Independent Fabrication
Encyclopedia
Independent Fabrication is a bicycle company located in Newmarket, New Hampshire
, USA. It is often mistakenly referred to as Independent Fabrications. IF fabricates bicycle frames from steel
, titanium
and carbon fiber
. Independent Fabrication has twice won the Bicycling Magazine "Dream Bike of the Year" with its carbon-tubed, titanium-lugged XS road frame. Independent Fabrication was founded by and is owned by its employees. In 2005, the company took part in a CNN
television program called The TurnAround. The show paired a growing business with a mentor from a more successful company. Independent Fabrication was paired with Jeff Swartz, chief executive of Timberland
.
In 2011 the company announced its factory would move from Somerville, MA to Newmarket, NH within the year. A handful of IF's employees made the move with the company, and several former employees returned.
and later Merlin Metalworks
. Giana Roberge
won the 2004 world masters time-trial championship in Austria on an XS.
In 2007 Gary Smith bought 80% of the company, with the employees owning the remaining 20%.
Note SEC features carbon wishbone seat stays.
2010 Team
Current Riders:
Former Riders:
Newmarket, New Hampshire
Newmarket is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,936 at the 2010 census. Some residents are students and employees at the nearby University of New Hampshire in Durham....
, USA. It is often mistakenly referred to as Independent Fabrications. IF fabricates bicycle frames from steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
and carbon fiber
Carbon fiber
Carbon fiber, alternatively graphite fiber, carbon graphite or CF, is a material consisting of fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber...
. Independent Fabrication has twice won the Bicycling Magazine "Dream Bike of the Year" with its carbon-tubed, titanium-lugged XS road frame. Independent Fabrication was founded by and is owned by its employees. In 2005, the company took part in a CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
television program called The TurnAround. The show paired a growing business with a mentor from a more successful company. Independent Fabrication was paired with Jeff Swartz, chief executive of Timberland
The Timberland Company
The Timberland Company is an American manufacturer and retailer of outdoors wear with a focus on footwear. Its three key locations are in Stratham, New Hampshire; Danville, Kentucky; and Ontario, California....
.
In 2011 the company announced its factory would move from Somerville, MA to Newmarket, NH within the year. A handful of IF's employees made the move with the company, and several former employees returned.
History of Independent Fabrication
Independent Fabrication was formed by former employees of Fat City CyclesFat City Cycles
Fat City Cycles was an American bicycle manufacturing company. Fat City was started by Chris Chance in 1982. Fat City Cycles was one of the early builders of mountain bikes on the East Coast of the United States...
and later Merlin Metalworks
Merlin (bicycles)
Merlin Metalworks Inc. is a manufacturer of bicycles, specializing in custom titanium hand built models.-History:The company was founded by Gwyn Jones, Gary Helfrich, and Mike Augspurger in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1986 to manufacture bicycle frames and racing wheelchairs constructed from...
. Giana Roberge
Giana Roberge
Giana Roberge is an American female road cycle racer from who after retiring from professional cycling in 1999 due to a heart condition, began another successful career as a team director, leading the Saturn Women's road team to become one of the most successful teams in the world...
won the 2004 world masters time-trial championship in Austria on an XS.
In 2007 Gary Smith bought 80% of the company, with the employees owning the remaining 20%.
Bicycle Frames
Independent Fabrication currently manufactures the following custom bicycle frame models:Road
- Corvid (Carbon)
- XS (Carbon and Titanium)
- Factory Lightweight (Steel)
- Factory Lightweight (Ti/Carbon)
- Crown Jewel (Steel; Steel Special Edition (SE); Steel Special Edition Carbon (SEC); Titanium; and Titanium SEC)
- SSR (Columbus XCR Stainless SteelReynolds Cycle TechnologyReynolds Cycle Technology is a manufacturer of tubing for bicycle frames and other bicycle components based in Birmingham, England established in 1898.-History:...
; SSR SEC) - Club Racer (Steel or Titanium)
Note SEC features carbon wishbone seat stays.
Cyclocross
- Corvid Cross (Carbon Fiber)
- Planet Cross (Steel or Titanium)
- SSX (Columbus XCR Stainless Steel)
Specials
Independent Fabrication has also produced specials and one-off bikes. Some are show bikes, others have been built to the requirements of customers or other companies:- BMXS
- XS version of the Planet Cross cyclocross bike.
- Phil Wood Piss Off (which had a limited production run)
- Tungsten Electrode full suspension (prototyped in steel and titanium)
- Various Dual SlalomDual slalomDual slalom is an older mountain bike racing discipline similar to 4X racing.It consists of two racers racing two almost identical tracks next to each other down a slope. The courses are usually short; one run lasting about 30 seconds. It is filled with tabletop jumps, doubles and bermed turns...
/4XFour-crossFour-cross , also called Mountain-cross, not to be confused with Fourcross, is a relatively new style of mountain bike racing where four bikers race downhill on a prepared, BMX like, track, simply trying to get down first. These bikes are generally either full suspension with 3 to 4 inches of...
frames.
Owners' Club
An Independent Fabrication Owners' Club launched in 2004. It has a register of 1,000 IF bikes.Grassroots Racing
Independent Fabrication has a small but successful grassroots racing program. Racers past and present include:- Tiffany Mann
- Maureen Bruno Roy
- Brian KeichBrian KeichBrian "Buck" Keich is a mountain bike racer. He won the 2005 Single Speed World Championship in State College, PA. In 2006 he traveled to 2006 race held in Sweden to defend his World Championship title but came in second. Buck's current primary racing sponsor is Independent Fabrication.-External...
- Lloyd Graves
- Eric Roman
- Clint Lunsford
- Ron Gainer
- Mike Ramponi Sr.
- Leah Pappas-Barnes
IF Racing
IF Racing was formed in February 2008 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, the team will participate in an after-school cycling program for Boston public schools.- Team Website: https://sites.google.com/site/ifracing/
2010 Team
- Jonathan Bruno
- Evan Cooper
- Robbie King
- John Hanson
- Emerson Oronte
- Matt Buckley
- Vinnie Scalia
- Kevin Wolfson
- Todd Yezefski
Women's Team
The team, which started as Merlin/Smartfuel in 1997 and in 2000 picked up sponsorship from Independent Fabrication, is based in New England and rides regional and National Racing Calendar events.Current Riders:
- Brenda Bahnson
- Pauline Frascone
- Zoe Sheehan
- Michele Smith
- Silke Wunderwald
Former Riders:
- Katrina Davis
- Kirsten Grasshoff
- Katheryn Curi Mattis
- Lisa Maxwell
- Julia Oh
- Heather Peck
- Jessica Phillips
- Kathryn Roszko
- Marianne Stover
- Sarah Uhl
- Aimee Vasse