Rock Lobster Cycles
Builder Profile

 

About Rock Lobster:

Not new to frame building, Paul Sadoff has been welding steel frames since the Summer of 1978. In the early days, building frames was a hobby-merely an extension of Paul's career as a mechanic with some of the most progressive (and busy) bicycle shops in Los Angeles, and later in Santa Cruz. After nine years of building as a sideline interest, the ringing telephone forced Paul to quit his day job and evolve into a full-time frame builder.

If you haven't heard about Rock Lobster cycles or Paul Sadoff, it is understandable, as Paul has been too busy building frames to do any real promotion of his company. Most of the Rock Lobsters on and off the road have been sold purely on a word-of-mouth basis-which is dependant upon his solid reputation amongst a small clientele. With hundreds of Rock Lobsters now out on the roads and trails, the hard-earned reputation for quality and personal service continues to spread. 

At Rock Lobster cycles, the guy who answers the phone is the guy who builds your frame. Not many of the builders around today, with this long of a history and this kind of reputation, can make this claim. 

Frames:

  Mountain

Since 1984, Rock Lobster has worked closely with racers and recreational riders to keep in touch with current requirements of serious offroad riding. The current frames represent the latest evolution in state-of-the-art steel mountain frame building. Only the finest materials are used in conjunction with proven structural added reinforcements.
All mountain frames feature top tube cable routing and pulley driven front deraileur.

   Tig Team U. L.

So, you think you are special ? Well, here is the ride for you! The new Tig-Team U.L. is a souped-up version of the popular Tig. Team S.L. with some of the most imaginitive tricks to carve weight off without making a disposable one-season wonder.As in the S.L., the U.L. is a Mtn. Frame intended for the rigors of competiton where light weight, comfort and durability are paramount. 

The re-inforcing gussetts in the U.L. are specially profiled in the exclusive wavy Lobster style and they are drilled on the underside just enough to shave grams without taking away the essential structural properties that keep the front-end of the frame together through years of punishment. In the bottom bracket the usually small vent holes have been enlarged to further reduce weight.As a matter of fact, all of the internal venting in the frame has been given this treatment as well. 

The wishbone seatstays are a newer, lighter guage that are not noticeably any flexier than the heavier stays on the other Lobsters. Essentially, we have done more work to make this frame the most advanced and well detailed steel Mtb. Frame produced anywhere! This extra work comes at a premium, though. The Rock Lobster Tig-Team U.L. is the most expensive tig-welded Mtn. Frame in the history of the company, but at $995 it is a bargain considering what goes into making it. Rock Lobster reccomends pairing your Tig Team U.L. with a Rock Shox Sid fork. 

    Team Issue TIG S/L

This is the lightest steel mountain bike produced at Rock Lobster. The 4 lb. frame is intended for racing and is best suited to lighter and/or more experienced riders looking for a durable, high performance ride. A gussetted front triangle, externally butted seat tube and wishbone seatstays are added details to a frame constructed from a mixture of ultralight and standard Prestige tubing not featured on any other frame.

   Team Issue TIG

The Team Issue Tig frame is designed around Tange Prestige tubes, and incorporates a wishbone-style seatstay. It's built heavy duty for long life in extremely punishing conditions, and is a good choice for riders over 200 lbs.

   Team Issue Fillet

This frame is an artistic statement created to be brutalized on mountain trails. Every brazed joint is painstakingly hand-filed to cosmetic perfection. Reinforcing collars are a given, adding to artistic embellishment and the frame's integrity. The final result is the ultimate expression of the frame builder's craft.

   Signature Fillet

The most popular Rock Lobster model over the last 8 years. Uniform bronze fillets join a custom mix of tubes and design to produce an uncommonly clean-looking frame. In order to maintain the frame's minimalist lines, the gussets are internal.

  Road Frames

Almost 20 years of experience gives Rock Lobster a truly solid reputation in road frames. The options range from the traditional to the cutting edge. Styles of building from any era of cycling history are available. A classic design can be made incorporating modern state-of-the-art construction and materials. Our basic TIG road frame offers custom fit and solid construction for under $1000.
All road prices include steel fork.

   Basic Road

For 1998 the Basic Road is now tig-welded out of Columbus Neuron tubing. The Basic road is designed to be a simple, sleek racing machine-not unlike what is ridden in pro events in europe. The stock features include special cable-guides for the latest Ergo and/or S.T.I. shifting setups, straight-blade crowned fork, verticle dropouts and externally-butted seatpost. The result of all this is a surprisingly light but stiff frame that will not beat you up on lengthy ride.If you are partial to Reynolds 853, the Basic Road can be built with 853 for an additional $100. The popular Internal top-tube brake cable tunnel is available as well for $75.

   Signature Road

If you're looking for a blatant statement of individuality, or something special, our signature road frameset affords the customer and builder an opportunity to create an heirloom-quality frame. The final product, aside from the perfect fillets and other custom details, is a lasting testament to frame building artistry.

  Cross

Rock Lobster Cyclo-Cross frames. For those that know cyclo-cross, this frame needs no introduction. For those that don’t know ‘cross, this crazy bike-run-bike sport deserves its own brand of bicycle that is at home on the road or on the dirt. The Rock Lobster Cyclo-Cross frame is available in a low-cost team edition in the months of the fall or year-round as a full on custom frame. The cyclo-cross season is short (only three months!) but the Lobster Cross frames are designed to be a durable year-round bike that can be an all-purpose commuter or a cross-country tourer – all the time staying true to what makes a great ‘cross bike.

  Mountain Single Speed

Have you ever wanted a bike that was from the ground up designed to be a single-speed mountain bike? Since 1987 Rock Lobster has taken this request seriously and has been producing a real single-speed Mtb. Frame. This is not a last-ditch effort to glom onto the current single-speed fever of the last two years. Rock Lobster takes pride in our single-speed, especially when it is not a popular item. Our commitment to building single-speeds says clearly that we are not afraid to build something that the larger companies avoid building, unless they forsee a big profit opportunity. The Team Tig Single-Speed is available in standard, S.L. or U.L. weight and can be custom fit to your choice of rigid or suspension forks. Just Think... you could be riding down the most rutted-out trail silently – on a Rock Lobster Single-Speed. 

  Track

Our popular basic track frameset uses Columbus or Tange Prestige tubing throughout, and your choice of tig-welding or silver solder-lugged construction (with Everest lugs, cast fork crown & bottom bracket shell).

  Time Trial

In 1992, the Guam Olympic Team chose Rock Lobster as their supplier for pursuit and team time trial frames. Due to the highly-customized nature of these bikes, it's best that you call us to discuss your needs.

Tandem

Rock Lobster builds a limited number of tandem mountain and road frames starting at $ 2,500. Forks start at $ 325 [Please enquire about size and color specs.] Both mountain and road tandems are available

Full Suspension

Visit the Rock Lobster home page for the details regarding full suspension bikes.


Products and services available utilizing BTCs.

We sell frames and complete bicycles.

Standard frames

Custom frames

Retrofitting services

Construction methods

Frame materials

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Contact Information:

Rock Lobster Cycles
2533 D Mission Street Ext.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(visits available by appointment)  

Phone: 831-429-8010
e-mail: paul@rocklobstercycles.com


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