Bicycle Framebuilding Course

February 5, 2010 in By Bike | 1 comment

I’m headed out of town & country for two weeks to take a bicycle framebuilding course.

Run by master builder Doug Fattic, in this course I will build a bicycle frame and fork out of made-in-USA True Temper tubing and beautiful Pacenti lugs. We design the frame and its elements based on the planned function of the bike, the rider’s body, and aesthetic considerations. I’m planning on building a sport touring frame.

Tubing makes body of the frame, the lugs connect the intersecting tubes, silver brazing sticks it all together. There are other sundry elements and details but I won’t bore you with them.

Framebuilding is a small but growing industry in the US – there are any scores and scores of builders just a Google away, but here are a few that have always caught my eye:

In Canada, there appears to be very few builders. There’s Naked (BC), True North (Guelph, ON), Marinoni (QC), and Mariposa (Toronto — recently closed, the builder retired).

Depending on how much you enjoy gaining esoteric knowledge and skills, and pouring that esoterica into the concentrated labour of hand craft…well, you’ll either think this is a silly distraction from ‘real life’, or, you’ll think this is The Most Exciting Thing Of All Time. I’m of the latter persuasion.

I’m really interested in exploring the intersection of framebuilding / local living / self sustainability / community cycling accessibility.

Yes: framebuilding is a pretty niche activity for a generally upper-class clientele. But I think there is a lot to be taken away from it over and above the idea of catering to an exclusive group who already has access to lots of things.

Anyway, to lifelong learning! I’ll be blogging from the class as it goes along. Stay tuned for photos and excitement and the inevitable exhausted frustration, etc, etc. Huzzah!