While the shakeup at Serotta has meant an end of sorts in the world of US produced titanium, in the case of No. 22 cycles it also means it’s just the beginning. Initially former Serotta employees broke away and formed Saratoga Frameworks, and will now be producing gorgeous titanium bikes under the roof of Canadian based No. 22 Cycles.
Originally having their bikes manufactured by Lynskey Cycles, No. 22 has just announced their manufacturing plans with a core group of former Saratoga Frameworks employees. Now all of the No. 22 bicycles will be built in upstate New York, as well as a number of “high end frames” produced under contract for other companies.
More details after the break.
Drawing from the recently closed Saratoga Frameworks, N0. 22 will be using the combined 53 years of experience of team leader Scott Hock, head welder Frank Cenchitz , welder Caleb Sesselman, and the paint and finish expertise of Bill McDonald.
“We are extremely excited about the opportunity to work with this team as the long-term manufacturing home for our bikes,” said Mike Smith, co-founder of No. 22. “We have been building our brand around the resurgence of North American craftsmanship, and the frames that Scott, Frank and their colleagues are able to build have us thrilled about this relationship. We feel privileged to be working with them to produce bikes that we can all be proud of.”
In addition to being produced by the former members of Saratoga Frameworks, the Great Divide frame also has a few changes including a 200g weight reduction in size 56cm. The CNC butted 3al-2.5v CWSR (cold worked stress relieved) titanium tubeset meets parts that are locally machined by Paragon Machine Works and Loco Machine to create the frame. Offered in mechanical or electronic cable routing, finish options include anodized blue violet or raw titanium with brushed graphics on matte Ti. Great Divides will retail for $3,199 for the anodized finish, or $2,799 for the brushed/matte version which includes an Enve fork and Chris King headset. With geometry leaning more towards performance gran fondo, and all day riding rather than a crit racer, the BB is a bit low, chainstays are a bit longer and the ride is generally slightly more mellow than a pure race bike. This particular anodized frame looked stunning in person, and left us not wanting to give it back.
No. 22 Bicycle Company was founded in 2012 by Bryce Gracey and Mike Smith and offers models like the Great Divide road frame above. Promising to offer impeccable craftsmanship at attainable prices, and now with the frame building chops of Saratoga Frameworks, No. 22 Bicycle Company seems poised for success.
