Our friend and frame building legend Bruce Gordon passed away this weekend. Here are a few words for Bruce as well as a lovely video interview with him at his shop in Petaluma, California.

I was sad to hear about the passing of Bruce Gordon, a legend in the bike touring world. Ironically, this was the first news I found in my inbox after emerging from a bike trip in the Montana backcountry. My first experience with Bruce was also an email at the top of my inbox, just after resurfacing from a big bike tour back in 2012. He’d stumbled on my travel blog and got in touch as I was pedaling the final stretch into Panama City, Panama. The result of that email was a two hour phone call once I was back stateside. We discussed art, steel bike frames, panniers, and off-road touring tires, all of which Bruce made beautifully and knew much more about than me. It wasn’t until 2015 when I met Bruce in person. I was meandering the far corners of Interbike and found him at the booth of the SOPWAMTOS (Society of People Who Actually Make Their Own Shit), comprised of King Cage, TwoFish, and Bruce Gordon Cycles, among others. I was happy to shake hands with a man who wasn’t as much of a curmudgeon as he claimed himself to be. Cheers, Bruce. You’ll be missed.

Here’s a video interview with Bruce by Kitsbow:

  • Bruce Gordon

Cover photo by Scott Manchester/Argus-Courier.

FILED IN (CATEGORIES & TAGS)

Dispatch

Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.