During my two-week bike trip, I came up with the idea of creating a kind of map on which all frame builders have the opportunity to enter their location. For example, you could easily connect with other frame builders when you’re on road. Maybe the idea can mature and bring some of us together. But maybe the idea is shit. I don’t know yet whether the map I created works like i want it and can be edited by everyone… maybe i need some nerds who can help.
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A database and map are a much-needed idea. I think the hard part would be updating and maintaining the database. Making it user-submitable would help keep it up to date. Speaking of which, I can’t figure out how to edit your map!
This is not a sh!t idea! I think it’s great! But @Daniel_Y is right about updating. This site has been quiet for some years now: https://theframebuilders.com/
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William over at the Paceline Forum has been curating a list for about 12 years. I think he’s also built a ‘global’ list as well.
Cheers,
KP
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OH, you need to sign up to get to that post. Good to know.
I wonder if Velocipede Salon has something, too velocipedesalon.com
@Luniz82 made a Lust in g-Maps. Maybe that’s the easiest way?
Framebuilders · Lutz Dobrowohl
So anyone can make a pin with a comment like your name or something.
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Since there is a lot of overlap between framebuilders and BikeCAD users, the BikeCAD user map might be of some interest here: bikecad.ca/map/user. If you haven’t already, you can add yourself as described here.
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wow lot of pins there! crazy
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I’ve seen something like this before! At https://theframebuilders.com/
Any of you know who runs it?
It’s pretty out of date, and it says that they’d like help keeping it up date, but there doesn’t appear to be a way for us to edit it.
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Another list of builders (but not on maps) is usually the trade show exhibitor lists like
MADE.bike Exhibitor List - Made.bike and Philly Bike Show 2025 Exhibitors – 2025 Philly Bike Expo
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The ongoing problem with these efforts is framebuilders come and go (it’s easy to put up a site and say you build frames; actually doing it is F&(king hard!) The list becomes outdated within months.
I don’t know anything about web development but I believe one could write a testing script that tests each URL on a monthly basis to make sure it’s still live. If the site returns an error, the script could de-activate the URL and put ‘Retired’ next to the site listing. It would be hard on the Paceline forum unless the admins implemented but Framebuilder site that @Coco_PMW pointed to could implement this.
Thanks @BikeCAD for that map. Very interesting and glad to see your well-deserved success!
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Thanks Janosch!
Some did already mention it would rapidly be outdated, I second that. Even a URL check would not help that much: Tom from Meerglas is still active, but he moved. And his old address in Berlin is the same as Fern’s, but as usual on googlemaps, the pin is somewhere else. So: please do not use Google, much better would be openstreetmap.org. Not only for accuracy in location, but also in case of privacy.
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I found this in my archives… 200 pages of framebuilders around the world.
BIKE MAKERS DOC.pdf (1.5 MB)
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Holey Cannoli! That’s a massive list!!!
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Enjoy; I hope you get a few new customer leads from it!
Cheers,
KP