La Suprema

One of the benefits of traveling to odd places in the world to ride a bike, is exploring the culture and people in these little towns and cities. Tucson is no different, and while here I tried to soak up as much of the bike culture as I could. I love seeing how things are done differently from place to place. Along with BICA's one of the best things I've encountered were some of the local frame builders in the area. These guys are far from your mass produced Giants, Specialized's, and Cannondales. These guys are in it for the plane jane love of cycling. They offer each individual rider they're own personal bike.

One of these characters who I talked to was Ed, his company is La Supremo which just started up last year. While talking to Ed, you quickly realize he's a very calculating kind of guy. Every sentence is thought out and there is no error in his speech. He comes from generations of tinkerers and metal workers. His great grand father in fact use to work for the Colt firearm company many many years ago.

Blood runs thick and Ed's grandfather, father and himself have all adopted the metal working trade. Ed took up welding at a young age and became a machinist in industry. One day while he was machining gun sights of all things, he decided he wanted to make the plunge and do what a lot of use dream of. That is of course making bikes for a living.

While walking through the shop and studio of La Supremo. I quickly realized that along with having to know hundreds of different metal working skills you also have to be a tinkerer. You have to tweek things ever so slightly to make them your own unique thing. There are many projects in the shop that Ed has been working on. Some finished, some not, but they all have a little twist that you can tell have been thought out for hours before a file ever hit a piece of steel.

(Ed's latest project, a lugged steel fork. If you look closely you can see how many individual pieces had to be handmade in this bad boy.)

La Supremo only works with steel. Its an avenue that hasn't been perfected yet and offers such a range of ride quality mixed with craftsmanship. Not only does Ed weld, machine and braze his bikes, he also hand makes lugs. Custom makes forks, and bends tubes himself. He really is the one man show. Its something refreshing to see and talk to the guy who is thinking about you alone, when making your bike.

Though I'm a seasoned bike shop guy with 10 years under my belt. I could tell that Ed was 'dumbing' things down for me. This was how I wanted it, as most of the things he was talking about delt with hundred of years of bicycle evolution, not to mention metal working to go along with it.

He showed me some raw materials. Seatstay tubes to be precise. He pointed out 4-5 different ways to join a seat stay tube to the lug by the seat collar. All offering different ride characteristics and weights. All depending on what kind of riding you were intending on doing. Some had more clearance than others. Some were lighter, tougher. He then went on the explain what era, and what welder/manufacturer developed certain kinds of seat stay designs. So much intricacy for a simple seat stay. It definitely got me thinking about how this sport and passion has evolved, and the interesting people who have had their influence.

(The magic begins when your bike is made around your body)

Times are going good for Ed right now. The La Suprema brand is growing. There is no sugar coating the life of a intdependant frame builder though. “Its feast or famine” explains Ed. “Times are going good, but tomorrow may be different, when its slow, that's when I shift into marketing mode.” Ed said in July of last year, the first year, the total sales were $15, for the whole month.

While hanging out there the past couple days, people have been stopping by. Many people who I saw walk through the shop were authentically excited about their bikes. From working at a bike shop, you can tell the smile people have when they are truly happy with the service and individual attention they've received. Of everyone I saw and talked to about La Suprema bikes, they all were smiling from ear to ear.

Believe me, my pictures don't do La Suprema justice. Take a peak at Ed's website at http://www.edsbikes.us/index.htm