Success and Fate
Mon, January 27, 2020 Looking back on the United States part of my framebuilding career, although some of my success I created, fate also played a large role.
For example, in 1980 I went for a job interview with Trek, in Wisconsin. I didn’t get the position, but later that same year I landed a job with Masi in Southern California.
When I eventually started my own business, I was definitely in the right place. California, and in particular the southern part of that state, has a climate where one can ride a bike year-round. Had I opened my own framebuilding shop in Wisconsin, business would have definitely been seasonal.
Also, when Masi laid me off at the end of 1981 it was due to an overstock of unsold frames coinciding with a recession. It was not because of anything I had done, and it was not necessarily Masi’s doing either.
They were only too pleased to rent me space in their shop to build my own frames, as they also had a drop in income. This got me started back in my own business again, and I was able to resume building custom frames, something I had not done since leaving England in 1979.
Then when John Howard, ex-Olympic rider and winner of the first Ironman Triathlon approached me in 1983 to build frames under his own name, it gave me a contract to build five frames a week.
This brought in a steady income to supplement what I was already making from my custom frames. It enabled me to open my own framebuilding facility, along with my own paint shop.
The John Howard frame was a short lived project that only lasted a year. Again due to circumstances largely outside of my control, and of which I have outlined here in a previous article.
This left me scrambling to find a replacement to fill the void in my production capabilities. Once again fate had played a hand and out of that the Fuso was conceived.
The John Howard frame was always underpriced, and profit margins were small. It was competing head on with the Masi and Italian import frames, but was not an established brand at that time, so we had to produce and sell it for less.
With lessons learned from the John Howard frame, the Fuso came into being in 1984. The extreme luxuries like chrome plating were dispensed with, and the Fuso was a well-designed, well-built product with nice paint and graphics.
No longer having to split profits with a middle-man, I now had a frame that was a reasonable price and would compete favorably with the import frames.
The Fuso had a good run for almost ten years, when once again fate took a hand in the form of the Mountain Bike, people stopped buying road bikes. However, this time I did not rise to the challenge and re-invent myself or my business.
Maybe I had been knocked down one too many times. I was thoroughly burned out with the bike business, and no longer wanted to be a part of it.
If someone had offered me a job in the bike business, I would have considered it. But to run my own business again, subject to all the whims of the market and the consumer. No, thank you very much
Looking back, I have no regrets, but can't help but wonder what if I had landed that job with Trek back in 1980. Would they have treated me well enough that I stayed?
I might have retired by from some executive position with a large pension. On the other hand, I doubt if it would have been as satisfying as what I did do.
And is money the only consideration when a person looks back on what they have achieved? At some point we die, and money has little bearing on anything
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Reader Comments (5)
Hey Dave! I still own my custom Moulton and the Mountain Bike you made for me. I'll always cherish both, and the opportunity to work with you and Brenda in the shop there in San Marcos in the late 80's. Hope you're well.
Jay
Dave after almost 87 years I have found that life is and has been a lot of "What Ifs" I have always been an adventure. I have found that what makes life interesting is to take chances go with your gut feelings about things. When riding me bloody boik in the leafy lanes of Warwickshire, taking a small lane off the main roads was often the most enjoyable ride that I had ever taken. Ofen I like you also think "WHAT IF?" I left England in 1957 age 23 "What If" I had stayed with all my mates? Do I regret my "WHAT IFS" Hell NO!!! For one thing I would not be here writing this now That's reason enough
I have an '82 Medici. I have read a bit of the history of Medici, that they split from Masi at about this time as well. There are, of course, several versions of the story, depending on who is telling it. I'd love to hear your take on their history.
"What-ifs" — when you get to a certain age, you have plenty of those to think about.
Dave, In thinking about your comments about making frames and forks, In 1953 I became a Professional musician, I also had great pride in my music I THINK? I made beautiful sounds on my Saxophone, I was inspired by the American Jazz musicians, to create sounds that where expressions of my thoughts and feelings. Although I would not consider myself a top notch player I was close enough that I thought I could make impact in the USA music, with one of the big bands over here. I found when in the USA I was not quite the quality musician that was needed for getting work with the big bands, plus I was not a US Citizen so the Union would not issue me a card. BUT I tried the hardest I have ever tried to do anything in life.I did get work, gigs in the LA Area, did really well playing around the area, I even played at The Lighthouse Jazz club in Hermosa beach. But like you I guess, I got tired of the constant competition and all the distractions with drugs booze and women, In fact I know now, that if I had continued like that I would have died long ago, I took a different path quite different from music that I loved. am I happy that I did that? YOU BET But like you I gave it a shot, at least I did that. Great times those, but sometimes you have to change direction in life.