Based in Portland, Oregon, Joseph Ahearne builds custom steel bikes and racks of all types. He specializes in clever bicycles that are elegant and practical, and has a special fondness unique projects that test his inventiveness. Mixing older “tried and true” designs with newer, unique possibilities are what give his frames their special flavor.

Joseph initially learned the craft of bicycle building from Tim Paterek, master frame builder and author of the Paterek Manual, the “bible” for frame builders. From Tim he also learned the beginnings of rack building. Joseph quickly took the rack building process and made it his own, designing more intricate and variably functional racks. This infatuation with designing new things led to some interesting and sometimes dubious results. But one particular outcome of this time period has been in no uncertain terms a success.

What seems like a long time ago, in a brainstorming session with Billy Spaceman, Joseph and Billy conceived of the idea for a cage that attaches to standard water bottle mounts and securely carries a whiskey flask. Dubbed the Spaceman Bicycle Flask Holster, this little invention quickly spread Ahearne’s -- not to mention the Spaceman’s -- name around the cycling world. This bicycle accoutrement has sold world-wide, and has become standard issue in some circles. This gives Joseph hope that there are people everywhere who are willing to have fun, and not take themselves too seriously.

Joseph Ahearne wants to build the best bicycles and racks possible, and he has a desire to keep it all interesting and fun, for himself and for everyone else. The bicycle is one of the most brilliant inventions that humans have been blessed to know, and Joseph believes that there is no reason to limit our ideas about what a bicycle is, and what it can be and do. He hopes to someday see human powered machines as the majority on the road.

Joseph also believes that life is simply too short to ride mediocre bicycles. What exactly is a great bicycle? He’s doing his best to find out, every day.