My guest this week is frame builder Frank Wadleton, better known in the industry as Frank the Welder. Wadleton, or FTW as he was often referred to, was a household name to mountain bike action readers back in the late 1980s and into the 1990s
Wadleton made his name initially with Yeti where he helped design an ultra-light aluminum frame, the ARC, that’s A R C, that was ridden to a number of stars and stripes jerseys. Wadleton was and is known for being great at prototyping frames and in the late ‘80s made one of the early elevated chainstay bikes.
Wadleton left the West Coast for Vermont, and these days he produces batches of frames for several clients as well as one-offs and prototypes for clients who prefer their anonymity.
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The Pull is brought to you by the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, the world’s premiere gathering of frame builders and frame building enthusiasts. The 2020 show will take place March 20th to 22nd at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas Texas. We hope to see you there.
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Images: Merlyn Townley