Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Fast Boy Cycles was the moniker under which Ezra Caldwell built bikes.

He was best known as a fabricator who built stunning hand-made bikes, but he was also a brilliant artist, a talented photographer, and remarkably accomplished in the kitchen.

Before turning his hand to crafting bicycles, he lived in El Salvador, then attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia — focusing on modern dance. For almost a decade, he taught at DanceSpace NY, but switched from dance to bike building in 2007. As the man behind Fast Boy Cycles, he was a respected custom builder with a stable of elegant machines to his name.

Ezra Caldwell died at the age of 41 on May 24, 2014, at home, in New York City after a long battle with cancer.

Seven Angels Got My Number: Seventh Anno and Ezra

Seven Angels Got My Number: Seventh Anno and Ezra

The Spoken went live seven years ago today, as Cycle EXIF, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has come along for the ride. Writing this blog — one awesome bike a day — has been an incredible learning experience. It’s an auspicious day to remember the work of my favorite…

Godspeed, Ezra Caldwell

Godspeed, Ezra Caldwell

Whenever this website was fortunate enough to feature a bike by Ezra Caldwell of Fast Boy Cycles, I used to wax lyrical about how it was a good day for The Spoken. Not today. Drifting through my Instagram feed, I came across a photo on Seth Rosko’s profile that informed me of news I had…

Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Fast Boy Cycles UTA

No sooner had Exra Caldwell finished his newest build than he boarded plane for Rome, departing on a well-deserved European vacation. The UTA stands for…

Fast Boy Cycles Burlington Burner

There’s few pleasures in life more honest than a good bike ride. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons for the resurgence of interest in cycling…

Fast Boy Cycles Nose Bike

New York is one of the world’s greatest cities, which will continue to increase in greatness as it encourages cycling as a more efficient and…

Cory’s Fast Boy Cycles

To my chagrin, I’ve never visited New York City, although I greatly look forward to getting over there for a ride. One of the first…

Fast Boy Cycles TF5

Even in the face of major obstacles, Ezra Caldwell has been unable to keep away from the jig and out of the kitchen. His latest…

Interview: Fast Boy Cycles

A Fast Boy Cycle was featured the first week The Spoken went live, and after all the ornate lugs, flash paint schemes and bold logos…

Fast Boy Cycles Hill’s Tourer

Ezra Caldwell of Fast Boy Cycles is the unsung hero of the bespoke bicycle kingdom, for reasons other than his subtly tasteful frames. I won’t…

Fast Boy Cycles Randonneur

The hypothetically remedial benefits of riding a bicycle have been well documented over the years. But whenever my spirits are low or my day seems…

Fast Boy Assless Bike

The last time I saw this bike, it had a rattle can black spray job. Thankfully, the Fast Boy Cycle’s Assless Bike is back. After…

Fast Boy Dingle Speed

If I could place an order for any hand built bike in the world it would be for a Fast Boy. Ezra is one of…

Christo’s Fast Boy fixie

Ezra Caldwell of Fast Boy Cycles is one of my all-time favorite frame builders and assemblers. He is a true artist of life, a master…