K. Bedford Customs
Builder Profile

Builder Statement 

At K.Bedford Customs, each hand-built frame is a collaboration of my experience and a your vision of the ultimate bike.

About Kelly

I credit my older brother, Kevin for kindling my interest in cycling at an early age. Like many racers he supported his love of cycling and racing by working at the local bike shop. I began working in the same shop, giving me my first exposure to the world of cycling and my first opportunity to dabble in frame making. A few years into my tenure at the shop I was given a set of tubing and lugs and, once again with the guidance and encouragement of my brother, I began the process of building my own frame. I was especially inspired because at the time I wasn’t able to afford the quality of frames that I really wanted to be riding and in the Bedford family, building your own stuff was the natural way of things.

As it turned out those first tubes were too short for a frame of my size so I passed the finished product on to a friend and I ordered more tubes and a very special little book: The Proteus Frame Design Handbook. I successfully built two nice frames (one of which my brother rides to this day) with the basic tools I had and from then on I was addicted to the process.
Over the next few years I continued to work in retail shops and to build frames. As word of my frame building spread I started taking more orders for my frames. At the same time I was also exploring my artsy side at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale) where I earned a degree in Advertising Design.

In the winter of 1986, while living and working in my home state of Florida, I was contacted by a friend and former co-worker about a possible job opportunity at Serotta Bicycles. I was very excited about this prospect because it was the best way to pursue frame building as my full time career.

In February of 1987 I moved my family to Saratoga Springs, NY and worked at Serotta until December, 2008. After 21+ years at Serotta it was time to once again to build fine frames under my own name.

The cumulative knowledge I gained during my many years at Serotta has been invaluable in pursuing my passion of frame building under the K. Bedford banner.

    Kelly built his first frame over 30 years ago. In the years since he has built, drafted and QC'd thousands of custom frames of the highest quality.

Shop Photos
THE FRAMES
Although there has been an explosion in the development of new, high-tech materials in frame production over the last fifteen years, manufacturers of top-line steel bicycle tubing have not been standing still. On the contrary, there have been advancements in steel alloy technology that allow builders to produce frames with lower weight and greater durability than would have been imaginable just a few years ago. For each project, I choose tubing from Reynolds, True Temper and Columbus to meet the ride and performance characteristics requested by the customer.

Joining these steel tubes is accomplished with three possible methods. The first way is silver brazing with beautiful investment cast lugs that come in many distinct styles or can be completely customized with a unique hand cut pattern. The second way is fillet brazed which is done lugless, the tubes being joined with a brass fillet that is blended to make the tubes appear to be flowing into one another. The K. Bedford Premier line of frames are available in either of these construction methods and are all done as one off custom models for the specific individual.

The third way is Tig welding which is a very accurate, clean welding process that has a simple no frills look. This process is the basis for the new K. Bedford Tig Comp line of frames. These are very light frames offered in completely custom competition geometries in both Cyclocross and Road models. These frames are perfectly suited for the serious competitor or weekend warrior/club rider.
Lugs

K. Bedford Customs Premiere Lugged Frames represent the highest level of the framebuilders art blending traditional construction techniques with the finest of modern materials.

The traditional method of joining steel tubes with hand-formed lugs and/or fillet brazing allows unmatched aesthetic beauty, a high degree of personalization and structural strength worthy of a lifetime of riding.

I produce each bike by hand. I miter tubes and hand-file the lugs so they can be joined together with the utmost precision. I then hand braze each bike using brass and silver utilizing the same methodical technique I first used more than 20 years ago.
Finish

When I finish construction of the frame I send it to Joe Bell or Keith Anderson, each master painters with cumulative experience spanning decades. I will relay your wishes to them to be rendered with perfect fidelity.

TIG Comp Frames

K. Bedford Customs Tig Comp Frames are very lightweight, competition oriented steel frames with carbon forks perfectly suited to the serious competitor or weekend warrior/club rider. These new KBC Tig welded frames are designed and constructed with the same level of skill and care as are all K. Bedford frames. All design work and the bulk of the handwork is done by Kelly with the Tig welding being done by one of the industries finest, most experienced welders.

Tig Comp frame features:
     Tig welded frame construction
     Full custom geometry
     Lightweight ~ built with True Temper S3 and Columbus Spirit tubing
     Equipped with Alpha Q GS10 Road or Alpha Q CX10 CycloX forks. *
     Replaceable rear derailleur hanger
     Single color paint scheme, complete decal set and full clear coat.


Each K. bedFord bicycle frame design is a blank canvas. I can build a bike with any geometry and to suite any taste and function – from high-performance race bikes to Randonee bikes that can carry massive amounts of cargo comfortably.


Products and services available utilizing BTCs.

We sell frames only.

Custom frames

Retrofitting services

Construction methods

Frame materials

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Contact Information:

K. Bedford Customs
10 S. Greenfield Rd.
Greenfield Center, NY 12833

Phone: 518-538-8055
e-mail


K. Bedford Customs

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