Kogswell Cycles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Kogswell Cycles, Inc. | |
 |
|
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | Minnesota, 2001 |
| Headquarters | Shakopee, Minnesota, USA |
| Industry | Bicycles |
| Website | kogswell.com |
Kogswell Cycles, Inc. is a small manufacturer of bicycle frames with its headquarters in Shakopee, Minnesota. Kogswell frames are designed in the United States and manufactured in Taiwan. Kogswell frames often run counter to mainstream bicycle industry trends, eschewing the racing bicycles which dominate the US bicycle industry, focusing instead on more utilitarian designs.
Customers purchase Kogswell framesets directly from the manufacturer, or through a small network of authorized dealers throughout the United States.
Contents |
[edit] Philosophy
Perhaps uniquely, Kogswell solicits input from its owners and potential owners regarding frame design. The Kogswell Owners Group (KOG) mailing list serves as both an informal design group and historical archive of the evolution of Kogswell frames. Decisions such as what kind of brakes, wheel size, steering geometry, steel tubing diameter, color and finish have all been made with input from the KOG mailing list.
[edit] Frames
[edit] Model F
One of the original designs, a fixed gear frame with 135mm rear dropout spacing and less aggressive geometry, intended for road use vs. on the track. These were lugged, and painted custard-yellow with black headtubes.
[edit] Model D
One of the original designs, a sport-touring derailleur frame. These were built using lugged joinery, and painted custard-yellow with black headtubes.
[edit] Model G
A fixed gear frame, gray in color, with 120mm rear dropout spacing.
[edit] Model P
Released to market in mid-2004, Kogswell's sport-touring frameset was made with upscale lugs and heat-treated tubing. Most were British racing green in color with white headtubes. The initial production run quickly sold out.
[edit] Model M
A mixte frame, designed for 26 inch wheels and 120mm rear dropout spacing to accommodate a fixed/free singlespeed hub. The framesets were powdercoated in black and came with matching steel fenders.
[edit] Porteur/Randonneur
The Porteur/Randonneur (abbreviated P/R) model was introduced in 2006. Based on classic French bicycle geometry, it is designed to support configuration as a load-carrying (porteur) or long distance (randonneur) bicycle. The P/R is notable because it is available with a choice of three different forks with differing degrees of trail, allowing the rider to chose which steering characteristics best suit their intended usage of the bicycle. The P/R framesets were powdercoated custard-yellow and shipped with matching steel fenders.
Bicycle Quarterly performed extensive testing on the P/R prototypes, with the results published in Vol. 4, No. 3 (Spring 2006). A review of the production frame is available in Vol. 5, No. 2 (Winter 2006), currently in press.
