From Curtlo.com:

From traditional steel mountain hardtails, to single speed, road, cyclo-cross, 29″, and whatever else you desire – we can build it! Our strength is the ability to build a frame exactly the way you want it. Disc tabs, full suspension, tandems, braze-ons, touring bikes, foldable bikes, you name it.

Each year we refine and tweak every element of our frames, from something as seemingly unimportant as drop-outs, to incorporating the newest brand of tubing. Most long-time riders who have ridden hand-made, custom steel frames know the truth. There is something that gets transferred from the builder, through the torch, right into each frame built. While it is probably easier to walk into your local shop and buy a “big brand name” bike off the showroom floor, what you are missing can mean the difference between pure enjoyment, and just a decent ride.

At Curtlo cycles, how a bike FEELS is everything, and the best way to get the ultimate feel is to have a bike that fits properly. Each frame we build is custom fit to the rider, plain and simple. And, you will be surprised when you see how much a custom hand made Curtlo frame costs compared to a bike that was probably made by a machine. When you figure in the unbelievable deal on a full bike parts kit, your total bike price can be actually CHEAPER than the alternative. Check out our site, and contact us to talk about how we can get you on your dream bike. You won’t get a sales person sitting in some fancy office, you will most likely get Doug Curtiss, the man with the torch.

You might have seen one of his creations on this site in previous readings. The “I Miss My Singlespeed” post featured a 26″ Curtlo 24hr SS with a Bushnell EBB that I rode for about a year. So far, it is the best 26″ hardtail that I have ever ridden. On my top five rides of all time list, one of them is a 30+ mile ride that Mudpie and I did at Tsali when I was on this bike. It was extremely responsive but also comfortable for the all day epics. At one point, I had it setup fully rigid at about 21 lbs. With the Reba up front, it weighed in at about 23 lbs.

Doug also has many custom options to choose from that you can find on his site. If you are looking for a full suspension steel frame, Doug builds his front triangles against Ventana’s laterally stiff rear ends.

The pictured below is my old 24hr SS. For more pictures of Doug’s custom creations, visit his gallery on Curtlo.com.

For those of you that don’t know the story, I sold the Curtlo for an engagement ring. Trust me…it was the right move, but since then, my bike big dreams have gotten the best of my head and now my only ride is a 36 lbs rocket that is blogged below. Even if I still had a singlespeed, it would still be the bike that I would ride most of the time. I just have too much fun on that bike to leave it at home.

Where I really miss the singlespeed is on days like today. I really only have time to get in a quick ride at Blankets Creek, and I would love to be able to throw on a simple, light hardtail and just blast around the local trail for a lap or two without having to worry about gears or suspension. There is something really great about the simplicity of a singlespeed. Your mind just kind of wonders off to another place. It is very similar to the way I feel on a great downhill run where all you are thinking about is the trail ahead of you and how to make the best run at it. You aren’t thinking about what gear to be in, where to set the suspension or even how to ride that section…you are just riding as pure as you know how.

It doesn’t have to be a 29er, 26er, rigid, hardtail, steel, aluminum, etc…just a singlespeed with the ability to go fast and carve the corners. Who knows…I just might have one the the near future, but in the meantime…I still really enjoy my heavy ride.