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Dirt Rag Fresh Dirt
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3.5.2007
Framebuilder of the Year Award
By: Karl Rosengarth
Frameforum.net announced the first recipient of its "Framebuilder of the Year" award. The winner was chosen from the membership of Frameforum.net, an online forum for the craft of bicycle frambuilding. The rules were such that the winner could come from either the professional or hobbyist ranks, could be working in any material, with any fabrication technique and be building any style of frame. Skill, ability and consistent high build quality were were key requirements, along with the builders' personal dedication, commitment to the framebuilding community and support for the custom framebuilding cause.
The award was presented at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in San Jose, CA on March 3rd, 2007 by show organizer and framebuilder Don Walker, along with industry legend and founder of Salsa Cycles, Ross Shafer, currently of Six-Nine Design. And the winner is: Steve Garro of Coconino Cycles.
Neil Hassan, founder and publisher of frameforum.net, speaks glowingly of Steve Garro:
"Distinctive, tough and rugged" would be a pretty accurate description of not only his frames, it also sums up the terrain outside his workshop and the man himself! He's become our "resident expert" in fillet-brazed MTB frames, reviving interest in a sector of the custom-built scene that had lost its way a bit during the '90s MTB boom.
Most of all though, he's demonstrated an incredible determination, self-belief and made colossal physical sacrifices to stay in the framebuilding game.
Steve Garro certainly has an inspirational backstory. In October 2005, a collision with a pick-up truck left Steve with a list of injuries that included a broken back, neck, legs, ribs and massive internal trauma. Steve fought hard to recover, and a few months after his horrible accident, he was back in his workshop re-arranging the place. Workbenches were lowered and power tools repositioned to allow him to get start building again, this time from a wheelchair. Last year Steve Garro built 22 frames; despite experiencing severe pain and discomfort. He found the time and energy to keep his business going, during a year that he had to deal with additional surgery and regular intensive rehab sessions. This year he plans to build much more, as he adapts to his new working environment. You can find out what Steve Garro has been up to lately in his blog.
Check out Dirt Rag's Coconino Cycles photo gallery for pics of Coconino bikes, and photos of Steve at work building his sweet rigs. Speaking of sweet rigs, be sure to pick up a copy of Dirt Rag Issue #127 for Maurice Tierney's upcoming review of the Coconino Cruiser (click here for a sneak preview.)
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