Proteus frame building book

     I came across this gem over the weekend. it is the Proteus frame building book. It was published in 1975 by Dr. Paul Proteus, who actually did not exist and was presumed to be written by two of the founders of Proteus. It reminds me of the "Moosewood Cookbook".
      Across the street from the University of Maryland in 1972, 3 young bike enthusiasts  decided to make their own bikes and a booming business was begun. Proteus took a very hands-on, proletariat approach... you could buy a bike frame, or a bike frame kit, or have your kit's tubes mitered by Proteus, or have your bike painted after you made it at home!
     Proteus also was a prime supplier for building bits and tubing. In all cases, this paperback put in very basic terms what was required to make a ride-able bicycle with simple hand tools.
     Frames sold by and labeled PROTEUS were made by various employees who changed regularly. Yet highly trained master builders also came & went at Proteus. Perhaps most notable was Koichi Yamaguchi, who went on to have his own workshop in Colorado and build quite a reputation. Some of this text is taken from the classic Rendezvous website.

 

Proteus Design Catalog 76-77'

      This is a Proteus catalog from 1976-1977. I have shown the pages that include the frame building kit they offered. Below the photos is a brief history of the company. They are still in existence in College Park, Maryland as a bike shop. History and group shot were  borrowed from the Classic Rendezvous site. I always liked this company and their approach to frame building, something for every level of craftsman.

     1972: Across the street from the University of Maryland, 3 young bike enthusiasts  decided to make their own bikes and a booming business was begun. Proteus took a very hands-on, proletariat approach... you could buy a bike frame, or a bike frame kit, or have your kit's tubes mitered by Proteus, or have your bike painted after you made it at home!
     Proteus also was a prime supplier for building bits and tubing. They published a frame building manual (even had a second revised edition, both sadly long out of print)) which made the magical art of frame construction more accessible to the average craftsman.
     Frames were made by various employees who changed regularly, yet, on occasion, highly trained master builders also came & went at Proteus. Perhaps most notable was Koichi Yamaguchi, who went on to have his own workshop in Colorado and build quite a reputation.

Top: Larry Dean, Beth Williams, Barry Konig-
Bottom: Steve Schuman, Jim Wilkin at the Proteus Design bike shop
photo courtesy route-one.org

Vintage Italian Bicycle frame building video

Electoforged frame??

 Is this what it looks like inside your Schwinn Varsity. . . I doubt it. it does look cool though.

building a Raleigh Bicycle film

A Bicycle Factory ‘The process of manufacture is traced from the beginning; the design on paper and the raw materials. We see what goes to make the steel tubes of the frames, the handle bars, the gear wheels, the pedal cranks, the pedals, the spokes, the wheels and the hubs, until at last the complete bicycle is ready for testing.’ (Films of Britain - British Council Film Department Catalogue - 1946)

George Omelenchuk built bike

 This bicycle was seen at a recent midwest swap meet and it is a nice example of an American framebuilder in the 1960s, in the Detroit area. There was very few American builders at that time, Eisentraut was just starting out. George Omelenchuk starting building frames and then expanded to rims, hubs, stems and other parts of the bike. His wife Jeanne, was a national champion in cycling and speedskating, the first woman to ever win two national championships in two different major sporting events. She was cycling National Champion in 1952 and 1953, and represented USA in the Winter Olympics in 1960, 1968, and 1972.

If anyone has more information about George Omelenchuk, his shop and his bike building history, please contact me, I would love to learn more. There is very little information on the internet about him. 

Nice inch pitch block chain.

Thanks to a follower of the blog explaining the disk- "the discs on the rear wheel are snail cams and were used to adjust the chain tension.. it is difficult to see in the photo but they usually have a peg at the front which they push against.."

Headclip headset.

Older stem, 1930s?

 Name stamped in the front rim, the back rim(Lobdell) does not match, but the hubs do, they are BSA.

Rear spokes are tied, but not soldered?

Cinelli lugs rough and prepared

BSA bottom bracket shell