Tom La Marche founded his custom bicycle business in Philadelphia in 2020. Five years later he moved to Portland, where La Marche Bike Co. now works in space at the Chris King factory. The move also brought him closer to trails and to a larger community of frame builders.
La Marche described the tension between an ever wider range of component standards and what a small workshop can sensibly offer. He sees value in new builders mastering simpler frames first, before taking on every new feature and fully bespoke request. In time, he hopes to make small runs of handbuilt models alongside his custom work.
His step-through city bicycle with 24-inch wheels, prepared for the 2026 MADE show, reflects that thinking. Everyday bicycles he saw in Japan helped inspire a design aimed at practical trips around town. For La Marche, a bicycle earns its place through the experience of riding it, rather than the length of its component list.