In 2012, I’ll be building on the foundations that I laid for myself in 2011. This time last year, I resolved to live by my PCQ’s (passion, craft, quality) by treating others with the caring and understanding that I wanted for myself, paying attention to the details of my consumerism, and by accepting and appreciating the quality of work that others put into their own crafts. Needless to say, I learned a lot and was inspired beyond recognition, so this year I’ll be putting work into making my own “stuff”- bikes!
I’ve done research on frame-building classes, and am set to start classes in January. This process includes learning frame theory and geometry, sketching, TIG welding, crafting my own frame, ordering materials, then welding away. The entire course will take about 80 hours of one-on-one instruction and any additional instruction needed to perfect my work. I already love doing all the repairs and adjustments needed on my own bicycles, so I’m stoked to take this leap into the craft.
Some inspiration and a look at what goes into building a frame:
This year I met some rad builders- one of which is Greg, a rad dude, and builder of Donkelope bikes out of Bellingham, Washington. When I first saw his frames in Seattle, it was behind a crowd of looky-loos who couldn’t get enough of his attention to detail. And when I asked him more about the build, Greg was awesome about telling me the intricacies of why each piece was built to be as it was.
And here’s a video of a builder that my boss introduced me to this year. His name is Sean, owner of Soulcraft Cycles and also a builder of handmade steel frames.
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