2024 Crisp Titanium | Titanium Bicycles Handcrafted in Italy | Darren Crisp | Crisp Titanium

Know Your Builder

I’ve been building bicycle frames for nearly as long as I have been in the specialty metals business.  After completing my B.S. in Architecture at Texas A&M University (1992), I started working for a blacksmith/sculptor in Mississippi, while racing on the weekends. It was during this time that I built my first frame.  A few years later, I ended up in the heart of Tuscany building high-end precision display and furnishing elements for premier Italian fashion houses worldwide (while still spending every available free moment on my bike).  Through these experiences I have learned the great value of craftsmanship, which, in Italy, is as highly a revered tradition as cycling.

Throughout my career I have been committed to the rigorous development of conceptual ideas through their evolution to a well-executed final product, relying on my experience in architecture and design, and my hands-on approach to fabrication.  Building bicycles is a natural undertaking for me.  Having raced competitively in the United States and Italy, my skills building racing bicycles for road and off-road use are informed by my own experiences as well as the constant feedback from fellow cyclists.

Being a tall rider (6’-3”/190.5cm), I recognize the discontent with the bicycles offered by production manufacturers, who only have a few standardized sizes and rely on accessories and modifications to try to achieve a fit that is acceptable.  I have ridden everything from carbon fiber to steel to aluminum, searching for the “right” bike.  I started building in the mid 1990’s with brazed steel frames and as my experiences developed, I began to experiment with other materials like aluminum and titanium.  In 2001 I had the great opportunity to attend the United Bicycle Institute’s Titanium Frame Design Course in Ashland, Oregon, which solidified my choice of material for building superior bicycle frames.  In January 2004 I resigned from my job as Project Manager to commit myself full-time to my ambition: building custom bicycle frames for riders as passionate about the sport as myself.