Metal Music and Metal Bikes - What Do They Have In Common?

In the late 1980's, music got harder. Bands like Whitesnake, Mötley Crüe, and Poison topped the charts.

At the time, I was in Southern Idaho with two passions: music and bicycles. Summers, I ran a part-time bike shop, by appointment only, from my home. I did fittings, repairs, and sold Sekai bikes — & the occasional high-end Italian Basso. During the day, I installed giant satellite dishes (yes, the 8–12 foot kind). At night, I played guitar and sang in a country bar band.

Metal on the Mind

By 1987, our band went full metal — not exactly popular in Southern Idaho. So we packed up, headed for Seattle, and plugged into the city’s booming metal scene.

Me and the band in the late 1980's as we battled it out in the Seattle Club Scene.

But every starving musician needs a day job. When my wife landed an office job in the U-District, she spotted a help-wanted sign in the window of R+E Cycles. That “day job” opened up a whole new world for me — one where bikes weren’t just sold off the rack. They were designed and built from scratch to fit a rider perfectly.

R+E Cycles as it looked in the 1980's when I started. Looks about the same now except the cars are newer and the building has a fresh paint job.

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The First Custom Build I’ll Never Forget

The first custom bike customer I helped was Rod. He wanted a comfortable ride, and a custom frame was the only way to get it right.

We built him a white lugged frame with trim to highlight the lugs, and a small Rodriguez decal on the top tube. His budget was tight, so we did the custom frame, and used a lesser expensive Suntour parts kit so save a few $$. When Rod came to pick it up, the look on his face said it all: this was his bike.

A Blast From the Past

Fast forward nearly 40 years. Rod, now in South Dakota, emailed me. He’s ridden that same bike all these years. He’s traveled the world with it, updated components once in 2006, but the frame — built just for him — remains the heart of his ride. He was surprised that I remembered him and the bike after all of these years.

'Dear Dan,Thanks for remembering. The bike has been a constant companion on 3 continents in the U.S., Germany, and Thailand.' - Rod

Why Custom?

Not everyone keeps one bike forever. Many of our customers have a fleet: road, gravel, touring, commuting, tandem, etc. But the common thread? Every Rodriguez or Erickson bike is built to fit them — not adjusted to try and fit them. It's painted the color they want, and has the parts they choose.

When a bike is made to match you, it lasts. It performs. It makes every ride better.

Why settle for a “close” fit when your bike can be built for you, from metal, a material that last a lifetime? That’s the R+E difference.

“your next bike could be the one you ride for decades”

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Bicycles Hand Built in Seattle Since 1973
5627 University Way NE Seattle, WA 98105