The Truth About Bike Framebuilding: Interviewing Paul Sadoff

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks everyone for watching, sharing, commenting & subscribing ❤! This is a long interview. Be sure to use the Chapters to quickly go to whatever parts of the video most interest you.

[@melchurch3019]

It was so fascinating that I watched it straight through. I love to hear how things are developed and built. Paul's story and struggles were very interesting.

[@JimLangley1]

@@melchurch3019 that's great to hear, Mel, thanks a lot for watching! I'm really happy you enjoyed the interview so much.

[@jockorogers9312]

Great interview, Jim. You facilitated Paul just talking--which was truly wonderful. Then you.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks a lot for watching Jocko! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the interview. Paul is a fascinating guy.

[@michaelbattin]

Thanks for sharing guys. What a great area and time for us to be part of....

[@JimLangley1]

You got that right Michael, we're very fortunate. Thanks a lot for watching and the great comments.

[@marcuskaufman5412]

Such a great interview. I am amazed how straight Paul played this. In real life he is over-the-top wacko crazy. Me, my children, and my children’s children will call him blessed. A man of parts. Frame builder, mechanic, guitarist, graphic artist (the Rock Lobster logo is his own work), cyclist, philanthropist, friend.

[@JimLangley1]

I'm happy you enjoyed the interview Marcus. Thanks a lot for watching and your awesome comments about Paul.

[@ocshot9136]

Thank you for the video. I’ve been considering getting a RockLobster bike for some time now, and just found this video. This might just push me to do it once and for all.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching, OC. Great to hear you enjoyed the video and are considering a Rock Lobster.

[@andrewhood1102]

Thanks for recording and sharing this great interview. Always keen to hear about what it's like being a frame builder!

[@JimLangley1]

I'm happy you enjoyed the interview, Andrew. Thanks a lot for watching and the great comment, appreciate it!

[@Automobiliana]

Nice interview, thank you both

[@JimLangley1]

You're very welcome, thanks for watching and commenting. Glad you enjoyed the interview!

[@gimfone1]

Thanks Jim for the great interview. I learned a lot from you and Paul.

[@JimLangley1]

I’m happy you enjoyed the interview Jian. Thanks so much for watching and letting us know, appreciated it very much🙏

[@williamcovey4162]

Hello Jim. Thanks for the excellent interview with Paul Sadoff. I love to listen to some old school boys 'shoot the breeze' (as we say here in Canada) about cycles and cycling. You guys have forgotten more about cycling than so many of these crypto-flash-in-the-pan-next-Eddy Merckx guys! (If they even knew who Eddy Merckx was!) Great Stuff! Long May You Run (Ride)! A Neil Young song....

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks a lot for watching and the great comment William, you made my day ❤ Love Neil Young too!

[@LloydGoldsteinMusic]

Loved this interview! Thank you very much.

[@JimLangley1]

You're very welcome Lloyd, I'm happy you enjoyed it so much. Thank you for watching and the great comment!

[@paulricci4232]

Quality and great workmanship. Paul built me a sweet steel single speed frame back in the 26incher days First one in New England

[@JimLangley1]

Wow, that’s cool Paul. Thank you for watching and sharing!

[@enocfrommars]

Paul is a class act. I love the gravel bike he built for me and will definitely be going back for another one.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching and sharing how much you love your Rock Lobster gravel bike, Enoc!

[@Nojikuzus]

NorCal legend

[@JimLangley1]

Yes, exactly, Paul's a legend here and all around the world. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@benc8386]

What a great guy. Have built a few hobbyist TIG frames myself so am super-stoked on this stuff. Also a fantastic interview, asking all the right questions. Thanks for this!

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks a lot for watching, Ben. I'm happy you enjoyed meeting Paul and the interview - he's a fun guy to talk bikes and frames with!

[@LocksRocks]

This was a great interview Jim with a great person! Super cool getting to learn about Paul especially having met him in the past before and not knowing who he was.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks, Locks, I'm glad you enjoyed the interview and got to know a little more about Paul and his framebuilding, cycling and contribution to riders all around the globe. With your love of music, sometime you should see him play guitar if he's here in town. He has a KZbin channel about his collectible guitars and he plays them. Here's a link where he's playing one so you can give a listen: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5yrmWp8qcaJfK8

[@LocksRocks]

@@JimLangley1 Oh sweet. I'll definitely check out his music. Thanks!

[@MaynardHershon]

Really fun video, guys! I don't believe I ever met Paul but now I feel like I have!

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks a lot, Maynard, appreciate you watching and the nice comment! I'm still enjoying your wonderful stories, thank you!

[@paulsadoff3661]

Hey- I met you when I worked for the Bicycle Center in the 1977-1980 era. You came into the shop a few times.

[@billcaveny9495]

That was great Jim. I really enjoyed it. Many thanks..👍

[@JimLangley1]

You're very welcome, Bill. Thanks a lot for watching and the nice comment!

[@davidburgess741]

I am fortunate to be the owner of a '79 Dave Moulton bought face to face from the man.

[@JimLangley1]

Congratulations, David, that's surely an amazing riding bike and gorgeous to behold, too. I have seen many Dave Moultons but have actually never ridden one unfortunately. For anyone who doesn't know about it, Dave Moulton has a blog here: davesbikeblog.squarespace.com/

[@marksondag2085]

This was a great interview and pretty much was the last thing I needed to place an order in for a CX frame. I still have to decide steel or aluminum? I'll turn 60 this year but I still like to mix it up and go as fast as I can so I'm leaning toward aluminum, which is what my current Mason Definition is made of. I also like the idea of a frame to last me till I can't clip in anymore. These are good problems to have I guess. Thanks for the video Jim, I really enjoyed it!

[@JimLangley1]

I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the interview and so much that you might be ready to order a frame Mark, that's great. Paul says that aluminum is the way to go for performance, that's what his team cross bikes use. Thanks a lot for watching and the great comment! 🙏

[@themississippikidful]

Great video Jim thanks !

[@JimLangley1]

You're very welcome, Texas, thanks a lot for watching!!

[@willclarke4631]

I love your passion for cycling. Great interview. Makes me want to build some frames.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching and the great comment, Will, appreciate it. I've built a few steel frames just for myself and at a very amateur level. I bet you'll enjoy it if you give it a try. It's an older book, (1979), but if you can find Designing and Building Your Own Frameset by Richard P. Talbot, he walks you through the whole process even how to make a simple jig out of wood.

[@willclarke4631]

@@JimLangley1 I will definitely find that book. Thanks for the tip. I don't know if you remember me at all but I also was a mechanic at the Bicycle Center in the early 90s. We might have met at the Palomar. I started working for Art Leach in SLO County while in Jr High school. I taught him how to rebuild coaster breaks and which threads were reversed when he first entered the bike biz. I worked for Pete at Santa Cruz Cyclery and then Greg at the Bicycle Center while in college. Bikes are such an important part of my life, even now as an amateur enthusiast. It is so inspiring to see you and Paul, and other guys I knew make a life in the cycling world. Keep up the great videos. You should make one about the story of Roger loaning the Specialized guys money to start their journey, if that is really true.

[@JimLangley1]

@@willclarke4631 Hi Will - I DO remember the dinner at the Palomar and I think I remember you, too. So cool you worked at the Bicycle Center, too. And, working in SLO must have been fantastic, quite a nice bike area down there especially with the college. We used to go down to ride and support the Great Western Bike Rally in Paso Robles and ride those roads. I always liked Pete and used to visit him at his shop when I was riding around town - maybe I met you there, too. It would be fun to do a video about Roger and the influence of the Bicycle Center. It was quite a shop with so many what we call influencers today having worked there. Paul was there and Tom Cuthbertson, Dannie Nall, Tim Neenan, Ross Shafer (I didn't know that until Paul told me), Robert Wright, Phil Trissell.. and more I'm forgetting. And yes, he did help finance Mike Sinyard when he was starting Specialized. Roger was super generous like that and always eager to promote bicycling and help anyone trying to get into the business or working on something he felt was important, such as Phil Wood and Jim Blackburn. When Roger died we had a great memorial ride for him with quite a turnout. It was a beautiful day. Thanks again for watching and the awesome comment, Will!

[@zer0kelvin212]

Very nice questions and answers. What do you think of titanium frames? I own only one bike and it is titanium because I live in Canada and commute on dirt and salt in the winter. Every bolt and component that was stainless steel was covered in rust after one winter. Otherwise, frame material does not matter to me, I love all bike materials and shapes. Thank you for the videos, best wishes

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks a lot, Zer0, appreciate you watching and the great comment. I love titanium frames and have had several, one of which, my Litespeed is among my favorite rides. In the video Paul talks about maybe making some ti frames, too. Thanks again!!

[@MobileBicycleRepair505]

Good video!!! Frame building is interesting.

[@JimLangley1]

I'm happy you enjoyed it! Appreciate you watching and the great comment - framebuilding is definitely interesting.

[@peterharrer3261]

This was very informative, Jim. Thanks for getting him on. Paul was so frank about the effort it took to get his business up and running, but I was shocked he has so little call for touring bikes. And I regret there was no footage of him at work making a frame and/or fork. Seeing is believing.

[@JimLangley1]

Thanks for watching and commenting, Peter, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I was surprised about the touring bikes, too. I still see lots of people road touring and my theory is that most of them are riding stock bikes not custom. The lack of more shots of Paul building frames is on me. I had technical difficulties with the video, which took some figuring out and focus to fix and I didn't think to try to get more shots. Maybe at some point I can do a complementary video with him about frame building, the actually craft. Thanks again, Peter!

[@peterharrer3261]

@@JimLangley1 Sure, these things happen and it's a lot of work. Nobody expects you to be a professional videographer, too. However, your overall image quality is usually pretty good.

[@JimLangley1]

@@peterharrer3261 thanks a lot, Peter!!

[@rfreitas1949]

Does he just work in steel? Since the frame behind does not have paint is it TI?

[@JimLangley1]

Oh, boy, you need to watch the vid, Bob. Paul builds steel, aluminum and might soon try ti. 😀

[@rfreitas1949]

@@JimLangley1 I like these kind of videos. Lots of other people out there

[@rfreitas1949]

Also he just does powder coat?

[@JimLangley1]

@@rfreitas1949 here's the answer Bob 29:07

[@JimLangley1]

@@rfreitas1949 thanks, Bob!

[@_MattyG_]

I wonder what that touring bike looks like with 30 miles on it