This company is my new favorite custom Frame Maker, strike that, my new favorite Frame Maker, PERIOD! An architect by trade and a passionate Triathlete, Rafael Hoffleit began making prototype frames for a select group of racers including himself. However, he was no stranger to frame building. At 9 years old he modifyed his own bike by adding fairings and later welded his first frame and a recumbent as well. By 16, he made a carbon fiber recumbent and followed up as the years progressed with a 800 gram carbon fiber road frame, quite the achievement for anyone, much less a 16 year old!
Zoom ahead 14 years and a steady stream of private race prototypes later and the brand rafael is unveiled at the First European Handmade Bike Show in 2009. The frame are flawless! Fantastic attention to detail, true understanding and mastery of aerodynamics and everything, and I mean everything is built in house to custom specs! Rafael developed his own custom monocoque construction method using adaptable moulds. This allows him to build coveted one-piece frames to custom sizes without needing a mould for every size which is prohibitively expensive and the very reason almost all of the known names in cyclings frames are now made in china!
The future of custom carbon frame building is emerging, and the pioneer of its development is rafael!
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