The workshop of BlackCat Bicycles is located in a small town called Aptos, east of Santa Cruz, California.
Todd Ingermanson is a rare builder who began working in bike shops in his teens and spent many years at Santa Cruz Bicycles. He puts to full use the wealth of knowledge and wisdom he gained there—from the fundamentals of bicycle manufacturing to the latest materials—to create simple, carefully crafted frames, while also doing his own unique and distinctive paintwork.
It has been about 14 years since he started independent frame building following a stint as a helper at Hunter Cycles. His bikes go beyond the scope of just modern, high-sense custom builds; his delicate welding and manufacturing techniques using machining make him one of the builders who is firmly guiding the history cultivated by his California predecessors into a new generation.
While I find a sense of art in the bikes he creates, they are in fact unique machines built with the premise of being ridden hard. I believe they possess a performance that makes it a waste to simply display them, and a power that makes you want to hop on them every single day. Because of this, he has many fans, and the lead time for orders is long (currently, it is about a 2-year wait). We are very happy that so many people here in Japan have placed orders with him and are eagerly awaiting the completion of their frames.
The frames he creates are overflowing with free-spirited ideas. While his creative paintwork is often cited as a key characteristic, what I really want people to know about are the philosophy and form hidden beneath that paint, the beauty of the custom end parts created through lathe machining, the hand-filed lugs, and his thoughtful pipe selection that reflects an understanding of how a bicycle and its rider become one.
One can always place trust in those who believe in both convention and freedom, and who take action to express themselves and find freedom even within the conventional. Todd is certainly one of those people, and in his frame building, you can sense that free thinking and his own unique expression. That is why he is so trusted, and that is why those waiting for their bikes right now place that same trust in him.
The Disc Racer and Smooth Road, which Circles and SimWorks collaborated with him to produce, are based on the concept that "simple is best." These are handmade frames designed not to imply that steel bikes are inherently nostalgic, nor to chase excessive specs, but to be fun tools that allow you to enjoy riding for a long time, imagined with the hope that they will enrich the lives of the riders who choose them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Of course, if you would like to give clearer form to the image you have in mind, we also welcome custom order inquiries. However, if the concepts of the two bikes above fit your needs perfectly and the sizes are right for you, then it is nothing short of fate. Please feel free to visit Tailored on the 2nd floor of Circles to discuss build kits, component swaps, or any other questions you may have.