Hand Built Steel Bikes | Wabi Cycles Factory Tour!

Wabi Cycles: Sale from Nov. 24 - Nov. 27, 2023 (Black Friday - Cyber Monday): wabicycles.com
For more details on the auction for my Wabi Special on Tuesday Nov. 28, 2023, follow Wabi on Instagram: / wabicycles
Get a shoutout at the end of each video by supporting the channel on Patreon: / zachgallardo
Julian Corona
Brandon Black
Brent David
Mario Perez
Tad Onchi
Jake Atherton
Richard Tucker
Donny Norlander
epilektric
Gary Nunokawa
Luther Grulke
Mark Younger
Martin Mohr
Michael Greif
Michael Rutchik
Niktick K
Nicodache
zachy (My 2nd Channel) - This Brakeless Ride Called Life:
/ @zachy.mp4
Instagram:
/ zachygallardo
Join the Reasonably Dangerous Strava club:
/ strava
Catch my rides:
/ strava
0:00 - I saw how my bike is made!
0:26 - A Peek Behind the Manufacturing Curtain
1:42 - How the Steel Wabi Special Is Made
7:13 - How the Bike Industry Actually Works
10:02 - Why Most High End Bikes Are Made in Taiwan
13:07 - Buy My Wabi Special for Charity
18:06 - Patreon Fixie Famous Shoutouts
#fixedgear #steelisreal

Пікірлер: 66

  • @AtelierM_mao
    @AtelierM_mao8 ай бұрын

    Fun fact: if you order a frame-set from Panasonic via Japanese lbs you actually get a cad drawing of your exact frame with your name and stuff as a gift

  • @brosettastone7520

    @brosettastone7520

    8 ай бұрын

    That’s neat!

  • @coolpool1964
    @coolpool19648 ай бұрын

    I just want to thank you for what you're doing. I became interested to try a fixed gear bike after watching some of your videos. I liked it a lot this season, met some great people and I'm looking forward for the next one. Keep what you're doing and best regards from Kyiv, Ukraine;).

  • @Avram1919
    @Avram19198 ай бұрын

    The smile on your face talking about all the memories with that frame is priceless.😊

  • @rollinrat4850

    @rollinrat4850

    8 ай бұрын

    It's amazing he remembers how and where most of the scratches came from. Haha, after the first scratch or dent on a new bike, I don't really care anymore. I just use the tool until it's no longer functional. My 'Crossafix' goes off-road. Pavement is just a necessary evil to get to the dirt.

  • @1AQUAFA
    @1AQUAFA8 ай бұрын

    Brother you are cool I’m in the military stationed in Okinawa and the streets here aren’t really bike friendly I’m from LA so I’m used to just cutting through cars and traffic but I haven’t rode since the last time I went on leave, however I’m still here in Okinawa looking at fixed gears. I just love them because they’re a huge part of my youth. I hope when I get home I still continue to ride. Still though I watch your videos and appreciate them. You’re a cool man bruh keep it going even if it isn’t about fixed. Like if you started making content on mountain biking or road cycling I’ll still watch because just in general I love cycling even though it hurts my ass since I haven’t been riding for practically 5 months now. But I still love fixed that’ll always be my first love and to be honest it started because if you Zach Gallardo. Without you I’d just be a dumb roadie but I’ll always push fixed onto people because it so raw and natural. Thank you. Also your stupid, jk no you aren’t I just wanted to tease you.

  • @rollinrat4850
    @rollinrat48508 ай бұрын

    Pretty cool. Looks like a nice small production shop. These are a great value. Handmade steel frames will always be the greatest value. If you can meet, chat and actually shake the hand of the human who builds your frame, bike or whatever, this is the greatest value of all. I'm a retired machinist and mechanical inspector. Quality must always be proven in reality. It cannot be assumed or taken for granted.

  • @Omurice.Factory
    @Omurice.Factory8 ай бұрын

    I really liked the storytelling time, with scratches and all... It made me think of my bike too

  • @tartoras
    @tartoras8 ай бұрын

    Now that we’re in the comments… who else makes bikes in that factory??

  • @mikerossi4741

    @mikerossi4741

    8 ай бұрын

    My guess is Rivendell

  • @rollinrat4850

    @rollinrat4850

    8 ай бұрын

    The premium Rivendells are made by a builder in the US I seem to recall.

  • @iwearLingerie
    @iwearLingerie8 ай бұрын

    Now come to England and take a tour of the Reynolds factory

  • @ItsBunCha
    @ItsBunCha2 ай бұрын

    Buying one this July , can’t wait

  • @markuskorn4829
    @markuskorn48298 ай бұрын

    The poor dude welding without a hood 😂

  • @giocoso4576

    @giocoso4576

    2 ай бұрын

    nah if you know old "masters" in taiwan well you know how much they disregard working safety and stuff

  • @bparker
    @bparker8 ай бұрын

    Love my Wabi Special!

  • @N0_WAY
    @N0_WAY7 ай бұрын

    This deserves 150x more views Zach

  • @jasonparrish5204
    @jasonparrish52048 ай бұрын

    I love NJS Exports because they give you an opportunity to own a frame made by a Japanese craftsman that owns the small company while being able to purchase a used frame for less than $1K.

  • @rollinrat4850

    @rollinrat4850

    8 ай бұрын

    If it fits, a used handbuilt bike is a Holy Grail!! In the '70s I drooled over my neighbor's Albert Eisentraut I could never have afforded. Way back then Mr Eisentraut was the godfather of US framebuilding. He taught many of the current masters and his bikes won lots of big races. I did save enough of my paper route earnings for a Raleigh Professional . $600 in 1977. Enough to buy a car! I sorta forgot about Eisentraut through all my years of family , working and riding hard. 50 years later, In semi retirement I work in a nice bike shop as a mechanic. A customer gave me (FREE!) an old rattle canned but obviously hand crafted frame. I found out it was my dream Eisentraut and it fit perfect. Dream come true!

  • @AbdullahMulazim
    @AbdullahMulazim8 ай бұрын

    Man l love my Wabi Classic! Solid, smooth and gets compliments all the time. ✌🏾

  • @juanpecan7089

    @juanpecan7089

    8 ай бұрын

    i regret selling mine even if it was a touch too big for me. So smooth and that feeling of the frame planing when chugging along was awesome.

  • @VideoGameAtlas

    @VideoGameAtlas

    5 ай бұрын

    Same with my Thunder, only wish I got it painted in red and not the blue they were offering at the time.

  • @haerloom
    @haerloom7 ай бұрын

    the break down of Pete’s “beauty marks” makes me realize the dent in my down tube is pretty special. even if i don’t know where it came from 😅

  • @djar220
    @djar2208 ай бұрын

    Great video! 🚲

  • @WSBR707
    @WSBR7077 ай бұрын

    Hell yeah! love this brand and love the builder. America leads the world now in total number of steel frame builders working today (not per capita of course). The craft is proliferating wildly and even trickling down the hierarchy. Weird but in addition to having more complicated bicycles which need mechanics with more training and service departments which can afford to allow people to take their time on work, I think part of the future of bike shops in the U.S. also has to do with having more people on payroll who can braze and tig and even paint. At least that's what I'm seeing. You need all kinds, and the more people doing something the cheaper it gets (to a point). I do think that you are going to find that more and more bike shops in the u.s. have amatuer builders specialized in mods and repairs on frames. ;) Main reason Wabi is cheaper than local builders is because Wabi is D2C only and because local builders mostly build truly custom frames with clients who are already prepared to shell out for both that and a premo build. I priced out a Wabi Special on the website with specs I could also get myself...I'm building frames and doing paint...it was only a few hundred cheaper than what I'd sell mine for. Absolutely brilliant footage and awesome insight! good work!

  • @LawfulNutral
    @LawfulNutral5 ай бұрын

    my wabi in black sparkles comes Sunday and I can't wait to ride.

  • @FIXIELATED
    @FIXIELATED8 ай бұрын

    HELLOOOOOOOO THIS IS THE VIDEO I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR ABOUT FOREVEEEEER 😂

  • @brosettastone7520
    @brosettastone75208 ай бұрын

    The way you’re smiling when you’re talking about Pete, seems like you don’t wanna let him go :( I think you should keep him, and let Wabi auction one of their own bikes for charity!

  • @user-mt6si6om2t
    @user-mt6si6om2t8 ай бұрын

    If only Pete was my size!!! We could go touring, ride the big rides and more.

  • @joshuachandra6677
    @joshuachandra66778 ай бұрын

    Hope Pete finds a generous home

  • @njlschpprkjrsvk
    @njlschpprkjrsvk8 ай бұрын

    awesome

  • @GabrielJohnson-et4te
    @GabrielJohnson-et4te8 ай бұрын

    Nice

  • @LeoSoriano0604
    @LeoSoriano06048 ай бұрын

    Hope one day you can also visit Ave Maldea’s workshop. 😊

  • @carlsportfolio9266
    @carlsportfolio92668 ай бұрын

    I wish tomorrow was another day.

  • @Lamefoureyes
    @Lamefoureyes8 ай бұрын

    Craftsmanship is so cool to see. One day when I can afford to think about these things, I'll grab a wabi bike.

  • @juanpecan7089

    @juanpecan7089

    8 ай бұрын

    sometimes used ones are cheeeap.

  • @rollinrat4850

    @rollinrat4850

    8 ай бұрын

    As a teen in the mid '70s, I saved $30 a month from my paper route for 2 years. I bought my dream bike. ( I really wanted a custom Eisentraut) But I bought a Raleigh Professional for $600. Full Campagnolo NR, Clement Del Mondo Setas...... That was enough to buy a decent car back then, but I loved the freedom of riding. My girlfriend left me for a guy with a Camaro. I knew there were lots more girls in this world. Everyone thought I was nuts except for my dad. He said I earned it! I found a girl who liked to ride and built her a bike. If you really want something, you can make it happen!

  • @DavidBigandt
    @DavidBigandt8 ай бұрын

    makes me want to buy one

  • @sonymicronin

    @sonymicronin

    8 ай бұрын

    What size are you

  • @immunityUP
    @immunityUP8 ай бұрын

    bon voyage home

  • @Handletaken4
    @Handletaken46 ай бұрын

    I'm guessing they make Breezer steel bikes 😊

  • @TL243
    @TL2438 ай бұрын

    Gosh. You could do a series on the Taiwanese bicycle kingdom!

  • @jmsantos13
    @jmsantos138 ай бұрын

    they making mini velo frame..?

  • @dmartin4917
    @dmartin49178 ай бұрын

    Waiting for Sam to enter the comments. haha

  • @4specialist
    @4specialist8 ай бұрын

    Masterbrazer🥴

  • @TL243
    @TL2438 ай бұрын

    😎❤️🇹🇼🚴🏽‼️

  • @brosettastone7520
    @brosettastone75208 ай бұрын

    Haha Wabi be like: you’re cheating on us with tyrant. Come to headquarters 😂

  • @davidjodye22
    @davidjodye228 ай бұрын

    What’s the best way to get in contact with bike builders in Taiwan? Thanks for this video, perfect timing I would like to get frames built I’ve done a bit of research but from past experience I learned you can’t really know much It’s better to visit the country and facilities to see how things work Much appreciation Love your enthusiasm and dedication to the bicycle world I also only ride bikes for transportation and it’s a great decision for anyone looking to get out of the negative cycle society puts us in Cheers brother!

  • @angel16359

    @angel16359

    8 ай бұрын

    Try ioklin_frameworks. It's one of the best custom frame builder in Taiwan.

  • @angel16359

    @angel16359

    8 ай бұрын

    Or Sense30. They actually teach u how to build a frame then assemble a bike.

  • @davidjodye22

    @davidjodye22

    8 ай бұрын

    @@angel16359 ok nice…ty!🤙🏽✌🏽 how does it work or should I just look it up?

  • @davidjodye22

    @davidjodye22

    8 ай бұрын

    @@angel16359 actually it says it’s permanently closed

  • @angel16359

    @angel16359

    8 ай бұрын

    @@davidjodye22 Oh shit I didn;t know that sorry :(

  • @technicolortony3091
    @technicolortony30917 ай бұрын

    Id like a follow up vid on these people's actual standard of living and working conditions. My feeling ATM is that if we're supporting bicycles in any way we're effectively supporting unethical labor practices. Id gladly pay more money for a lower quality bike like a junk fixie that's likely to get stolen than a bunch of money for a slightly better quality when everyone has to suffer for it... Help me find a bike that meets this criteria please

  • @vzuzukin
    @vzuzukinАй бұрын

    So Japanese brand built and assembled in Taiwan?

  • @daverinker
    @daverinker8 ай бұрын

    Pete. I know a Pete. It’s named Billy, Billy Davidson, the bike. Petes are us and we are them, not much more, enough more to get deep on this one though. Willy, who is going to be freewheeling for obvious reasons, looks like Billy. Lugs to match but Willy is more whale like in the OS down tube, I digress. Willy knows Billy and respects the gifts and tubing diameter, what a noodle Billy is/was. Willy transcends and includes- an echo of the former. (My Davidson, Impulse// Waterford Road/track 2200 are nearly the same bike, by the 30-40yrsof difference makes 1 inch headset v. 11/8 or thin tubing for a springy rear makes the old stuff have the last word). It’d be better if one just broke (in my situation), glad Pete has a new family.

  • @michaelburrows3337
    @michaelburrows33378 ай бұрын

    Appalling customer service from Wabi in my experience

  • @christianvalencia7624
    @christianvalencia76248 ай бұрын

    So i am a few days late but i want to ask evryone here and future people seeing this comment.... I want to know which wabi bike is best to buy? I have a state undefeated bike right now but Im thinking about switching to a steel bike. I am contemplating on buying a wabi but idk which one to get . Please help

  • @dipdip7250

    @dipdip7250

    8 ай бұрын

    Wabi special

  • @seymour2113
    @seymour21138 ай бұрын

    Wow KZread tried to hide this video from me, it didn't show up in my subscription feed.

  • @kevinantunez275
    @kevinantunez2758 ай бұрын

    Second Commentor Hahaha

  • @jojielynmahinay447
    @jojielynmahinay4478 ай бұрын

    Sam?..... Pilgrim?

  • @technicolortony3091
    @technicolortony30917 ай бұрын

    Their website says made in Denver...how misleading