A “prolonged adventure.”
That’s how Richard Sachs describes the pivotal moment when, as a teenager killing time before college, he flew to London seeking a temporary job with Witcomb Cycles, armed with nothing more than an encouraging piece of snail mail. The job panned out, he witnessed state-of-the-art bicycles being crafted by hand, he gleaned what he could and he even found a job back at home in the States, building bikes.
Five decades later, Sachs’ adventure continues: Based out of Deep River, Connecticut, Sachs is one of the most respected bicycle framebuilders alive. The self-proclaimed “loner” builds each bike by himself, entirely by hand, for enthusiasts around the world. Ignoring fads and modern bike trends (no carbon fiber, no e-bikes), his output is as timeless as it gets.
This is a story about more than high-end bicycles: It’s about a leap of faith, focusing and staying fiercely independent. When I first had the idea for this podcast, Sachs was on the top of my list for future subjects. He delivered.