Published by Tristan on 05 Jul 2009 at 09:43 am
My addiction for how bikes are made
I’ve always had a passion for steel bikes and how they are made. When I was 14 my next door neighbor was building an airplane in his garage – He’d lend me his tubing catalogs and I’d spend hours selecting which 4130 tubes I’d use on frames I’d designed in the margin of my maths notebook, cross-referencing the diameters and wall thicknesses with the Ritchey catalog. Now I spend hours in front of my laptop looking at frame builders flickr photos. I love how bikes are made – the obsessive thought which goes into their details and design, and the hours and hours spent fabricating and mitring tubes. My current favorite is Engin Cycles – his machine shop is hugely impressive, I love his constant use of collets instead of jawed chucks, and he does a great job of commentating his work.
Engin Cycles machining a crownrace
Also check out these guys:
ameade1 – some great unusual bikes
cicli polito – nahbs best in show
Richard Sachs – Does this guy need an introduction?
Engin Cycles – Best workshop EVA
JP Weigle – Old School
Shand Cycles – Has the same Myford lathe as me
Vertigo Cycles – Amazing attention to detail
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