The builders Pt. 1. Fredo Crappi

Information on the builders of the team bikes was difficult and at times nearly impossible to find. These unique and capable craftsmen toiled in near complete obscurity , largely ignored by bicycle historians. Team Cycles Heroic has taken upon itself the duty of celebrating the works of these men by not only riding their creations but also by sharing research through this webpage.

The youngest of the Crappi brothers was Fredo. He was the only member of the family even remotely  interested in cycling. Born in 1949 in the small village of Balsacca in the region of Umbria to poor parents, Fredo had to amuse himself working in his fathers blacksmith shop. The place was filthy and the work was very hard but Fredo found it rewarding. Upon graduation High School, Fredo left Balsacca to live in Milan and find a job as a metal scavenger. After the war metal was very valuable as a commodity and Fredo would dumpster dive in search of what would put food on his table.

One fateful day Fredo was in the dumpster behind the Cinelli bicycle shop. It was in this dumpster that Fredo found materials for building bicycle frames. These materials were rejected by Cinelli as not up to the quality needed for their frames. Fredo , upon finding the reject tubing and lugs decided to build his own frames. He returned to Balsacca with enough steel to build about a dozen bicycle frames. Fredo said to his father:" These tubes might not be good enough for a Cinelli but they will be fine to make a real Crappi bicycle frame." And so the Crappi name became known ( although not very well known ) for turning garbage into ,well.........Crappi bicycles.

 Stanislaw Bjorgorg will be the only builder who will be riding with the team. Born in Gotebroogen , Sweden, Stanislaw excelled as a taxidermist-turning road kill into posh mantle ornaments. Although his stuffed animals did fetch some high prices, Stanislaw longed for a different and less smelly material to work with. After getting badly bitten when mistakingly trying to stuff a badger that was still alive, Stanislaw decided that enough was enough and he emigrated to Mankato, Minnesota and found work in a cycle shop. It was here that he got the bug to build his first and only frame. That is correct, there is only one Bjorgorg and it will be ridden by the builder himself.

 In the '70's there was not much employment opportunity in northern England. This was doubly so in the small insignificant village of Swiggdon where young Seymour Butts grew up. He spent his days kicking a can down the road , dodging the many lorries and motor scooters walking down the country lanes. Growing impatient with walking , Seymour decided he needed a bicycle. Since the the nearest cycle shop was many villages away, Seymour thinking that by the time he walked to the nearest store he would be too old to ride a bike...... he would have to build his own cycle right there where he lived.

 Down the street from his childhood home was a plumber's shop where there was a gas torch and some plumbing pipes. Seymour apprenticed with the plumber and learned by trial and error about the building of cycle frames. After a full year of practice Seymour started on his first frame. The job took him the better part of his 20's to complete but the result was quite good indeed. The Butts name became known as a purveyor of fine cycle frame. Yes, that is not a misprint as Seymour at this time has only completed one frame. He has intended to start another within the next few years-no doubt it will be nearly as rare as the first.

 There is no known photo of Cyrus Mego. His parents lived on the island of Yap but later immigrated to the U.K. and settled in Cornwall. The young Cyrus became fascinated with bicycles when an amateur race went past his home. Although he was only a teenager he was determined to build a cycle frame. Cyrus was not tall, barely 5' 2". To find a proper fitting bike in a store was laughable. He had very good reason to build his own frame. Cyrus got an apprenticeship at the Stoolsworthy at the age of 19 and after sweeping floors for the better part of several dozen fortnights was allowed to build his first frame.
the first frame was truly a masterpiece and a very personal work of art. Cyrus found that he had great artistic sensibilities with the frame lugs and created very ornate patterns on the shorelines of the lugs. He showed such great promise that Ian Stoolsworth himself took Cyrus' broom away and promoted him to the custom frame shop as a builder. Upon hearing this news, Cyrus left the shop to run home and tell his parents the great news. Unfortunately Cyrus was run over by a trolley so there will not be a second, third or any other Cyrus Mego frame. Because he only built one frame, the uniqueness and desirability of his frame is truly exceptional.