Rich Gängl built this titanium road frame several years ago but even today it’s a stunningly beautiful machineJames Huang/Future Publishing
Rich Gängl builds every frame from start to finish and does the paint himself, tooJames Huang/Future Publishing
Rich Gängl incorporated a hydroformed top tube and Easton seat stays into this aluminum climbing bikeJames Huang/Future Publishing
The pearlescent green paint covers up the smooth welds on this aluminum climbing bikeJames Huang/Future Publishing
Check out the paint detailing – and the drilled-out chainring – on this Campagnolo crankJames Huang/Future Publishing
Flutes were prime candidates for paint detailing back in the late 80s – and it still looks good todayJames Huang/Future Publishing
Rich Gängl built this bike in 2011 using a Reynolds double-butted titanium tubeset and Reynolds carbon wishbone rear endJames Huang/Future Publishing
Gorgeous polished titanium dropouts on this Rich Gängl creationJames Huang/Future Publishing
Rich Gängl’s novel seatpost clamping mechanism requires the back of the seatpost to be slotted. The rear wall of the seatpost is then sandwiched between the seat tube and a convex-shaped wedge as you tighten the bolt. Check out the carving at the top of the seat tube, tooJames Huang/Future Publishing
This is Rich Gängl’s personal track bikeJames Huang/Future Publishing
Two guesses at which brand of tubing Rich Gängl used on this track bikeJames Huang/Future Publishing
Tiny cutouts in the Selle Italia SLR saddle shell on Rich Gängl’s personal track bikeJames Huang/Future Publishing
Hearts are Rich Gängl’s trademark. This one distracts from the flawless fillet brazing on either side of it, thoughJames Huang/Future Publishing
These Campagnolo Cobalto brakes are more than two decades old and are rarely seenJames Huang/Future Publishing
Rich Gängl built this bike in 1985 with Reynolds 753 steel tubing to celebrate the 1986 world championships being held in Colorado Springs, ColoradoJames Huang/Future Publishing
Red, white, and blue all over – plus 23 heart cutouts scattered throughout the frameJames Huang/Future Publishing
World championship accent colors on this Campagnolo crankJames Huang/Future Publishing
Check out the paint detailing on the front derailleur braze-on tabJames Huang/Future Publishing
Simply stunning. And lest you can’t manage to pull your eyes away from the paint and lug work, check out the routing on the front brake cableJames Huang/Future Publishing
Commemorative world championship stripes on this Selle San Marco Rolls saddleJames Huang/Future Publishing
More incredible paint detailJames Huang/Future Publishing
One of the original Masi bikes in the movie, Breaking Away, was later damaged in a crash but Rich Gängl replaced the top tube and down tube and restored it to its original gloryJames Huang/Future Publishing
Rich Gängl was inspired to build this bike for himself after seeing Francesco Moser break Eddy Merckx’s hour record in 1984James Huang/Future Publishing
This Regina hollow-pin chain certainly establishes the vintage of this track bikeJames Huang/Future Publishing
Seat stays extend all the way to the base of the saddle on this Rich Gängl bikeJames Huang/Future Publishing
Hoshi bladed spokes were noteworthy for their trick double-bend heads that didn’t require you to slot the holesJames Huang/Future Publishing
A Mavic track hub on this Rich Gängl rigJames Huang/Future Publishing
Rich Gängl has been quietly building world-class bikes in Golden, Colorado for over 30 yearsJames Huang/Future Publishing
Rich Gängl’s awe-inspiring, jam-packed booth at NAHBS almost didn’t even happen – but you should be glad it did.
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Despite having over three decades of experience building and painting world-class frames, Gängl had never displayed his wares at any sort of trade show. Gängl’s countless customers, however, not only insisted that he have a booth at the Denver show (especially since it was just half an hour away from his workshop in Golden, Colorado) but they even donated the money to pay for it.
Gängl brought six of his own bikes to show in the booth with the rest being loaned by customers and all of them were fantastic to behold, from the craftsmanship to the paint to the detail work and even the build quality.
Gängl builds just 20-25 frames annually in titanium, steel, carbon fiber and aluminum but specializes in TIG-welded titanium and fillet-brazed and lugged steel. He also does exceptional restoration work, his frames have won world and national championships, he has a 6-12-month waiting list, and he himself is a two-time world champion on the track.
You wouldn’t hear about these accomplishments from Gängl himself though – in fact, getting him to boast is near impossible. Humble almost to a fault – hence the forced display at NAHBS – his work is anything but.
We’ll certainly be paying Gängl’s workshop a visit for a tour soon.
Rich gängl was inspired to build this bike for himself after seeing francesco moser break eddy merckx’s hour record in 1984:James Huang/Future Publishing
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Rich Gängl was inspired to build this bike for himself after seeing Francesco Moser break Eddy Merckx’s hour record in 1984