Tom Porter builds Porter Cycles in Brooklyn, NY. His bikes typically involve fabricated, hand-carved lugs and other labor-intensive details. Tom won the best new builder award at the NAHBS 2019 show and it’s no surprise why. In this episode we discuss framebuilding, imposter syndrome, covid 19, and bike touring.
This week I talked to Paul Price about his company Paul Component Engineering, which just celebrated 30 years in business. We talk about how he got to where he is today, the ups and downs along the way, projects that came and went, some of the bikes he’s built, and what it looked like in the early days of Paul. We also discussed the current state of affairs with covid 19 and its effect on business.
John Caletti has been building custom bicycles in Santa Cruz, California since 2004. In this episode, we talk about John’s journey to where he is today and the work that he does. We discussed the live/work space he is in, the importance of good paint on bike frames and the state of the bike painting industry, and the importance of passing the torch and helping others learn.
Eric Weis has been organizing the New England Builder’s Ball for nearly a decade. I interviewed him about the show’s history, what makes it unique, and how it has evolved. Go to the website and follow on instagram .
Austin Russell of Russell Makes isn’t our typical guest on this show. He has taken a framebuilding class and built a bike frame, but more notably, he has built thousands of wheelsets at Velocity USA and for the last few years he has been running the rim factory. Austin has rolled every Velocity rim that has come out of the Grand Rapids, Michigan facility and his job has him covering all parts of the rim manufacturing process from rolling, cutting, drilling, machining, and on to anodizing. Austin...
This week I share my interview with Dale Marchand of Rolling Dale Cycles. Dale is relatively newer to framebuilding, but his work is really very strong. We talk about his class with Paul Brodie, the framebuilding scene in Canada, and how he has built up his shop for frame fabrication. Follow Dale on Instagram.
Mark Hester builds custom bikes in Fairfield Australia. Mark studied mechanical engineering in college and worked in motorsports for a while before taking a framebuilding course at The Bicycle Academy in 2015. Since the class, Mark has been building bikes in Australia. Mark incorporates Stainless Steel, Titanium, and Composite materials. I find his use of 3D printed materials to be particularly remarkable. Check out the Prova Cycles website and follow along on Instagram....
Jeff Tiedeken of Monkey Likes Shiny in Richmond, CA does a wide variety of machining and fabrication for aerospace, medical, and even weirdo art stuff. He’s been in and around the bike world for ages including making several absurd concept bikes and bike-related products like a U-Lock wrench. Follow Jeff on Instagram
Brad Bingham has a unique story in the framebuilding world. Brad built his first bike frame out of utility - he kept breaking his Cannondales and he loved machining and fabrication. From there he took a titanium framebuilding class at the United Bicycle Institute, worked in production at Moots for over ten years, and then started to work with Kent Eriksen. Brad has now taken over operations at Eriksen Cycles and rebranded it to Bingham Built. Brad’s TIG welding is out of this world, as you might...
Mark Norstad started Paragon Machine Works in his parents' basement in 1983. I interview Mark about his history in the bike industry, and about how things have changed.
Dave is a TIG welding, framebuilding legend in the BMX world and well beyond. This week's episode is a special treat as we dive into his history with Spooky Cycles, FBM, and Pedal Driven Cycles.
Chris Chance has been building bikes for decades, first at Whitcomb USA, then as Chris Chance Cycles, then Fat City Cycles, and after a hiatus, he’s back with Fat Chance Bikes. We talk about how he got started and how he built a brand that made so many huge fans.
Jessica Bratus is an expert bike fitter and the host of the Ann Arbor handmade bike show each year in the spring. We talk about bike fit, how it relates to custom bicycles, and we talk about the Ann Arbor handmade bike show.
I thought I should tell my own story this week.
Mike Desalvo has been building steel and titanium custom bicycles for 20 years in Ashland, Oregon. We talk about teaching at the United Bicycle Institute, learning and mastering TIG welding, and how the industry has changed over the years.
Stephen Bilenky cut his teeth making huge numbers of tandem bikes through the 80s and 90s. He also has made a ton of commuter and touring bikes among others, he has done tons of modifications and retrofits on bikes, and he's known as a master of fillet brazing. This week I asked him how the industry was different then vs now, and how he got started before you could take a class or so-readily learn from peers online. We also talk about the history of the Philly Bike Expo that he started in 2008.
Sean Chaney builds very detail-oriented and expertly-executed mountain bikes in titanium in his shop in Portland, Oregon. We talk about why Titanium, how he got started, what he’s been up to with making some guitars, and more.
Isen Workshop makes unique and beautiful bicycles in the UK and this week I share my interview with Matt, one of the founding members. Isen Workshop is based on Matt’s work with Talbot Cycles and Caren Hartley’s work with Hartley Cycles. Together, and with the help of some others, they do Isen Workshop. We talk about the dynamic of a business model like this. We also talk some about what it’s like being a framebuilder in the UK.
In this episode I share my interview with Chris Bishop of Bishop Bikes in Baltimore Maryland.
Brent Tells us all about the development and history of Bike CAD
I have followed Bryan's custom framebuilding work for nearly 10 years and it's an honor to get him on the show. We talk about how he got started and what drives him in his work.
Whit gives us the scoop on his framebuilding past and perspectives
Adam Sklar -- The Sklar Baby -- Tells all his secrets in this week's episode.
From taking a class at UBI, to running bike shops and being a professional photographer, and back to framebuilding, we talk about Pete's Story.
We talk about the perspectives that drive Drew in his pursuit of the perfect bicycle.
I asked Bina questions about the trade show she has been running for the past 10 years in Philadelphia. Her perspective in the industry is different and relevant.
Brian Chapman of Chapman Cycles builds classic bicycles with artistry and mastery. I ask Brian about his history with framebuiding, what it’s like to work with others vs working alone, and about his advice for new builders.
In our interview with Erik we talk about the 4th R, the Prince Bike, the pressures of running a framebuilding business, and what makes him tick.
This week I pick Carl's brain about what a viable business model for framebuilding looks like and what common pitfalls we can avoid on our paths.
We talk about how Wade learned to make bikes, the continuing education he received over the years, the time he spent working full time as a framebuilder and the time he spent doing other work. We talk about how doing framebuilding full time changes the nature of the work and sometimes you can feel jaded about the bike handmade industry.
