It’s inevitable. I want to build one for just about everyone I cross paths with. Everyone who is as excited as I am about riding, racing, and living a life of bikes.

This was inevitable because I was luckily born into a family bitten by the bike bug during the last bike boom in the 70′s where I was exposed early on to classic bikes the details that made them special. Ever since I learned to read, my fathers collection of bicycle magazines drew me into the lifestyle. Whether it was a review of the latest  cycling technology & bike reviews, profiles of craftsmen in the trade, or stories of heroic race exploits; I digested all of it.

This was inevitable because through 5 years of studying for a mechanical engineering degree at Northeastern, the margins of every notebook I owned were filled with sketches of bikes, bike parts, bike riders… The same went for the other twelve years of elementary and high school. I knew all along that there is a no more efficient machine for human transportation than the bicycle.

This was inevitable because in 2004, the money I owed to the IRS was spent on a trip to Ashland, Oregon to attend the United Bicycle Institute. There I learned the basics of making a TIG welded frame.

This was inevitable because the first dozen frames I built by 2006 have been ridden with reckless abandon by myself, and my brave and loyal first customers; who are all of freakish size and/or strength. Despite the god awful ugliness of the first few, performance reviews were excellent.

This was inevitable because I’ve spent every penny to my name on tools, tubes and various other bike building essentials. I will continue doing this until there are no longer limitations in tooling and materials though in the mean time I’ll do it with my bare hands & wits.

It’s inevitable that this humorless diatribe comes off a bit overwrought. But when it comes down to it I am a goofball who likes poppin’ wheelies and riding cross bikes in the snow. Sometimes I guess I get a little overly excited when trying to share the freedom and excitement of riding stupid on a bike.

Budd Bike Works (BBW) is just Matt Budd right now. Matt Budd really likes bikes, metal fabrication, big words, poor grammar, and cheese.