Chapman Cycles

Chapman Cycles Custom bicycles hand built in Rhode Island. http://www.chapmancycles.com/about/
(2)

08/20/2026

I had lot of fun with the paint on this ornately lugged frame. The head tube is a lighter shade of the main metallic purple that was mixed with a clear base and sprayed over white. Lug lining is a funny thing in the bicycle world. It has a long history and it is seen as antiquated because, well, lugs are seen as antiquated. I still have a soft spot in my heart for it. The Silca pump was machined and painted to match. Looking forward to building this one up once the rack and stem are back from the plater!

Unrelated but I wish all my bike world friends the best of luck at MADE this weekend in Portland, OR. If you’re anywhere near there (I am 3000 miles away unfortunately), I highly recommend checking it out!

07/28/2026

In order to get the bars in the correct position without having too much stem exposed I like to add a little bit of extra material to the top of the head lug. Finally getting primer on this one today!

07/17/2026

Brazing a pretty ornate (by my standards) seat cluster for Noah. Hopefully these 3+ minutes can be a little meditative escape from reality…maybe not the loud grinding parts.

05/07/2026

Modifying the PBP twin plate style fork crown casting to match the Long Shen 303 series lug set. The LC303 crown is beautiful but doesn’t have the width that I needed. Builders do not have to match the lugs to the crown but it’s really nice when they compliment each other. The fork on a bicycle is not a component but part of the frameset so they should look like they’re from the same family.

Some additional shots of this fixed gear single speed that I shared yesterday. The recurring conversations about how fix...
04/02/2026

Some additional shots of this fixed gear single speed that I shared yesterday. The recurring conversations about how fixed gears are the essence of the bicycle are not lost on me. Much less to go wrong means much less that can consume your mind when riding. This one was indeed a joy to test ride. Makes me wish my Circle A Cycles fixed gear with 28mm tires had a little more real estate!

Ted’s 650b single speed was the second of the two bikes I brought to the . As far as single speeds go, this one was a pr...
03/31/2026

Ted’s 650b single speed was the second of the two bikes I brought to the . As far as single speeds go, this one was a pretty unique build for me with the larger 48mm tires. The frame was built with lugs, Spirit for Lugs tubing, and a hand carved version of the .bikes designed Allotec twin plate crown. Super fun bike!

Here are the detail shots of Jay’s 700c light touring bike. One of my favorite parts of this build is the way the Pacent...
03/27/2026

Here are the detail shots of Jay’s 700c light touring bike. One of my favorite parts of this build is the way the Pacenti lugs came out. The brakes and racks and stem are all nice but sometimes it’s all about the lugs. I’ve carved these a bunch of times and every design is a little different. This shape seems clean and complex at the same time. I like them!

Earlier this month I had finished two bikes in preparation for the Philly Bike Expo. This is the first of the two which ...
03/26/2026

Earlier this month I had finished two bikes in preparation for the Philly Bike Expo. This is the first of the two which is a 700c rando/light touring bike. I always call the bikes that have the detachable low riders on the front “light touring”. This one was kind of intense with the hand made brakes/stem/rack set, carved Pacenti lugs, and all of the traditional box lining on the frame. It really lights up a room with the color scheme and shiny bits! Hi-res photos are over on Flickr. More detail shots coming tomorrow!

03/16/2026

Simon Firth of is the North American saddle repair specialist. He allowed me to film him at the shop replacing the top on Grant Petersen’s spent B17. It was so entertaining to watch! I’ve never posted someone else’s work on my page but it was too good not to share. Enjoy!

Side note: You’re always told that you should never meet your heroes. I got to meet Grant Petersen this weekend at the . I was a bit nervous but it turned out that he is just a human who may or may not put his pants on one leg at a time. He was very down to earth and a pleasure to talk to.

03/13/2026

So the is happening this weekend and I sometimes have t-shirts for sale but this year I thought I’d try something different. I made 10 of these brake boss mills from axle pegs and reverse spot facers. I’m not selling them here or on my site. Come see me at the expo if you want one! $40.

Address

Cranston, RI
02905

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Chapman Cycles posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category