Why Columbus Tubing?
Mon, April 20, 2020 
I was recently asked, why did I build my US built frames in Columbus, instead of Reynolds, and why did I choose certain lugs, fork crowns and other component parts of the frame?
My main competition in America was the Italian import frames. Names like Colnago, Pinarello, Guerciotti, and Pogliaghi. All built in factories in Italy and shipped to the US by sea in containers, each filled with hundreds of frames. These would then go to a distributors warehouse.
The distributor having bought these frames in bulk at a wholesale price, then sold them to individual bicycle stores at a markup. One of these containers from Italy would hold more frames than my whole years production.
However, even though my production was smaller, I could compete pricewise with these imports. I did not have the shipping costs from Italy, and as I could sell direct to American bicycle dealers, I did not need a distributor, so therefore illuminated this middle-man cost.
I chose to use Columbus tubing because that is what the Italian frames were build with, so even though I never saw a difference in quality or price between Columbus or Reynolds, My customers did not have to decide between apples or oranges. I was competing on a level playing field. What probably tipped the scales was, the fact that Columbus spent more on advertising in the US and was better known.
When a person starts out as an individual frame builder, or any small business for that matter, one can become trapped financially, and while one can make a living it is difficult to grow the business without a larger capital investment.
For example, you get orders for a few frames, you buy a few sets of tubing and lugs, etc. You build those frames and have enough money from the sale to buy a few more sets of tubing and build a few more frames and so on.
In 1982 I was in San Marcos, California, working for Masi, when a downturn in the economy, and an over stock of Masi frames, meant that I was laid off, and out of work. However, I had been building a few of my own custom frames in my spare time and had a few bicycle dealers established. By calling other bike stores I was able to build a small dealer network.
Masi were only too pleased to let me pay rent to continue building my own frames, it helped them and helped me because I had use of the facility, including, paint booth and all the jigs and other tooling without my having to make the initial capital outlay.
Fate had handed me an opportunity and I took advantage of it. The demand for high quality custom frames was there, and I began working 100 hours a week, sometimes 18-hour days, 6 days a week to fill those orders as quickly as I could. By the following year I had saved enough money and with the help of a bank loan, I was able to open my own frame building facility.
In 1983 I built 200 ‘John Howard’ frames, plus 96 custom frames, with the help of just two employees. My initial capital outlay enabled me to buy 1,000 sets of tubing direct from Columbus in Italy. The Italian government had incentive programs to encourage exports, and this enabled Columbus to extend me credit.
When you buy 1,000 sets of tubing direct, there is a tremendous price difference over buying just a few sets from a distributor. My dealings with Columbus lead to a similar deal with the other Italian giant. Cinelli, and I bough fork crowns, lugs, and bottom bracket shells.
When buying tubing direct like this, I was able to specify the gauge of the tubes. For example, all the Fuso frames had heavier gauge SP chainstays. This made a stiffer rear triangle making a more responsive frame, but as the chainstay is a horizontal tube, the extra stiffness did not affect the ride quality.
Choice of materials and component parts of the frame was always made by considering quality, price, and availability, along with keeping an eye on what market trends were. At the height of production in the mid-1980s I produced as many as 500 frames a year with six employees.
The business was successful because I kept a large stock of every size frame, unpainted, so I could paint to order and delver in a week. 18 sizes, 49 cm. to 64 cm. I only sold though bike dealers, one cannot build as many frames as I did, and deal with individual customers. Of course, that eventually backfired on me when dealers stopped selling road bikes and switched completely to mountain bikes.
My US business ran for eleven years from 1982 to 1993, I have been out of the business for 27 years and it never ceases to amaze me that many of the frames I built are still owned by their original owners, and others are still being ridden, bought and sold, talked about, and otherwise enjoyed.
Looking back, it was a lot of work, but the continued interest makes it all worthwhile.
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Reader Comments (13)
Good frames in the right hands last a lifetime. Also liked how this starts of as a tubing article, but gives insight to how you setup and built up your shop. Thanks for taking time to pen it down.
Interesting post thanks Dave.
Thanks Dave for this insightful article on your start in business. Fascinating!
Having started frame building in the UK, you must have been more familiar with Reynolds Tubing. That's where I learned about it in the 1950s and Reynolds 531 Double Butted Tubing was the holy grail. I did see Italian bikes in specialty stores in London, made from strange unfamiliar tubing, Columbus I suppose, but it was all "Greek" to me, not knowing what "tubi rinforzati" meant.and except for the really knowledgeable enthusiasts, neither did a lot of others. Basically, if a bike or frame was not of butted 531 with fancy lugs, it was not worth considering. But I can see in your case, the customers buying your bikes in the 1980s might be more familiar with Columbus than Reynolds and you weren't about to convert them.
I forgot to mention, the Fuso started out in 1984 with Campagnolo 1010B short dropouts, which was standard with all high end frames. A few years later Columbus had their own dropouts made at the same factory as Campagnolo. They were practically identical except for the name, and bought in bulk with the tube sets they cost less.
Dave
Thanks for answering my questions. Great write up, very informative and interesting.
I’m still an original owner since 1987 and will be till I’m dead.
On the Fuso, when you switched to Columbus dropouts, did you use Campagnolo dropout screws?
I had a 1958 Bianchi Specialissima with knurled steel adjuster heads, but it was the Campy black plastic heads most racing bikes had, which had a nasty habit of breaking, mostly one side, as they were flattened, knurled injections.
Some of us oriented them the same on both sides.
I also remember they were lighter...(rimshot)
Steve,
The Columbus dropouts came with adjuster screws, and I'm pretty sure they had the knurled chromed steel caps not the plastic kind.
Dave
I have been lucky enough to own and ride both of your Columbus and Reynolds framesets and concur with you in terms of differences. There are nearly imperceptible levels of difference in weight and stiffness. All have the characteristic sharp handling and compliant forgiveness.
I have an early 80’s Gino Bartali bike with what I believe is Columbus Air tubing as the down tube and seat tubes are aero. I would love to know more about my bike. I can’t find any information on it anywhere. I could send you pictures directly if you could help me out. Thanks in advance.
I am excited to own my Fuso frame. Can't wait to get it built and back on the road.
I just got in from a hard workout on my Fuso #433, purchased in the late summer/early fall of 1985.
I bought a Blue Masi Gran Corsa from Freewheeling Bikes in Austin Texas in 1994. I still have it with a triple Campy Chorus groupset, and Campy Caluma wheels. Thank you for creating such a wonderful frame that I will treasure till I drop.