Crisp Titanium

By Duncan Moore

Crisp Titanium is Darren Crisp, an American frame builder in Italy

Cycling is full of traditions, always has been and probably always will be. Traditions such as the very best road bikes are, arguably, made by hand from steel tubes in workshops in Europe, while in the US frame builders are perhaps quicker to experiment with new ideas, concepts, and materials.

So what happens when an American decides he’s going to set himself up as a frame builder in rural Italy? What you get is Crisp Titanium – the one-man business owned and operated by Texan, Darren Crisp which specialises in custom titanium road frames.

Following the opening of its dedicated London store – B1866 – last year, Brooks, the legendary bicycle saddle maker has been inviting luminaries of the hand-made bicycle world to visit the outlet and offer frame fitting sessions there. Among the builders who have offered a made-to-measure services at B1866 for limited periods have been Dario Pegoretti, Ricky Feather, and Darren Crisp. It was while Crisp was in residence at B1866 that CycleTechReview.com caught up with him to talk about what it is like to be an American building ti frames in Italy… Read More >