Bespoke Spokes

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Photograph courtesy Lundbeck Cycles

Maxwell Lundbeck constructs bikes in his Mt. Lookout basement. And they’re beautiful. The Cleveland native started with a degree in electrical engineering, moving on to a manufacturing career with Toyota and landing in Cincinnati in 2009. It was here that he decided to get serious about cycling. And in an engineer’s mind, this means building bikes from scratch.

Enter Lundbeck Cycles, whose main service is customization. Every bike starts with a discussion: Do clients want to be able to tackle hairpin turns at high speeds? Comfortably hold a horizontal position for racing? Next, Lundbeck gets body measurements to tailor the frame’s geometry. “Fit is huge,” he says. “Regardless of whether or not the bike is better, the person who gets the correct fit is going to think it’s the best bike in the world.”

Lundbeck’s bikes look as good as they perform. He uses a technique called fillet brazing, melting brass or silver around steel tubing joints and filing the transitions smooth. The resulting frame appears as a single, elegant piece. He also clears out the clutter. “Stock bikes are totally overbranded,” he explains. Look no further than the window of a bike shop to see frames plastered with Specialized and Trek logos, turning their riders into moving billboards. “I get rid of that,” he says. “Everything is clean.” This attention—or rather devotion—to detail gives Lundbeck an edge on national brands (his prices are comparable, too; base frames start at $1,750) and makes him popular with cycling enthusiasts. Says Lundbeck, “being a huge bike nerd is necessary.”

Originally published in the May 2013 issue.

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