Calfee Design

I found there customer service to be seriously lacking & I have very little confidence that they know what they are talking about! Initially they asked to remove some paint because the top tube sounded «dead.» which they were very surprised by (frame was in for a stay repair). After concluding that 3 tubes were damaged & needed replacing they suddenly stated that most or all bikes from this manufacturer had these sort of stress cracks in the tubes (so why were they initially baffled by the «dead top tube?) Why wouldn’t they state the warning before even accepting the frame in for repair if in fact «most or all of this brand has stress cracks?» OK so I agreed to pay them $ 50 for the inspection and the repair manager called me to give me the bad news & get my payment. When she offered to ship it back for $ 60 I said it wasn’t worth it but then asked if I could send my own shipping label? She said sure but I was surprised that they also charged me (without stating anything on any of our calls) another $ 25+tax for there «handling fee» stating that this is what it cost them for the packing materials. When I asked if they would just put it in a used box (since obviously the frame doesn’t need to be shipped carefully) they refused took a number of steps to play unprofessional games with me. I would not consider doing business with this company again even though I have always loved there bicycles.

My right side seatstay/​chainstay were heavily damaged when flying debris jammed my dérailleur and it snapped off, riding the cogs into the rear triangle on Pinarello F8. Long story short: Calfee gave me super fast information, accepted the ruined frame, repaired it, applied new color decal and logo, repainted, and shipped back to me a perfectly restored frame, all in less than 4 weeks. I, as well as all my cycling mates who saw the damage cannot believe how perfectly the work was done. I must also complement Nancy and the office staff, who kept me aware of the bike’s repair progress and were both cheerful and encouraging as i awaited the return! 5 stars is not a high enough rating for this group of dedicated professionals!!!
We all know stuff happens, and these are the folks to turn to when you need the best!

I have a Cervelo R5 that had the front dérailleur hanger cracked which required a wrap of the seat post, a rebuilt hanger, with new paint… A buddy of mine recommended Calfee, THANK YOU!
Nancy Fernandez is the ultimate in customer service! The bike came back looking brand new! No way to tell there’s any repair! The price was right!!! A new frame of this caliber is thousands, the repair cost me nothing compared to a new frame! I had my bike back in 3 weeks
I would highly recommend Calfee!

I’ve always been a huge fan of Calfee’s carbon repairs as well as their bamboo work, so I didn’t think twice about where to send it when I cracked the seat tube of my Giant TCR. After sending in photos and a description of the damage, Nancy was quick to respond with a rough estimate. I requested to drop it off instead of shipping it, so she encouraged me to drop by during their business hours. After handing my frame off to Nancy, she informed me that they would contact me with a firm estimate. I didn’t bother getting the damaged area repainted, so the repair cost was quite reasonable (I’d rather repair it than see one more frame in the landfill!), and the 7 day turn around was, in my opinion, VERY fast. Communication with Nancy was always smooth, and was very upfront about the repair costs. When I went to pick up my frame, my initial impression of the repair was genuine stoke! I rather liked the scar on the frame instead of having it painted. That way, if anyone asks me about it, I can proudly say this local company saved my frame! I won’t hesitate to recommend Calfee to anyone. Two thumbs way up! Thank you again for your great work and communication.

2012 Specialized S-​Works that was in a minor accident that caused it to crack. I got a quote from the repair manager within 48 hours after I shipped my frame from Michigan. (Took 3 days to get there. UPS). I agreed to the price they quoted me and I put a 50% down on my credit card.
This was at the beginning of the riding season so their lead times were about 3 – 5 weeks out. (I work at a bike shop so I know how this goes and I completely understand the wait times).
2 weeks later they called me with my repair all done and they asked me if I wanted my frame painted. Witch would take another 3 – 4 weeks as it’s a Mate flat black 2 tone color with is another hard thing to do. I said no to the color and they threw in a UV coating for free. Witch would only last for less than a season but still gave me time to re paint the naked area.
After getting my frame back…
WOW… I can not tell where the broken part was… My frame had 2 different spots in the top left seat stay and these guys did some serious magic!
I liked the fact that the UV coating was clear. I got to see the workmanship. Witch was flawless and seamless! The carbon was laid on so well, there was no start or finish! Just looked like sanded down the paint! The repair was that awesome!
After getting my frame painted. No one can tell my frame ever was damaged.
Charged me around 400ish and it also came with a 10 year warranty. I mean what else can you ask for?
The ride… (4 months into the riding season after the repair)
Keep in mind I live in Michigan. The worst place in the world to ride a bike in. You got crappy drivers, HUGE pot holes, loose gravel, short shoulder lanes, and no hills (lots of wind!) and just sucks all around for bikes.
Riding the bike it performed like a champ! No creaking, no flex, solid, super responsive, and looks good!
On the sprint the bike has a power distributing like it did when I first rode it out the bike shop. I could no tell any difference in performance. Witch is sweet!
Thank you guys for all your help. If a repaired carbon bike from calfee can survive the roads of Michigan, the repaired bike can make it anywhere! Thank you thank you thank you for all your help!!! I will always give you guys a 5 star rating and the best recommendations ever!

I just had Calfee repair my carbon fiber frame… the cable stop had fallen off my down tube, what is considered a small/​easy repair.
The good: They did a first-​rate repair job, (5 stars). I could show you the area, but you would not know it was repaired. They had to grind around the area and paint it to match – relatively easy to match the black, but still a great job.
The bad: It took 6 weeks (–1 star) and was expensive, almost $ 300 (another –1 star). I would be content if they were expensive or slow, but not both!
The Ugly: The bar is pretty low for the bike industry, but the customer service at Calfee puts the DMV to shame (definitely another –1 star). My initial inquiry email went unanswered, as did a voice mail for the repair manager – I eventually learned that she will not respond UNLESS you get her on the phone.
I dropped my bike off, but the surfer dude that took it could not give me a receipt… (Note to business: Always give your customers a receipt and better yet, give them an estimate then and there! Every body shop has already figured this out!) I asked to talk to the repair manager (yep, the same one) but she was talking on the phone and just waived me away. (Another note: a customer that drives 75 miles to your location is more important that someone sitting on their couch, so put the telephone on hold for a few seconds, no really!)
It took Calfee another wasted week before they could tell me what needed to be done and how much it would cost… and apparently they charge you $ 50 at this point if you do not agree to their prices. I was advised that there was a 4 wk wait for the painting which I also needed…
I did not hear back for another 5 week, so finally started the task of contacting them again – this time, I learned not to email or leave voice messages. Alas, I was informed that they had forgotton to do anything…
(Later on…)
Today I found out that Calfee charged me more than the agreed price, they charged CA sales tax for a repair that is entirely labor, so should accrue no sales tax… Easily another minus 1 star for that
From the CA tax code:
Nontaxable types of labor
Repair. Tax generally does not apply to your itemized charges for repair labor. Repair labor is work performed on a product to repair or restore it to its intended use. Examples include:
* Replacing a broken water pump on a customer’s used car
* Replacing a hard drive in a used computer
* Restoring a damaged painting (OR Frigging bicycle!)
* Altering a customer’s used suit to fit better.

In 1993 I bought an S-​Works Ultimate, red and green carbon fiber tubing with black titanium lugs… truly gorgeous. I spent a decade hammering the rat piss out of that frame, and it definitely had the scars to show it. I finally got a fully suspended, and moth-​balled the Ultimate until last year. Learning about the potential market for complete bikes from that era, I cleaned it up, eBayed it, and sent it off… and FedEx butchered it so badly the buyer sent it back and asked for a refund. I was crushed! Here was an amazing frame from the Golden Age of mountain bikes, ruined and worthless. I was given a tip to send it to Calfee. «If anyone can fix it, they can.» I was told. I sent it off, and was given a pretty heavy bill for the repairs.
Here is where things get interesting.
I’m a public school teacher, and couldn’t afford to fork up that much cash. Calfee waited patiently. Never complained as I dragged my feet selling off stuff to raise the money.
They sent me back a totally new frame. I mean, incredible. They don’t fix bikes, they resurrect them. I had a million chips and scratches, sigmificant chain damage on the drive-​side chainstay from countless chain-​suck events, I had a horrific laceration from Fed-​Ex on the down tube that could only be compared to OJ Simpson’s handiwork. When I got the frame back, it was so totally and perfectly repaired, I had to refer to photos to find where the damage had been. I couldn’t even FEEL the repairs.
And this is not easy. If you know about the ’93 S-​Works Ultimates, they boasted a holographic paint job that makes the tubing look like it is glowing from within. How they fixed the carbon fiber AND matched THAT paint, I have no idea. They even repainted the decals that were scratched so that they look perfect. It is unreal. I have now called my frame Lazarus.
Calfee is not cheap, but then, neither was the Sistine Chapel, or Irises, or Jimmy Page’s double-​necked guitar. They do incredible work, and are more creative and innovative than anyone else in the industry. 100% American (in-​source it!!), and really cool. They even called back after I got my frame to check up. What Taiwanese company is thinking up using bamboo tubing with stretched tree bark gussetting and plant-​based epoxies to make a bike as strong and stiff as carbon with a better ride profile? No one. Like their bikes, they are totally unique. Talented, creative, professional, artistic, and kind, these guys are truly impressive. I have no family connection with them, I don’t have anything to gain from this review, I am just giving credit where it is due: these guys are the best.

For over $ 13K, you’d think Calfee could build a pair of bikes that would actually ride safely straight out of the factory. WRONG!
I really wanted to love our Calfees. Having shelled out a small fortune, cannot recommend them to anyone who wants their money’s worth. While their frame and components may be of a high quality (emphasis: maybe) Calfee’s build quality is extremely poor. They have no problem delivering a bike that has had little to no QC/​QA. My ride needed several tuneups and a rebuilding of the entire headset/​fork/​headtube before it would not rattle to pieces after only three pedal cranks.
I mean, for X-​sake, the derailleurs weren’t tuned and the stem wasn’t tightened to spec. Sheesh!
If you’re in the market for a beautiful, dangerous piece of art that will cost your wad and then some, go for it!

Bamboo bikes are impossibly cool ~ beautiful works of art that you can ride and that are a close competitor (surpassing in my opinion) the esteemed and prized – all carbon fiber frame bicycles (the mainstay of Calfee Design).
They are light and have (I just learned a new term from the website) «Amazing Vibration Damping» — which for us lay folks means — natural shock absorbing capability.
Price: KA-​Ching!
But if it’s between 7 bamboo bikes or 1 Prius car – I think your family, friends and Mother Nature will thank you for buying them all a Bamboo bike ~
I admit there is a family connection (my daughter’s father) – but it’s the lovely bamboo bike that I’m always showing off to friends that made me realize I should write a review. (I only show it off via photograph of my daughter’s bike since for some reason I don’t have one).
Here i’ve added a photo from their website (see photo section)