Current History

This period starts around 2005 with a rebirth in lug bike interest. It started with new stainless steel lugs appearing on the market, first by Kirk Pacenti. Waterford built a frame using this lug and recognized the opportunity to add lug carving. It was able to take a the Pacenti lug and carve it to look like the classic Nervex lugs of the 1960’s. Then, Richard Sachs introduced the Newvex lugset, which Waterford used to create custom bikes that harkened back to the mid-20th century.

Waterford began to craft fully custom lugs from scratch. This includes ornate lugs of many sorts, including historic versions, flame-jobs and even religious themes. Waterford was at the forefront of a reborn hand-built bike movement that manifested itself with hand-built bike shows appearing around the country.

Waterford began to systematize the crafting of custom lugs, introducing it’s Empire lugset in 2009, Fleur de Lis in 2010 and Rococco design in 2011. This technology eliminated the design constraints of lug technology, especially important with made to measure designs.

The first implementation of this technology was with the newly revamped Schwinn Paramount. Waterford created a 70th Anniversary lugset on Schwinn’s most deluxe frame ever.

The Paramount wasn’t Waterford’s only private label business. Rivendell, whose business fell off after 1997, started up again in 2007. At the same time, Waterford began building bikes for Terry Precision Bicycles, Volae Recumbents and Rene Herse.