Building a Master List of Framebuilders

[DanBailey]

As I've mentioned earlier, I've quit the biz for awhile, so that I can focus on getting my ADD under control (hooray Adderall!) and really get my skills sharp. In the meantime, I want to stay involved with the community and work on some useful stuff. I started this project on a lark on Sunday while the kids were down for a nap and posted it to the Framebuilders group on Facebook, which sparked some interesting discussion. I know it's been tried elsewhere, and that's cool, but I still want to push forward with my take on it.

I'm going the crowdsourced route, and right now, I just have a form that anyone can use to contribute their info. It's online at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1DDU...BpsHU/viewform

For the geeky types, my plan is to use the Google Doc API to pull the information off the site and create a nicely-formatted table online that I am going to SEO the hell out of.

Thanks for contributing!

[Rosko]

This very project was taken up and executed by one of the folks here on the forum not too long ago:

http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum...ate-22889.html

looks like the page itself is no longer active (or changed?) perhaps you can collaborate and update all the data gathered by the previous incarnation?

[Too Tall]

Dan how is this coming? We can probably report live updates here in the form of news bulletins.

[pruckelshaus]

This very project was taken up and executed by one of the folks here on the forum not too long ago:

http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum...ate-22889.html

looks like the page itself is no longer active (or changed?) perhaps you can collaborate and update all the data gathered by the previous incarnation?

After an initial bit of activity, there was very little longer-term action. Died on the vine, but I still have the code and the database.

[DanBailey]

Dan how is this coming? We can probably report live updates here in the form of news bulletins.

Okay, so it's been slowly getting added-to. I'm planning on adding a whole slew of them this weekend while the kids are down for a nap.

Upcoming: Ben Brewer of James Madison University reached out to me on the topic, I owe him an email, and his work includes operating dates -- year started, year ended, and I think that's something that may be included with this list, too.

Upcoming: I'm trying to decide if I need to research the Google Docs API, or if I should just manually spooge all entries into a database manually (not tough). I'll probably decide what to do about that this weekend.

[incepi]

I'm building a similar list. The intention is to list framebuilders from around the world. I already have about 300 links to frame builders in the United States and Canada alone. Once I add Asia and Europe it will probably go to over 500 links. At that point I will make it publicly available on a dedicated website(which has already been built but not released). I expect that work to be complete in about one week.

[Eric Estlund]

Out of curiosity, what sort of metric are you folks using to build these lists? Is it a compilation of anyone putting bikes together? A list of professional entities and legal businesses? Are these lists simply a compendium of names that at one time built a bike, or an edited and updated list of active businesses?

[incepi]

Out of curiosity, what sort of metric are you folks using to build these lists? Is it a compilation of anyone putting bikes together? A list of professional entities and legal businesses? Are these lists simply a compendium of names that at one time built a bike, or an edited and updated list of active businesses?

My list will include anyone who builds frames actively, either for themselves or for others. Even if they are not professionals per se, Virtually everyone on the list so far can reasonably be described as a professional builder. Whether that means they build full time or part time is not certain. There is no way of knowing without asking them all.

My main inclusion criteria is that the framebuilder must have an active web presence that is primarily about their activity as a framebuilder. A dedicated website is preferred, but a blog or Facebook page will do. As long as it can be linked to. The web presence must be primarily focused on building frames. Vacation photos, family photos, or pictures of pets and last Sunday's barbeque are fine(if they are the exception and not the rule), as long as the overall purpose on the site is to share information about framebuilding.

I may divide it into amateurs and professionals at some point, but so far I don't see the need. It seems that some professionals also do other work outside of framebuilding. I would not want to exclude them from being called professionals for that reason. There are also hobby builders who have a significant amount of information to share, and a serious dedication to the practice. It would be a shame to leave them off the list.

[e-RICHIE]

I'm building a similar list. The intention is to list framebuilders from around the world. I already have about 300 links to frame builders in the United States and Canada alone. Once I add Asia and Europe it will probably go to over 500 links. At that point I will make it publicly available on a dedicated website(which has already been built but not released). I expect that work to be complete in about one week.

Hi and welcome.
Please add your first and last name to all posts you make on the FrameForum.

http://www.velocipedesalon.com/forum...rum-36866.html

[Noize]

You will find a very comprehensive and updated list of European framebuilders here: Stahlrahmen-Bikes » Stahlrahmen in Europa

[Too Tall]

Please stay in touch.

I'm building a similar list. The intention is to list framebuilders from around the world. I already have about 300 links to frame builders in the United States and Canada alone. Once I add Asia and Europe it will probably go to over 500 links. At that point I will make it publicly available on a dedicated website(which has already been built but not released). I expect that work to be complete in about one week.

[steve garro]

I'm building a similar list. The intention is to list framebuilders from around the world. I already have about 300 links to frame builders in the United States and Canada alone. Once I add Asia and Europe it will probably go to over 500 links. At that point I will make it publicly available on a dedicated website(which has already been built but not released). I expect that work to be complete in about one week.

What is your acceptable criteria?

- Garro.

[incepi]

My current list contains over 500 custom framebuilders from around the world. I expect it to contain close to 700 by the time it is complete. That should be in about a week. I am confident that it will be the most comprehensive listing of custom builders anywhwere. It already contains more links than the Stahlrahmen-bikes list, which is the largest listing I have found so far.

The Stahlrahmen-bikes listing is not limited to custom builders. It's actually a list of independent framebuilders and mass production bicycle companies who provide steel frames, as that is the focus of that site. Stahlrahmen means steel frame in German.

The project is time consuming, as you can imagine. I will keep you updated as the project nears completion.

[incepi]

What is your acceptable criteria?

- Garro.

I answered a similar question in post 8.

I may broaden the criteria slightly, or include a sub category for very small batch manufacturers. This is mainly intended to capture the utility and cargo bike builders who are not strictly custom, but are not mainstream mass producers either. They tend to produce locally, which I like. They are usually active in their own shops and don't just place orders to a remote supplier somewhere.

[incepi]

The list is up to 762 framebuilders, with 398 in the United States alone. I won't be surprised if the total reaches 1000 world wide. At that point I will just post it up as is. Otherwise this will go on forever.

The interesting thing about this has been looking at the range in quality of the various websites. Some of them look like they were crudely built in the 1990s, while others are very modern and sophisticated.

[steve garro]

I answered a similar question in post 8.

I may broaden the criteria slightly, or include a sub category for very small batch manufacturers. This is mainly intended to capture the utility and cargo bike builders who are not strictly custom, but are not mainstream mass producers either. They tend to produce locally, which I like. They are usually active in their own shops and don't just place orders to a remote supplier somewhere.

Oh, got it.

Yeah, count me out.

- Garro.

[Amaro Bikes]

I may divide it into amateurs and professionals at some point, but so far I don't see the need.

to me, in fact that would actually be the most important upgrading ever done to any of the already made framebuilding lists out there and the best way to start doing something rising the bar, a reference beyond any existing list to be wacth by anyone interested in knowing who is boss out there.

Sure each one can do whatever they want with their own projects and please don't take it as any offense or attack (not my intention at all) but as an idea of what should actually be researched, it's not just about adding names, but making a throughful research on who should be named on each cathegory (experienced pro's vs others).

It's relatively easy to list infinite builders with active internet profiles, but not so easy to resume the real deals out there, some of them they do not even have websites or instagrams, but they're way more worth being named than any instagramed flashlights.

[incepi]

to me, in fact that would actually be the most important upgrading ever done to any of the already made framebuilding lists out there and the best way to start doing something rising the bar, a reference beyond any existing list to be wacth by anyone interested in knowing who is boss out there.

That is exactly what I am intending. That is why I want it to be on a separate website. I don't want to be compiling a static list, and then spending time removing dead links and discovering new ones to add. I want the framebuilders to participate by motivating them to be on the list if they are not already. I have several ideas about how to ensure that happens, but I won't go into too much detail here.

[Jonathan]

Im very curious about the pathological need that some folks satiate in making lists?

[incepi]

Oh, got it.

Yeah, count me out.

- Garro.

I appreciate your feedback. Please don't be too quick to dismiss the criteria I offered. It is an idea under consideration, but not a final decision.

As for what I am intending in general terms, the intention is to provide a site that complements Vsalon, rather than competing with it. I have no interest in trying to copy what Vsalon already does so well.