about
I'm John Caletti, and I build Caletti Cycles one at a
time here at my workshop in Santa Cruz, California. Thanks for taking
a look at the site. I'd be happy to answer any questions or talk
to you about your next bike, just give me a call.
Cyclocross - fun, ouch, cough cough...
Cory says "yay, I'm done with the 24 hr race - no more night laps!"
night laps for James
Natasha ripping it up.
Cory - ride and smile.
JoMo working his magic.
That's it... I'm checking myself in...
Big Sur flying
Getting high in Oregon
background
I always enjoyed bike riding, but really got into it during high school
while finding adventure and excitement mountain biking in the local hills
with friends. In college, my mountain biking buddies introduced me to
road riding and then cyclo-cross. After graduating, I worked at the famous
Wheelsmith bike shop in Palo Alto where I learned a great deal from my
talented coworkers. I developed my skill in fitting and got a greater
appreciation for custom bicycles. Having recently gotten a custom geometry
road bike that elevated my cycling experience, and helping customers address
their fitting concerns with custom builds, I was hooked. I was crazy about
bikes, loved to work on bikes, enjoyed welding, metal work, creating,
and building. It was then that I began to dream about building bicycles.
Next a move to Santa Cruz and work as a bicycle mechanic further developed
my mechanical abilities. On the side I was doing some metal art projects
and taking welding courses at the local junior college. I was hungry for
more and so began my training in the craft of frame building with builder
and instructor Jim Kish. As I went
on from there building more bikes, I benefited from the knowledge and
guidance of several great builders, including my local inspiration Paul
Sadoff and Rick Hunter.
I built under the Cloud Nine Design name from 2005 – February 2008,
when I changed the name of the company to Caletti Cycles. I continue to
build special bicycles with passion and precision.
I'm greatly appreciative of the many people who have been so supportive and have made this endeavor what it is today: framebuilders who have shared ideas and wisdom, my family, my amazing community of friends, and most of all, my FANTASTIC wife, Cory. Cory owns the business with me and has been enthusiastic and supportive from day one, as well as helping me make decisions and plans, getting us the team kits, and taking care of some of the inner workings of the business. I couldn't do it without her.
When I'm not building bikes, I'm usually out riding them. I like to ride both road and trails, as well as do some cyclocross racing in the fall. Sometimes I go paragliding, and on occasion I love to snowboard, backpack, or get in the water to surf or scuba dive. Also, when I'm not welding bikes, I love to work with metal for other artistic creations, like lamps, tables, and sculpture. I'll post some future projects on my blog. (www.caletticycles.blogspot.com) Cory is also an avid rider, it's hard for me to keep up with her training volume. We do a lot of road rides together and sometimes I can convince her to ride trails with me. I don't think I've met anyone who loves to ride as much as Cory - it's inspiring. When she's not riding, she works as a bicycle transportation planner for our county. We're lucky to have such a committed person working for us.
from Cloud Nine Design to
Caletti Cycles
Like I said above, my frame building business was named Cloud Nine Design,
and I changed it to Caletti Cycles in February 2008. This became
a necessity as I was contacted by Cane Creek Cycling Components' attorney
informing me that they considered my Cloud Nine Design bicycles name to
be a violation of the trademark they held for "cloud nine" on
their mountain bike rear shocks. My attorney's advised me to make
the change, so the name has changed, but the heart of the company is the
same. I'm still at it, pouring myself into my work of creating great bikes.
I regret any confusion this has caused my customers.
philosophy
I believe that a handcrafted, custom bicycle is the best way to go. My
job and my passion is to create a beautiful bicycle. It starts with the
needs of an individual rider and comes to fruition through fitting, rider
specific design, and careful fabrication of premium materials. I want
to take good care of my customers, and conduct business with honesty and
integrity. Likewise I want my company to do the least environmental harm
possible. I consider my job well done when you’re out on the road
or trail enjoying your new bike, cruising along, accelerating up hills,
and carving the corners wearing a big smile.
commitment
to the planet
I take inspiration from companies like Patagonia
and Nau, who aim to produce
products that are high performance, high quality, and conduct their business
in order to do the least harm to the environment. For Caletti Cycles
that means working in durable materials so the bikes have a long life
span. Of course, I reuse and recycle paper, cardboard, plastic,
and scrap metal. All paper used for printing is hi post-consumer
content recycled, business cards are printed on old inner tubes, T - shirts
are made from organic cotton, and printed locally using water based inks.
I put skylights in the workshop to use as much natural light as possible,
use scrap metal when possible to build small tools, and I don't ship by
air whenever possible to avoid the much greater fuel consumption and pollution
of air transport. In the winter my heater is Patagonia thermals
and my Team Zissou red hat. I'd love to have solar powered machines
and welder, but not yet. But, the frame builder is powered by organic
fair trade espresso and plant food for much reduced impact! :)
I am currently applying for membership in one
percent for the planet, giving 1% of my sales to groups working
to preserve the environment. Caletti Cycles is a member of IMBA
and the League of American
Bicyclists to promote bike access on trails and roadways.
If you have other ideas that you'd like to share about how I can reduce
my impact please drop me a line
and let me know. Thank you!
