Banjo Cycles is Ahren Rogers, with a lot of help from Leah Stargardter (when she isn’t off touring somewhere in this great world). We're located in Madison, Wisconsin and share a shop with Jonnycycles, ZRCycles, and a couple other bike lovers who come in to tinker and have fun on occasion.

I (Ahren) have a solid background in bike manufacturing. I got my initial training, and built my first frame, at the United Bicycle Institute in Ashland, Oregon, in 2000. I built a lugged touring bike that has carried me many thousands of miles, through towns, cities and the countryside. It’s probably still the bike I ride most often.

After the basic frame building course, I took UBI's TIG welding intro. It was just a brief weekend clinic to give a taste of what it’s like to do some welding. The whole experience inspired me to take their frame welding course and see what I could do about getting a job. Then I took the plunge and enrolled in the titanium course, and ended up with a mountain bike frame that was a little funky looking. I realized that it would take a lot of work to become proficient at welding.

After UBI, I went to Interbike in Las Vegas, met with a number of bike company reps, and got a job at Seven Cycles in Watertown, Massachusetts. I ended up staying for more than five years—It was great to work with the folks there at Seven. I started as a final finisher/machinist, prepping frames after they had been welded, making them all brilliant and beautiful. It was demanding and fast paced, but also a lot of fun. I used my spare time to practice welding titanium (using scraps!). Ten months after starting at Seven, I started tacking full time. After another year, I was proficient enough to meet Seven’s standards and start welding frames. I did this for about three-and-a-half years.

In 2006, I left Seven and moved back to Wisconsin so I could be closer to family and start my own shop. And so Banjo Cycles was born. I’m not out to reinvent the wheel, I just want to make bikes that people love—the kind they never want to part with, and always want to ride. That’s why I chose the name Banjo—the banjo is one of America’s best loved instruments and was invented in the United States, though it’s roots lead back to Africa and other places of the world. I thought that would be a great name for my little company.