Closure: Final Days of the Waterford Bicycle Factory (Book)

A couple of years ago, we broke the news that Waterford Precision Cycles and its sister company Gunnar Cycles were winding down operations at their storied Wisconsin factory after several decades and tens of thousands of custom steel bikes. The closure was a significant loss felt throughout the world of bicycle aficionados, and we were heartened to hear that Sanitas Cycles in Colorado purchased both brands and will continue their US-made legacy.

Closure: The Final Days of the Waterford Bicycle Factory is a new book from Tucker Schwinn, son of former Waterford owner and longtime industry veteran Richard Schwinn, that seeks to preserve the history and legacy of the company’s factory in America’s Dairyland in printed form. Spanning 240 pages, the hardcover book opens with a tour of the facility, documenting its machines and textures during its final days of operation in spring 2023. It then captures the process of dismantling the factory and the following aftermath, capturing the facility stripped of machines and remaining patina and evidence.

In Tucker’s words, “It is a layered story told through portraits of machines, process, and textures that only come from decades of use and wear at the hands of expert craftspeople. It chronicles the ending chapter of a family legacy with deep roots in Americana, Midwest manufacturing, and cycling history.” The book, published by Wow What Studio, costs $64.95 and will be available later this month.

Head to ClosureWaterfordBook.com to learn more or reserve one of 2,500 copies.

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