John Cutter and the Art of the Utility Bicycle

John Cutter and I go "way back," back to the early 90s, just after I stopped working at Moots Cycles.  John was building custom frames in San Luis Obispo, California, where I had just started engineering school.  While I look back on my framebuilding days with a great deal of nostalgia, John took a different route.  He never stopped building bicycles.  What's more, his designs have become increasingly interesting as his experience grows, culminating in the "Honorable Mention" he received at the 2011 Oregon Manifest Constructor's Design Challenge.  The "utility bike" (and do not make the mistake of calling it a cargo bike, as I did) he built for that competition stands out as a rolling testament to the fact that an exceptional design can make a bike practical, useful, and a joy to ride.

When I saw photo's of John's Manifest bicycle, I knew I had to interview him about it.  He was kind enough to answer a few questions for me.

John Cutter

John Cutter's Introductory Statement:  First off, I would want to touch on the term "cargo". At the Oregon Manifest there were numerous entries that I would term as being cargo bicycles, yet the contest guidelines called for a "utility bicycle". What is a utility bicycle? My design was driven by the fifty mile trials ride that we were required to complete. So for me in this case the "utility bicycle" was not going to be a cargo bicycle. It needed to be light and efficient as well as have the capacity to carry a load. So I went with the proven touring concept of distributing the weight and bulk of caring cargo between the front and rear of the bicycle. I also saw the need to be able to handle cargo that would not fit in the grocery pannier, so I incorporated the head tube rack as I wanted another load point on the front of the bicycle that would least effect the steering.

Q:  Please give us a quick description of the important design features of your cargo bike.

A:

• Multiple loading points for even cargo weight distribution.
• One-key locking system for panniers, cable lock, pump, wheels and lights.
• Center stand with integrated front wheel brace.
• Head tube mounted rack with integrated cable lock.
• Modified grocery panniers for improved weight distribution and reduced wind resistance.
• Handlebar design that blends urban and road riding positions.
• Low stand-over frame design with “up-tube” for enhanced load stress resistance.

Q:  Is there any single feature that made your Manifest entry stand out from the other designs?

A:   I would say that the center stand with the front wheel brace drew the most attention of any feature on my entry. Considering that one of the requirements was a "Freestanding Under Load (while parked) System", I was surprised to see that there were only a hand full of bikes that had custom made stands. Mine was a reversed design that incorporated an additional leg that attaches to the back of the front fender brace/low rider rack to fix the front wheel while the bicycle is being loaded or unloaded. When you want to take the bike off of the stand, you back up the bicycle a few inches and the center stand retracts, catching the front wheel brace along with it. 

Cutter's entry in the 2011 Oregon Manifest Constructors Design Challenge

Q:  I first talked to you about cargo bike designs several years ago, so it is clear you have been thinking about this for a long time.  Please tell us about the evolution of your design ideas and how you arrived at your current design.

A:  The cargo bicycle that I constructed a few years ago (aka the "Loadie") was designed for a friend to replace his ExtraCycle. It was intended for hauling loads around town. It differs from similar rear load cargo bicycles in that it has several pairs of triangulated tubes that brace the rear rack zone of the bicycle frame. The design is not very production friendly, but it is reasonably lightweight and it rides very nicely. To my surprise, the owner has taken it on several extender tours on the pacific coast. It has also done service as a UPS holiday season delivery vehicle.

Detail of "The Loadie"

The bicycle for the Manifest borrowed some of my thinking from the Loadie project and from building another friend an "Amsterdam" bicycle. The Manifest is a collection of ideas that began with other projects and ideas from what I would do differently after completing those projects. I would say that I had as much inspiration from what I have learned from building touring bicycles as I did from building cargo and urban bicycles. Describing my design process as evolution would be fairly accurate. Also, some of the details were from sketches that I made years ago and had saved for the right project. Some of the ideas appeared as I was building the bicycle. I had ordered a box of tamper-proof #25 Torx screws to use for a locking latch on the panniers. After I had the screws in hand, I kept seeing other uses for the screws. That eventually became the "one key" security system on the design.

Cutter's Amsterdam Bicycle

Q:  What design ideas are you thinking about now?  Where do you see your designs going in the future?

A:  The process of designing and building the Manifest entry used all of my spare time and resources for most of last Summer. By the time we arrived in Portland I was very tired and was wondering how I would hold up during the event. The interaction with the other builders was energizing and I found that energy carrying me through the Manifest. To my surprise, I returned home very inspired and ready to get on with the next project. If anything, the Manifest has focused my thoughts on where I would like to take my designs for touring bicycles. It's mostly a matter of refinement, but it's also about having a more complete and integrated package. If I have a signature style of bicycle, it is a 26" wheel format touring travel coupler with integrated racks and fenders. For the future I see myself refining this type of bicycle as well as working with randonneuring and urban/commuter designs. In reality I enjoy building all types of bicycles, as a builder of steel bicycle it appears to make sense to focus on the types of bicycles that lend themselves to a custom fitting and steel construction.

26" Travel Coupler.  The coupling points are subtle.  Can you find them?

Q:  Electric-assist cargo bikes are getting a lot of attention these days, but I was amazed at what people in China carry using only human power.  Would you consider incorporating an electric motor into your design?  If so, what performance characteristics would you hope to gain from the electric assist?

A:  This question really hits a chord. On one hand I am impressed with the performance of an electric assist and the benefits of expanding the number of people that might use a bicycle. On the other hand I look at the added weight of the motor and battery and think that it defeats the simplicity and efficiency of the bicycle. I cannot help but think that if people had lighter weight, higher quality bicycles, they might not see the need for an assist. 

Q:  Your bike has a head tube-mounted front rack, as opposed to a Porteur-style rack that pivots with the handlebars and fork.  Why did you go with this design?  Are you happy with the result?  Have you tried any Porteur-style cargo bikes?  If so, what did you like and dislike about them?
  
A:  I am not a fan of porteur racks. I have built one and I really did not like giving people the option of loading so much weight onto the steering element of the bicycle. I prefer a system that as a first priority will carry grocery bags and I don't see the porter rack as being the best design for this. I opted for a head tube mounted rack on the Manifest bicycle because I wanted to have cargo capacity beyond the four grocery panniers without having a negative effect on the steering. Yes, I was happy with the result.

Cutter's one and only Porteur rack to date

Q:  Last time I talked to you, you were taking a break from building custom frames for customers and focusing more on "soft goods" like bags.  Are you back in the framebuilding business, or are you still focused on other things?  If you are focused on other things, what are they?

A:  I have never really totally stopped building bicycles. I have been sidetracked for extended periods of time working on other projects, mainly packs, tents and other odd projects. I like the diversity of working in different mediums and occasionally combining metal and fabric work into one project. I also prefer to build bikes for people that I know or for people with a specific need, either from fit or by function requirements. I really see framebuilding as a local service to the cycling community. For now I am content to only build a few frames a year.

Q:  Would you like to see your cargo bike design adopted on a large-scale basis?  If Trek came to you tomorrow and asked to license your design, how would you respond?

A:  Yes, it would be great to see some or all of my Manifest entry end up in production. I will be disappointed if a bicycle manufacture does not at least "borrow" something from the design. I would welcome the opportunity to work with a company like Trek. I see it as a chance to be exposed to all of the technology and materials that a small builder would normally not have access to use. Who knows what that might lead too? 

Q:  Are there any "Off-the-Shelf" bikes you think work especially well for cargo hauling?  If so, which bikes and why do you like them?

A:  I really like older steel fully rigid mountain bikes as cargo bicycles. Add front and rear racks, fenders, lights and some grocery panniers and you have a reasonably inexpensive, versatile tool that can do what most people require a car to accomplish. I also like the idea of giving an older, out of service bicycle a second life.

An older steel fully rigid mountain bike, built by Cutter in 1990

Q:  What do you like for breakfast?

A:  My favorite breakfast would be cornmeal buttermilk pancakes, but I usually have oatmeal, cooked with an apple and raisins and topped with toasted almonds and maple syrup.

More from Minneapolis! Thoughts from Handsome Cycles

Cycloculture continues our series on Minneapolis-based bicycle people with an interview of Handsome Cycle Company owners Ben Morrison and Jesse Erickson. Their "Handsome Devil" offers real-world cyclists a well-designed, versatile frame and fork for less than $400. They are also planning to expand the line of Handsome Bicycles. Given their emphases on practicality, beauty and fun, I can hardly wait to see what they come up with next.

Ben Morrison and Jesse Erickson, co-owners of Handsome Cycles

Q: Please tell us the story of Handsome Cycles.

A: We come from a small bicycle shop background. Working with the customer to find their ideal bicycle can be a difficult task. Especially when the customer has a very good idea of what they want. Many of the bikes we look at are close but lack the versatility the customer needs in one area or another. The answer is a custom build with a very versatile frameset. In comes the price tag monster. Handsome Cycles started a few years ago when we set out to tackle both of those issues. We have developed in our first offering, The Devil, a very versatile, very affordable frameset that will allow a customer to build their dream bicycle while staying in their budget. We wanted to build a bicycle that could grow with them, year after year, as they tried out a single speed, commuted to work every day, took a ride around the lakes with their children, or ran to the store to pick up a loaf of bread.

We love the classic look. We are suckers for mustaches, old-timey dress, chivalry, and clean living. We incorporated those feelings into the look of our company. That clean look is important for us in our product as well. People we talk to always want to customize their bicycles and find the pre-existing decals under the clear coat inhibiting. From the beginning, we wanted to design a frameset that was versitile to the very end. We started with the idea of delivering the product to the customer without our logo on it. We provide with our frameset a decal sheet with 4 different downtube stickers, 4 different headbadges, and The Devil logo in two different colors. Run a theme, mix and match, or leave your bicycle naked, it's up to you. We like the way our bicycle looks no matter how you decorate it. As our company motto states, "People are handsome. We make their bicycles."

Q: According to your website, you are inspired by Bridgestone Bicycles. Please elaborate on that. What specific design attributes found in Bridgestone bicycles do you find particularly inspiring? Is your appreciation based solely on product design, or were there other aspects of the company that you admired?

Methinks I see a bit of XO-1 in this Handsome Devil

A: Jesse's dad started The Alt Bike and Board in 1974. Both of us work there today. When Bridgestone was still producing for the U.S., The Alt was a huge dealer. One year the shop sold over 500 Bridgestone completes. The biggest reason they were so successful is because they just simply built the most well thought out bikes available. Another reason was that Gene Oberpriller, who ran The Alt in the 90's, was one of their pro riders. Gene now owns his own bicycle shop/coffee shop called One On One Studio in downtown Minneapolis. He is one of the people in the cycling scene here that we look up to very much. To this day everyone that either works at The Alt, or has worked there, has a true affinity for Bridgestone bicycles. The model that has really stood out for us is the XO-1. We started our design of The Devil with the XO as a template. We admire Bridgestone for making a very versatile bicycle in the XO line. The ability to morph into a city bicycle, a touring bicycle and a mountain bicycle in the same frame is what we wanted and felt that our customers would as well. We then took that template and adjusted it. We changed it to 700c wheels instead of the 26 inch that the XO-1 came with. We felt that 700c wheels are a more efficient way to go, and now a days you can get a 700c wheel that is just as strong as a 26 inch. We also changed the geometry to make it a great city commuter, touring bicycle, cyclocross bicycle, or single speed winter bicycle.

Old school...

Q: Do you sell complete bicycles or just frames and forks (or some other combination of products)? Do you have any plans to expand your product line?

A: Our first offering, The Devil is simply a frameset. The '09 Devil comes in one color, Shaving Cream. The '10 Devil will come in two color options, Shaving Cream and another classically sexy color we will announce on our website, www.handsomecycles.com, sometime this summer. Our thought process for products is see a need, fill a need. That being said we plan to get into the much neglected female market and make the Devil as a mixte frameset called the She Devil, which currently is looking like a 2011 launch. We are currently working on our second frameset, set to launch in April of '10. Sorry we cannot elaborate on that right now. There are other products in the works right now as well. We are collaborating with an excellent local product engineer on a hub and a shifter. We are always looking at the bicycle scene around us, in other markets and throughout the world for inspiration and plan to continue making handsome solutions to the problems the average cyclist faces from day to day.

Q: What frame material(s) do you use?

A: For our fames we are using 4130 double butted. It is extremely durable fairly light-weight and keeps our frameset affordable.

Q: What sets your frames apart from other steel frames available today?

A: Versatility, affordability, quality and attention to detail. We made sure that however the customer built up our bicycle, the correct cable routing was there, the dropout was the correct width (132.5), and the frame was built strong enough to handle the every day rigors of commuting and play.

A "Go-Fast" Devil shows the model's versatility

Q: Where are your bicycles made? Any plans to change manufacturing locations or add additional ones?

A: We are working with an excellent frame builder in Taiwan. They have shown us that we can produce a quality product while keeping the end price affordable for our customers. While we plan to have a long and happy relationship with our current manufacturer in Taiwan, we are looking to stateside manufacturers for the parts and accessories we are planning for the near future.

Q: How much do a "Handsome Devil" frame and fork cost? Do you see this price staying stable, or do you predict pricing fluxuations in the near future?

A: For 2009, the Handsome Devil frameset retails for $379. We plan to keep it at that price as long as humanly possible. We originally had the price set at $359. We had to change it because of escalating production and shipping costs. We are not alone. If you look at the bicycle market, just about every bicycle is going up in price at least $50 this year. So us keeping at that price as long as possible might only be for a year or two. I would say however that it will never get too much higher than where it is at, because that would defeat one of the main purposes for this frameset, which is to make it affordable.

Notice the finely-detailed printing

Q: The largest frame you make is 58cm. Do you have any plans to make larger frames in the future?

A: Yes we will eventually make it in both bigger and smaller sizes. As a small start up we needed to keep our costs reasonable, and with manufacturers minimum order requirements, it was just out of the question to do a size run of 8 or 9 different sizes. We are looking at adding a size or two for 2010, then looking at restructuring our size run for 2011 to offer 7 or 8 sizes running every 2cm.

Q: Tell us a bit about the cycling scene in the Minneapolis area, please.

A: Those who read cycling magazines, watch blogs, and talk to other cyclists in the know, have seen the Minneapolis bike scene blow up in the last few years. We have gotten a lot of press and for good reason. There are many great cycling events in Minneapolis, the city has worked hard to provide newer safer dedicated bike paths, and new companies have sprouted up offering innovative products. Although competition between shops and companies exists here, everyone is very supportive of each other. We love biking. Everyone knows how to put any competitive issues aside when it is time to ride. We are proud to be a part of this culture. We are a product of this culture.

Q: What else would you like to say?

A: The Devil frameset is slated to be available mid-April. We are currently working with shops in Minneapolis and other major cities to carry our frames. If your favorite shop does not have our stuff, feel free to encourage them to become a dealer. That being said, we are also selling them directly through our website. We can work with you to build the bike of your dreams or let you work that out on your own.

If I needed to go to a "Happy Place," this would work well

Q: What do you like for breakfast?

- I rarely have time to eat breakfast in the morning. When I do I usually slide through CRC and get a Hot 'n Ready from Hurl. -Ben

-I hardly ever eat breakfast. Does jalapeno cheeseburgers from White Castle at 3AM count? –Jesse