Mycology, My apology, and maimed frame revivals (or) Failure Analysis

I feel it is a responsibility I have as a bicycle frame builder to use my personal bikes as a platform to push the envelope of  design innovation and then do my damned best to tear that envelope to shreds.  Hitching a trailer loaded with over 400 lbs of cargo and schlepping it over a hill proved to be the undoing of the undulating, thin walled chain stays that I’d hammered... Read More

Get Busy Filing or Get Busy Dying (or) The Build List

Actually, there were options on my plate this past weekend besides getting my shop organized & cutting some tubes for the growing backlog of  Budd Bike Works frames on order or facing the reaper, namely racing.  Though, it would have been grossly irresponsible to ignore the clutter of tools and tubes on my bench that are demanding to be turned into proper performance bike... Read More

Racing

I never did get out on my planned friday cross ride and instead spent the afternoon in the basement with a box of fresh parts to get a bike in order for the season ahead. That done it’s going to take a good bit of effort to get the body to work to the same level as the machine but it should be enjoyable enough with plenty of good folks to ride with now and a new trail bike... Read More

The Pain of Success

The debilitating leg cramp that just coursed up my left hamstring and threatened to turn into the dreaded double by cramping the quadricepts or calf as well as I stretched it are as sure evidence as any that BBW #23 does indeed do its job as a fun woods riding bike. (And that I’d better start getting some more miles in before cyclocross season really heats up) I didn’t... Read More

Labor of Love

getting caffinated and carbohydrated to take a test ride on the personal off road frame that I just finally finished after over a month in the jig and the drawing board.  I can’t wait to get some pics that actually show any of the features that I’ve been working so hard on like. Eccentric BB for riding geared, single or fixed without finagling with the disc brakes or... Read More

Ben, Jerry, and I scream rides (or) Imagine if the scene on the landspeeders in the redwood forest in the return of the jedi were filmed at night

And the scene continued for the entire running length of the film or a little short at 90 minutes.  oh yeah and you are on the old model landspeeder following two dudes with the 6″ suspension model and you have what I experienced this evening, and no EWoks or overwrought political drama passed off as SCi Fi. LEDs & Batteries are good enough to allow riding trails at the... Read More

Paint Delivery Quandry-Quashed

After a good time at Lars Anderson’s bike show and swap meet last Sunday I had to get down to business prepping some bikes for paint.  Stripping the parts off of the really big bike, the really small bike (that I can be seen here trackstanding) and the average american male sized cross bikes both needed to be stripped of parts and paint, #3 in for repair needed some final... Read More