In August 2013, Easton inaugurated their Handmade Dream Bike Charity Raffle — five builders who donated one of their bikes to be sold at auction with the proceeds going to a charity of their own choice — and appointed Todd Ingermanson of Santa Cruz’s Black Cat Bicycles as one of the five.
Most bicycle brands attempt to maintain an element of consistency in their branding, but not Black Cat. Todd’s prolific portfolio features a different hand-painted design and logotype from frame to frame, which somehow results in a very individual and recognisable style all of his own.
Not limited to one speciality in particular, Todd is adept at both fillet brazed and lugged frames, whether they’re cyclocross, road, mountain or commuter bikes. The common denominator is total customer specification and Todd’s passion for every frame.
The fillet brazed frame created for the Raffle is a standout, despite the understated matte paint. Built up with a Dura Ace group, it also provides an exceptional clotheshorse for Easton’s EC90 stem, post and bars — and their new Aero 55 Tubular wheel set, “the fastest road racing wheel set available”.
Todd is based in California, like Calfee Design, Rock Lobster, Black Cat, Caletti and Hunter Cycles — the other four builders in the Dream Bike Charity Raffle. You can purchase tickets to the raffle, drawn at the end of November 2013, through the Easton Facebook page.
All proceeds from the Black Cat raffle go directly to the Pajaro Valley High School Art Department.
