The Frame Builders: Gunnar

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Gunnar allows CARPE DIEM inspired bicyclists to scratch their dream-bike itch.

Gunnar is a frame builder in Waterford, Wisconsin, which is also the home of the custom-frame builder Waterford Precision Cycles, the parent company of Gunnar. Another name you may recognize is Richard Schwinn, president of Waterford. Yes, that Schwinn. So there is a long history of bicycle building behind the Gunnar name, with DNA extending back to the hallowed Schwinn Paramount frames of the 1960s and ’70s.

Gunnar makes anything bought off the rack lame. As in Volume production just doesn’t cut it.

Gunnar offers what are sometimes termed as “stock geometry” frames, but because Gunnar frames are offered in such a wide variety of sizes, it’s hard to think of a Gunnar as a production frame. Prices for a Gunnar frame begin in the  $1,300 range, which is a bargain in the world of custom-built frames. All Gunnar frames are made from TIG-welded lightweight chromoly tubing, and with Gunnar you get a frame built to the exact geometry you need for proper positioning and the exact ride you’re looking for. If you want a bike built with a mix of light road tubing and reinforced touring-capable touring where needed, with full eyelets and disc brakes, Gunnar can do it. 

Frames that will bring you safely into the ether of immortality. 

Gunnar makes a wide variety of frames, from pure road machines to touring frames to cross bikes to fixed gears and everything in between, and because Gunnar offers a selection of rider-matched tubing options, these frames are tunable to the individual rider’s wishes. The Gunnars John Drake builds up offer a very comfortable, compliant, and lively ride. A single-word description might be “smooth”—these bikes seem to glide over road imperfections here in the Asheville area. There is a beauty in the pure simplicity and ride of a Gunnar, and it goes to show that you don’t need to spend a ton to get a very comfortable, classically designed, beautiful frame with great handling that will last decades. And can I just say once more that Gunnar is a bargain in the world of custom-built frames? So, yes, riding a Gunnar just fills my helmet with the thought “This is the best bike I’ve ever ridden, and I did it without blowing up my bank account.” La dolce vita, y’all.