When I got it, actually, before I got it, I started to do a bit of research on Kypo and while there’s not a whole lot of information online, you can pull together various snippets and more or less get the complete history. So I thought I’d post a concise Kypo record in an attempt to retain this piece of Australian cycling history in one place.
In addition, I got in touch with two people who filled in some of the gaps: Glen Gibson, who purchased Rob’s equipment when he pulled up stumps as well as being the caretaker of the build records, and Rob Kypriotis himself. Rob was a little apprehensive at first, but once the memory banks were opened he was quite chatty with a positive tone in his words.
Rob began making frames around 1983*. In his mid 30’s and having quite a bit of success as a road racer for the Latrobe City Cycling Club (LCCC), Rob was looking for something else to do. Beginning as a hobby, frame building was born from necessity – there were no readily available junior sized road bikes for his sons, so Rob thought he could make them himself. His first frame was built for his wife and apparently is still ridden today by a different owner.
Rob developed his frame building skills by reading the few books on the subject and exploring his own methods. Frame building then was a closely guarded secret so there wasn’t anyone overly willing to pass on the knowledge. Rob built a workshop on his property and Kypo's Cycle Works was in full swing.
Over the course of 15 years Rob made over 460 frames** as well as painting and repairs. Rob used PPG paints which he said were the best at the time.
During the recession ‘Australia had to have’, Rob survived mainly on frame repairs on a part time basis as frame orders dropped right off.
In 1998 Rob decided to shut up shop. The main reasons for this decision were arthritis in his hands/wrists which made production difficult, as well as the trend towards aluminium as the preferred frame material which would mean purchasing a whole heap of new equipment – heat treatment gear, TIG welder, etc. Rob sold all his equipment to Glen Gibson who has predominately carried out frame repairs.
Rob said he enjoyed 14 of the 15 years building frames – the arthritis made the last year difficult. Typically he would complete two, maybe three, frames per week.
Between Columbus and Reynolds tubing, Rob didn’t particularly have a preference, but said Reynolds was a bit cheaper.
The rose motif found on the head tube decal and ‘O’ on the downtube decal is in honour of his first wife, Rose. He remarried a woman with ‘Le’ in her name, and Kypo became Le Kypo. According to Rob his customers didn’t take to the new name and she left after a few years anyway, so it was returned to Kypo.
The serial numbers found on the underside of Kypo bottom bracket shells give the month, year and sequence of manufacture. So mine is 292K317: February 1992, #317.
Big thanks to Tate who sold me the frame, macca33, Jim Timmer-Arends of LCCC, Glen Gibson and of course, Rob Kypriotis.
* Rob can’t remember exactly when he began building frames, but he said he was doing it for 15 years and the last frame he built was in 1998.
** Glen Gibson’s records show 463, but there is a 465 which is believed to be the last Kypo made.
