ARNON FISHER | MIDDLEASTA

Photo credit by Dimitry Sukhanov

How starts Gordon Bennett Cycle Workshop?

As a fixed gear rider I couldn’t find a bike shop that could relate to my bike issues.. I found myself working on my bike and looking for solutions by myself. I noticed that all bike shops re specializing on pro cycling or weekenders and not on urban and commuters so I decided to open the shop.

Photo credit by Arnon Fischer

Tell us about of the project ” Middleasta”

Middleasta is my life work. As an urban rider I always looked for the best riding experience. I tried all kind of bikes, aluminum, carbon, steel, plastic, titanium, everything.
Each of those materials have their benefits but I found that magnesium is the best of all.

Photo credit by Arnon Fischer

Your frame is made of magnesium tubing. Why not aluminum or steel? Why did you made this choice?

It’s like magnesium took all other material advantages and combined them into one crazy metal. It’s a light alloy, strong and responsive yet flexible and pleasant. It’s like magic .
I designed the frames to be both aggressive and comfort.
You can ride fast as hell in a competitive mode and slow and easy in a smooth city mode.

Photo credit by Dimitry Sukhanov

Your frames are manufactured in Israel?

This is the reason I called it “middleasta”, the raw material is produced from the depths of the Dead Sea, processed in Haifa bay (northern part of Israel), designed and build by me in Tel Aviv. This is a proud Israeli production. Not so many to be proud of nowadays… Middleasta is rough, bold, fresh and creative mostly because of the geographical reasons.

Photo credit by Arnon Fischer

Have You been inspired by great artisans and brands of the past to realize your project?

I’m a huge fan of the Italian frame builders and brands. Colnago in particular. I looked at Italian frame geometries, looked at catalogues and products and they definitely inspired me but since middleasta frames are full custom made they totally original and tubes angles and lengths are 100% unique.

Photo credit by Arnon Fischer

Tell us about your country, Israel.

Well, Israel is not an easy place to live in. political issues are always our main concern.
But it’s not only what you see on TV. When you look at the micro and see the small resolution you see that people from all political views wants peace and quiet. Our politicians are not reflecting Israeli society.

Photo credit by Dimitry Sukhanov

Tel Aviv the city where you live.

Yeah. Tel Aviv is amazing. You have nice beaches and the weather is great. It’s mostly flat so no uphills or extreme downhills and the night scene is providing best experiences.
How is developed the fixed gear movement and the bicycle culture in general?
When I opened the shop, 8 years ago, we were 4 fixed gear riders in Israel 🙂 now there are hundreds of them and it keeps growing. It seems that urban cycling and commuters have much more impact nowadays and it feels like it’s a cultural marker to other urban disciplines.

Photo credit by Arnon Fischer

Racing low pro is the only trademark of the company?

No. you can have a classic geometry style middleasta and ladies model.
Is there any project to build road or any different type of frame in the next future?
Yes. I build road bikes as well and now I’m designing a CXSS frame which will be ready for the next CX season. Magnesium frame for a CX will be a killer. I sure of it.

Photo credit by Arnon Fischer

The fixed gear is constantly growing. Criteriums, Alleycats are a big part of this success. Your point of view.

Of course. People want to be a part of a community. They look for common ground and search to share their interests with others. Events, races, parties and shows are the exact places where you can stay connected and updated with physical and actual connections and not virtual.

Photo credit by Dimitry Sukhanov

What is the future of your company? What are the goals that you want to achieve?

I’m starting to build a simple and more affordable bike. The frame will be made of steel.
With a target price of 500$ I think more people will enjoy to be a part of the middleasta community.
And of course I was hoping to reach to other markets other then Israel. My product is amazing and I think people must check it out.