About the Ebisu bicycle

The Frames

Hiroshi Iimura has been designing bicycle frames for over 40 years. The frames featured at Jitensha Studio are built to his specifications by various frame builders depending on the kind of bike. Custom bikes are built to order. For those who want a high quality hand made frame for a more reasonable amount, we offer the EBISU, a limited production bike supplied in a limited number of stock configurations to keep the cost down.

Details and prices below

Fully Custom Bicycles

Designed by Hiroshi Iimura and ordered from the framebuilder he feels is best for the particular design; for the most part these will be made by Toei of Japan. The possibilities are endless. Randonneur or touring bikes in the French tradition or otherwise, camping bikes using 650B wheels, tandems, and even traditional steel racing bikes. The custom options are virtually unlimited except that all bikes are steel, and generally lugged in construction. These bikes are of the highest quality construction and finish possible and are our most expensive.

About the EBISU Bicycle

The bicycle market has come to be dominated by high performance racing-style frames. Using high tech materials, they offer superior functionality for pure racing applications. But very few of us would describe our primary cycling activity as racing, Nevertheless it has become very hard to find a bicycle that provides versatile, lively and relaxing riding, that is well crafted and moderately priced.

The Ebisu is designed to be the alternative—a bike that offers a great riding experience combined with satisfying esthetics at a very reasonable price. This is a frame that is suited to serious riding. It offers a lively but comfortable ride. It is versatile, fun on fast short day rides or long tours on back roads. With clearance for large tires even with fenders, it makes a great touring or fire roading bicycle.

Moreover, the Ebisu is hand crafted using traditional lugged construction—an antidote to the virtual ubiquity of tig welded mass production bicycles. There is pleasure not only in riding, but also in owning the Ebisu bicycle. A rich and rewarding lifestyle will never be found by chasing the latest or most expensive equipment fads. Find a tool, whatever the activity you pursue, that will grow with you and provide life-long enjoyment. This is the philosophy behind the Ebisu bicycle.

EBISU DETAILS

There are two basic categories. The ALL-PURPOSE and the ROAD. Click here for a FRAME GEOMETRY CHART.

ALL-PURPOSE MODEL:

1. Hand-crafted lugged steel frame built with Kaisei tubing
2. Comfortable riding position
3. Stable handling
4. 700c wheel size with clearance for large tires
5. Room for fenders
6. Cantilever brakes
7. Vertical dropouts

Sizes measured in cm, center to center.: 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62
Color: Molteni orange

ROAD MODEL:

We now offer a road mixte and a fixed gear (single speed) road bike. Geometry is generally the same as the standard road frame for any given size. Note that the fixed gear model has rear dropout spacing of 120 mm.

1. Hand-crafted lugged steel frame built with Kaisei tubing
2. Sidepull brakes
3. Clearance for 28c tires and fenders
4. More aggressive geometry
5. Horizontal dropouts

Sizes (c-c): 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62

PRICES:
(Where "and up" is mentioned, it refers to other custom options such as special braze-ons, custom racks and so forth. If you have something you want done, ask for an estimate.)

road frame & fork: $1750
all-purpose frame & fork: stock version $1800; 650B wheels $1900 and up
fixed gear/single speed frame & fork: $1650
mixte frame & fork: $1900 and up
custom geometry starts at $100 and up
custom color: add $100

PHOTOS OF THE EBISU

MORE PHOTOS SHOWING SOME RECENTLY BUILT UP BIKES