Long-winded answers to FAQs

    • Titanium is remarkably light for its strength, boasting the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all known metals. Strong as steel, but 45% lighter.

    • More predictable fatigue performance compared to carbon or aluminum. The service life of a well-constructed titanium frameset is virtually unlimited, even if dented or dropped. A lightly-bult (or worse, cheaply-built) carbon frameset service life can be as little as a few years subject to ‘hidden’ such as cracking, debonding, or delamination.

    • Ti is naturally corrosion resistant and can’t rust, and we’re building in Seattle, baby.

    • Artisan builders ‘tune’ the ride of a hand-built bicycle using different tubing thicknesses and diameters to suit the size and needs of a rider, putting material where it matters to optimize strength, keep weight to a minimum and take advantage of the natural qualities of the material. That can’t be done with carbon on the industrial scale.

    • The weight differential of titanium over carbon is largely negated for bicycles intended for heavy use. To achieve durability, carbon layups must be overbuilt to the extent that a gravel-specific titanium bicycle is often similar or lighter in weight. For lightweight road applications, a carbon frame can always be made lighter, but it will suffer in terms of durability and longevity. That’s awesome if your team car can swap your bike during a race or provide you a new bike every year, but that’s realistic for most of us.

    • The reason titanium frames are rare is that titanium is expensive and it is much more difficult and labor-intensive to construct and weld well without corrupting the metal – but when done well, it is a material virtually without compromise.

  • At Mischief, we only sell complete bicycles, unless we’re rebuilding one of our customer’s Mischief or Davidson bicycles that has been damaged or destroyed. Here’s why:

    • Less modularity in the industry. The trend in the component industry is toward increasing proprietary production. 30 years ago it was simple to customize a component group on any frame because component manufacturers purposely built to similar specifications (the biggest hurdle in the 1980’s was a French-threaded bottom bracket). Now, every component manufacturer is evolving to sell components in batches or groups that won’t mesh with another manufacturer’s products. Some component companies are starting to make entire bicycles that are so proprietary that it is even difficult to customize the fit. We still don’t think any one company makes the best of everything. We like being able to build and modify the frame to meet the demands of any discerning rider or those with strong preferences. We can optimize frame fittings, internals, rims, hubs, derailleur, and braking systems to allow more flexibility.

    • Trust us, we’re professionals. We’ll ultimately save you headaches and money. A lot of customers want to purchase their components online and have them installed. The problem that arises is that only some people are knowledgeable about the nuances of the components to bring the right things to the party. (No, your brand new blue Chris King hubs will never work with your brand new Campagnolo derailleur). Furthermore, if you bring in a component is malfunctioning, we can’t just send it back for warranty. This is why for the budget minded we offer curated builds with components that play nice together and will function flawlessly.

    • High tolerance fitment of components to frame is critical. Ever wonder why your buddy’s disc brake is always rubbing even though the rotor looks straight? It could be because the brake bosses on the frame weren’t molded or machined perfectly parallel to the axle line. When we build a Mischief frame, we confirm all the tolerances as we build, and in the rare cases they aren’t perfect, we make them so. We optimize everything from cable lengths (to maximize performance) to bearing preload. Since we’d have to build the frame to confirm the tolerances anyway, it makes no sense to build it, disassemble it, and then hope things get reassembled properly with the right tools and technique to make things work flawlessly. Building the whole bike seems like a greater expense, but in the end it’s worth it.

  • Remember when Eddy Merckx lost the tour because his derailleur battery ran out and he couldn’t shift? Or the time the entire peloton was stranded atop the Pyrenees because no one could descend on rim brakes in the rain? No. Because those things never happened. No doubt disc brakes work more reliably in rainy and wet conditions, but that may not matter if you only really ride when the sun is shining. We’re not retro-grouches at Mischief, but sometimes we do get grouchy – mainly when a ride is ruined because there’s an unnecessary technological problem with an unnecessary technologically-complex component that was built to solve a fabricated problem that never needed a technological solution. Joking aside, there are definitely some advantages to electronic shifting and hydraulic braking, but there are some major drawbacks as well. So what factors might lead you to consider an OG build?

    • Self-serviceability. Traditionally, one of the most elegant things about the bicycle is that (unlike your car), it was understandable and simple enough that it could be maintained and serviced by an owner with even marginal mechanical skill. In the rare instances that something goes wrong, cable derailleurs can be serviced in the field with simple everyday tools. There is never a need to find a charger or outlet midride. Modern cable actuated disc brakes perform incredibly well and have the benefit that they can be tightened or loosened without bleeding or finding brake fluid or mineral oil. It is notable that many world class endurance riders or competitors in Unbound Gravel and similar events choose mechanical derailleurs over their electronic counterparts due to their desire for increased reliability and in-field serviceability.

    • Weight. Believe it or not, cable systems are generally lighter than electronic ones. An effect that is even more pronounced if one carries extra batteries or chargers. If you’re looking for the lightest possible build, rim brakes and cable derailleurs can’t be beat. It is a personal shop favorite.

    • Travel. Traveling with hydraulic brakes is difficult. One clamp of the brake without a spacer or disc in place and your trip takes a turn to a bike shop. Cables are easily disconnected and reconnected and work perfectly. Many of our Davidson clients who travel with their bikes insist on cables over batteries and hydraulic fluid.

    • Future-proof. Sorta. The derailleur designs and technologies change rapidly, and older electronic systems are obsoleted as companies move from 2x to 1x to 10- to 11- to 12- to 13- speed designs. Lithium batteries have a limited number of discharge/recharge cycles and then they won’t work. Well-maintained mechanical systems can usually outlive many of the ‘industry cycles’ of obsoleting components, and there is usually a healthy secondhand market for lightly used or NOS components to keep you running for a decade. I still run my 2012 10-sp Campagnolo Super Record on one of my road bikes. TBH, I prefer the shifting to a lot of electronic groups I’ve ridden.

  • Take the red pill. Break the mold.

    Regardless of manufacturer, most carbon bicycles are mass molded in one of a few large production/assembly plants overseas. There can be obvious economic advantages to this for both company and consumer, but only if the rider fits the mold, and if the bicycle never breaks. The corporate bicycle industry needs to market and sell you something new every few years by ‘obsoleting’ past models and continually making more proprietary builds. Still, for those who are continually seeking the ‘next new thing’ this is actually a good choice – it is the most economic way to buy a bike and new kit every few years.

    Unfortunately, this trend puts industry is in danger of ‘eating itself’. Corporate direct-to-consumer sales models undercut local brick-and-mortar shops while ironically at the same time ever more complex technologies make it harder for individuals to understand and service their own bicycles. The corporate model is ‘keep changing, keep selling’. But local bicycle shops are shuttering because it’s not sustainable to offer service to people who spent all their money on a cheaply-built imported bike and now want the time- and labor-consuming fix on the cheap. This is reflected in the cost and time it takes to get your bike serviced. It’s impersonal and bad for the culture.

    At Mischief (as with other small builders), we want to build back that community. When you purchase from us, you’re buying more than a bicycle. We will always pick up the phone. We can help you with issues if and when they arise. We want your initial investment to last. This is evidenced by how many Davidson owners keep their bicycles for the long haul, often bringing them in every 5-10y to have the components upgraded after they’ve been worn or obsoleted by the manufacturers.

    The Mischief Murder: Custom, concierge, community.

    Custom and semi-custom bicycles offer a lot more than tweaking color or components. Mischief offers a personalized experience, where you know the people, know the shop, and know your bicycle. The bicycle itself becomes an expression of your individuality and is uniquely suited to your passions and preferences. It is purposely built to withstand several cycles of industry updates and upgrades. Like a favorite sweatshirt or your well-worn baseball mitt, we believe your Mischief bicycle should become something that becomes more meaningful and valuable with age and use. We also build community. We encourage our owners to visit the shop (if you live close) and bring in bikes to be tuned or serviced efficiently – we can even help show you how. Through local group rides and local/national events we want to create some good-natured Mischief with you, regardless of the bike you’re riding. The important thing is that you’re riding.

  • The ORDINARY
    650B-specific Randonneur.

    The bicycle to last you through a few fads. Lightweight, equally adept road performance, gravel/offroad performance, overnights, long days in the saddle or trips to the record store. Durable, serviceable, and freaking FUN. Lights, fenders, action. Jan Heine’s marching orders: “A good rando bike is like a Porsche 911: watertight, comfortable for long distances, has a trunk, working wipers – but the performance of a Lotus.” Anything but ordinary.

    NEVERMORE
    27.5+/29’er hardtail XC + trail bike

    Some of us fondly remember fully-rigid mountain bikes that took us erraywhere. Simple, efficient, light, and fast. Add a little suspension up front and those things sang even louder. A few of our people have been asking us when we’re gonna make one. We think the demand for a light hardtail MTB is slight. Prove us wrong…

    HUGINN

    Essential riding for those who listened to too much Fugazi and Tool. A singlespeed cyclocross + urban attack vehicle equipped with the finest components that can be stolen. Can’t get mud or grit jammed in your derailleurs if you don’t have derailleurs, and titanium never rusts, baby.