, and that means you should have a business plan, sufficient capital, and a plan B, unless you're just tinkering in your garage or basement.
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?
I suppose most people find it hard to comprehend expensive bicycles and enthusiasts who own them until they've been around bike nuts for a few years, and then they become nuts too, or not. That's probably the same in any market: exposure.
22. What do you think of mass-produced bikes (without naming names)?
It's not something I think about; I'm not up on this vast range of bicycles.
23. What cycle don't you have anymore that you wished you did?
My steel and titanium beam bike. Steel frame, mini-filleted. Cantilevered titanium beam, no seat tube. I left it behind in San Diego, full moon, long story.
24. What cycle do you currently ride most, even if it wasn't built by you?
I don't ride; I run. I don't own any bicycles.
25. When did you last ride your bike and for how far?
November 2002 for a few days in a row all day and all night and then I left the bike out of sight. Actually I left it in sight but that's part of the long story I mentioned above.
26. What's your idea of the perfect ride?
When I was in my best shape around '96, 145 lbs (down from usual 165). I like to be physically agressive, jamming up hills, jockeying with cars in traffic, with no fear but with full clarity, hammering for 50 to 60 miles and then feeling like I hadn't even exercised when I got home and had a beer. I hate cycling as recreation when I'm not in shape, and I have no use for going slow, unless it's really slow, upright, around town or around a vacation town.
27. Could you ever see yourself being Car Free... just using mass-transportation and your bike to get around?
Yes.
28. Why do you think so many folks have romanticized bicycles & bicycling?
Because bicycles have been and are an integral part of living. In many countries, people rely on them their entire lifespan. In the U.S., they have been and are relevant to most kids, and so that's a lot of memories. Designwise, the bicycle is up there with achievements like the architectural arch or the canoe or the teepee. That's three objects akin to bicycles, because like bicycles, they're evocative of so much.
29. Any (other) passions or hobbies in your life?
Cutting 1.76 seconds daily off my 5k time and upping my Scrabble scores (and wins)!
30. If you could say one thing to Lance Armstrong what would it be?
Who's gonna get the weekend athletes fired up to ride when you retire?
31. In a pinch... McDonalds or Burger King?
The McDonalds Sausage Egg McMuffin is the most perfect food unit on the planet. Not a week goes by for me without at least one. I also like the Double Fillet-O-Fish. There's a 24-hour drive-through near where I live. The last time I went through was the first time I noticed the automatic soda dispenser. The computed order comes, an arm grabs a cup, a conveyor rotates the cup under the spigot, the cup gets filled, and then the conveyor rotates around out from under the spigot for the worker to cap it. I wasn't there long enough to see if the filling is two-stage, you know, let the bubbles subside and then top off. I've always been attracted to automation. Last year I saw a box-making machine do its thing. Actually the boxes are made at the cardboard manufacturer, shipped flattened as we've all seen, and then these are loaded into the machine. The machine opens the box, folds the flaps, and seals the bottom with tape. I couldn't notice a motion wasted and was damn impressed by the system. Automation engineers have all my respect and admiration. I'd love to tour all sorts of automated factories every week.
32. What kind of shampoo did you last use?
Suave. $1.09
33. Favorite libation: wine, beer or fire water?
Cabernet with fillet mignon, always. Having seen the film "Sideways" though, I'm curious about this Pinot stuff. I know nothing abut wine. Sometimes I'll get a $12 bottle of cabernet to down my chips and hot garlic salsa whilst TV viewing. Recently I had a Devils Lake Red Ale to go with my artichoke-sauce cheeseburger. The beer was smooth and creamy, no bitterness, named after a very popular camping park here in Wisconsin. I go through a liter of Jack Daniels quarterly, mixed with a sour, like Squirt. I'm not much of a drinker, one or two on any occasion is my max. And weeks or even months can go by where I'll have none. And yet, sometimes I'll chug the whole bottle of Cabernet if the salsa and chips don't run out first.
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?
It's fine by me.
35. Did you go to college... if so, what was your major?
I left San Diego State University one spanish class shy of a bachelors, completed a journalism major and an english minor.
36. Your favorite music while working (if any)?
That disco tune, "Ring My Bell," by Anita Ward. And then some other disco stuff, most funk, most soul (old-style r&b), most jazz (I miss Jazz88, San Diego's jazz station), country blues, certain rock, certain gangsta rap like Ice Cube's solo stuff and Westside Connection. Eminem. Rolling Stones. Carole King. Classical piano. There's more music that I'm not aware of that I'd probably like than music I'm aware of that I do like. The radio stations don't name names very well and who can afford to buy everything anyway? I'm thinking about going satellite. I braze to most anything that rocks fast, deep, hard and loud on whatever radio station moves me. When I'm jigging frames or doing operations that require some thought then the music takes the back seat for a while.
37. If you had it to do all over again... would you be building cycles?
No.
38. What's your favorite lunch food during a work day in the shop?
Carne asada burrito with guacamole. Hot carrots on the side.
39. When it's all said & done-what kind of legacy will you hope to have left behind?
The greatest framebuilder without his own brand who likes to do crossword puzzles while sitting on the throne.
40. How can folks get in touch with you to order a custom cycle?
I haven't built frames since '02 and have no plans on
becoming a born-again builder. I could foresee
building as part of a relay: sales and fitting, parts,
builder, painter, gopher, but I'd have to be a
principal owner. I could see designing lugs my way,
and researching and being the principle frame
designer. Framebuilding methodology would be my main
leg in the relay, of course. None of this is possible
without capital, a plan, a plan B, and an accounting
system to keep the blackjack players out of the till.
josephbstarck@yahoo.com
Posted by: fixedgear | April 28, 2005 at 08:40 AM
Ooops, that was supposed to be link to picture of my Joe Starck-built Quickbeam. Joe has been causing quite a ruckus on the normally sedate, pensive, phillisophical 'should I sell all my bike but one?' IBOB list lately.
The bikes that he has built that I have been fortunate enought to see or in this case own are just great, finest example of the framebuilder's art. Or maybe craft. But that is an IBOB type question.
I think that this is a brilliant piece of writing: Joe's story. It so cleanly skewers the IBOBs that they were left speechless, dumbfounded.
Posted by: fixedgear | April 28, 2005 at 08:49 AM
JS seems like an interesting guy. That story you linked is pretty funny, fixedgear, though I feel I should read it a few more times to get more of the hidden digs.
I recall awhile back on the Riv list (I don't subscribe to the iBOB one), somebody saying he wanted to quit his day job to be Curt Goodrich's shop bi-atch, or something to that effect. I imagine JS had to deal with a fair amount of such perverse cult worship as well, when he was building Rivs. I can see how it would get old, with some of these Riv listers treating you like a god and hanging on every syllable you speak about chainstay length and seat tube angle and bottom bracket height and shellacked cloth tape and leather saddles and organic pine tar soap. I'm sure regular phone calls and emails from complete raving whack-jobs is part of the custom framebuilding business, especially for those who build the cult-favorite Rivendells.
Posted by: Jim | April 28, 2005 at 10:46 AM
Hey Scott:
Have you submitted a FBQ to Chris Kvale? He's a local favorite and I've seen some stunning examples of his work. I heard he's hard to get in touch with this time of year, as he's busy running a resort up on Lake Superior.
Posted by: Jim | April 28, 2005 at 10:47 AM
Jim-
The "Shop Bi-atch" line is from Matthew Grimm of Kogswell Cycles, another Minnesota guy who apparently would rather braze than import. At least my sources tell me this. ;-]
"I'm sure regular phone calls and emails from complete raving whack-jobs is part of the custom framebuilding business,... ", nasty, but extremely funny comment... good one!
And yes, Chris is a tough one. He was/is on my original list from a few weeks ago.
-Me (Large Fella)
Posted by: Scott | April 28, 2005 at 11:36 AM
I enjoy running Kogswell.
But I'd rinse flux for Curt or Joe or Bob or Chris any time.
Please?
Posted by: Matthew | April 28, 2005 at 01:49 PM
Jesus Jim, feel free to send me your Atlantis any time as well as any other Riv products you need to ditch to get the stain of flirting with the cult off of you. Knee jerk contrariness against perceived popularity is about as interesting as rabidness.
Posted by: hatta | April 28, 2005 at 02:21 PM
Calm down mofos. I didn't say everybody who likes or owns Rivendell bikes is a whack-job. But there are a few. And I like my Atlantis just fine.
Posted by: Jim | April 28, 2005 at 02:30 PM
That's coo, just been seeing a series of these comments of late. I read a lot of different cycling lists, blogs and board (I feel I must waste time at work to compensate for them expecting me to work more then 40 hours ;) and I've seen rabidness for everything, most of which puts bagmatchers and similar to shame. There are for example Surly partisans just as rabid, Tandemers who are down right aggressive with their "single-bike" terminology, fixed gear partisans that denigrate non converts and so on. And I don't even hang in BMX, Mountain bike or serious roadie forums. Rivendell can't be faulted for some overly obsessed members just like the above aren't to blame.
Posted by: hatta | April 28, 2005 at 02:45 PM
It's a funny phenomenon, this rabidness. I've tried to be rabid about being anti-rabid, and I encounter rabidness from the anti-anti-rabid opposition. I guess it's best to just not say anything opinionated at all, in jest or not. But I'm probably wrong.
Regarding the shop bi-atch comment:
I didn't recall (or care to look up) who made that comment originally until now. Originally, I thought this was the iBOB/Riv equivalent of the club racer guy who would scrub out Lance's chamois with his own toothbrush if only he could hang out in the presence of greatness. Anyway, I'm not sure why Matthew of Kogswell wants to apprentice to these guys. Last I saw, Kogswell does very nice work in its own right. The Model P is sweet.
http://www.kogswell.com/p.html
Posted by: Jim | April 28, 2005 at 03:09 PM
"I enjoy running Kogswell.
But I'd rinse flux for Curt or Joe or Bob or Chris any time.
Please?"
lol, glad you stopped by Matt... good to see you here!
Hatta & Jim... hug and then STFU (just kidding!!). Seriously, you both bring up great points. Being anti-hype is a tough road to walk, while even singing softly of something one believes in can be fodder for cultism if heard by the right person/people.
It's a fine line between pleasure & twain (Shania, that is).
Jim- What you might be missing is that Kogswell's are Asian imported frames... some would say, "Surly's wit da lugz". ;-]
-Me (Large Fella)
Posted by: Scott | April 28, 2005 at 03:46 PM
There are for example Surly partisans just as rabid, Tandemers who are down right aggressive with their "single-bike" terminology, fixed gear partisans that denigrate non converts and so on.
Don't forget those freaks on recumbents, guys that almost every cyclist can look down their nose at ;-) And they say 'wedgie' which makes me want to stick my frame pump in their spokes. Mama, mama, the Italians are coming!
BTW, it is great to see Matthew here. Was I his first customer? I was close, and the hubs are still greeat.
Posted by: fixedgear | April 28, 2005 at 04:56 PM
When youse are done dissing one another, go check out the bike porn.
Part 2 is up.
Posted by: Greg | April 28, 2005 at 06:05 PM
Who's dissing who? Where, where?! Lemme at 'em!
;-]
Posted by: Scott | April 28, 2005 at 06:12 PM
"Jim- What you might be missing is that Kogswell's are Asian imported frames... some would say, "Surly's wit da lugz". ;-]"
Thanks Scott. I didn't know that. I saw some of those frames on eBay for like $600 or something, and I couldn't figure out how they got em so low. Doesn't matter much to me. They're still nice bikes from the looks of them.
I'll STFU now.
Posted by: Jim | April 28, 2005 at 06:47 PM
Jim said-
"I'll STFU now."
-----------------------
Really you don't have to you know? I was just riffing...
-Me
Posted by: Scott | April 29, 2005 at 02:50 AM
I know a lot of people are going to flame me for saying this...but I would NEVER have a guy who says he doesn't ride and doesn't want to and who wouldn't build frames for a living if he were to rewind his life build my bike. Period. I'm sure Mr. Starck builds some real nice frames and everything but being a poet maybe he would understand that I would need my frame to have the positive energy of someone who still loves and lives cycling, not someone who actually believes he has actually produced any "perfect" frames. Unfortunately, it's like approaching 0 as a fraction...impossible.
Posted by: Dave | June 08, 2005 at 12:51 AM
Germane to this thread, I wrote a poem on the subject, ergo, the title of my poem is "Perfect."
Here it is:
Jewdom's ethnocentric greed has so ill-interpreted Scripture to an unforeseen degree of irrelevancy to the very most original author's intent, that author therefore, God of Moses, has decided to write off plan A, "Israel," and start anew with plan B, with one man, me, Joe Starck, solely because I've delighted God with my visions of my interpretation of that part of God's Law commonly referred to as the Second Commandment, yet, a rank which signifies that Commandment as the supreme seed of prophetical potentiality.
Posted by: Joe Starck | July 13, 2007 at 07:04 PM
Following is a Revised Edition of my post of July 13, 2007 at 09:04 PM:
"Sects of ethnocentric greed had so ill-interpreted Scripture to an unforseen degree of irrelevancy to the very most original author's intent, that author therefore, God of Moses, decided to start anew WITH ME, solely because I delighted God with my visions of my interpretations of that part of God's law commonly referred to as the Second Commandment, yet a rank which signifies that Commandment as the supreme seed of prophetical potentiality."
Joe Starck,
Founder,
Second Commandment Order of the God of Moses
Posted by: Joe Starck | September 15, 2008 at 06:14 PM
Where have you come from and where are you going? -God of Hagar
Posted by: Joe Starck | February 28, 2009 at 11:05 AM