Real framebuilders or not

Paul Sadoff of Rock Lobster bicycles has a funny blog named “can’t we just get along”

Cant we just get along

The stuff is hilarious from the POV of a framebuilder.   I am sure other small business people would find it interesting too because business is business and we all face the same kind of trials and tribulations in a day.

A theme though that I find runs through it is a need to justify that Paul is in fact an actual framebuilder and not some sort of “poser”  Let me say here.  Paul is in fact a framebuilder.   He has been for many years and will continue to be so as long as he wishes to be.   I will say, there are many different business models in this business and non of them necessarily represent “real” framebuilders or not.   Yes, there are a few instances nowadays where a bicycle company is pure smoke and mirrors.   A vision of a bike company developed by a person better suited to marketing and web page development than actually building bicycles.

Mostly though, builders are plugging away trying to feel out their niche in this world.   Paul stated that he made 20 frames this month.    I make about 20 frames a year plus whatever else I can get my hands on.   We are just different.   Paul’s bikes are users.   Singular purposed frames made quickly and efficiently and don’t cost a lot.  Mine are well, generally time intensive and represent a vision of the “perfect bike” for the customer.   In the time it takes to make one of these I could make about 10 straightforward TIG welded bicycles.   I venture to guess though that Paul’s and my net bottom line in a fiscal year is about the same.   You can only work so much, there are only so many hours.   We both fill them up and spend 40-50-60 hours a week.   We both sell parts, and other stuff.   I think we both get to the same place, just down another path.   So I wish to Paul, who seems to be a bit pissed off all the best and yes, he is a real framebuilder and no, everyone who doesn’t produce a lot is not a “real framebuilder”

Dave

Über bike by David Böhm

Have you ever noticed that it seems really cool lately to add Umlauts to your name if you make bikes.  Forget the fact that my German/Hungarian roots are three generations old.   Umlauts add instant street creed but I diverge, which you will find is just like me.

Jason Waz at Fairwheel bikes  fairwheel bikes is having a great booth at this years interbike show in September.  We were chatting and he asked me if I would like to partner up with them to make a bicycle for the upcoming show.

Racing bikes have moved on.   Composites are king and we all know that but as crotchity as I am I still find it a challenge and just plain fun to see what one can still do in lowly ol’ steel so I thought,  what the hey?  Lets give it a try and shoot for a bicycle that blends the old and the new.  Lightweight, fun, different!  Plus I have spent near 20 years learning all this metal fabrication.  Seems like such a  waste to ditch it all.

So, introducing Uber Bike.

Concept:   Using the strongest, lightest modern stainless/structural steels create a beautiful high performance bicycle that comes in around 13lbs.  Lugs of course, integrated seat mast/post.   Custom stem, custom ultra-light drop-outs and just about anything else I can think up or have had the idea to do in the last 10 years.  Design theme.   Art Deco predominately.  Color, utilize natural pigments made by hand by grinding various earths and minerals.   Handmade bike-handmade paint.   There will not be a part on this frame which is not a one off or had some serious massaging.

I will start to leave a running build sequence of this frame.   You will notice that I seemed to have skipped a fair amount and miracuously lugs just emerged.   Lots of time was invested to get to this point but I have to keep some things proprietary.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but detailed flickr photo albums and such have made it all too easy for some figure it all out.  Secrets are not necessarily a bad thing.

First the tubing.  The main tubing is from a brand new company.   New to cycling, not new to automotive it is a Martensitic Stainless steel from a company name KVA I meet Joe McCrink, owner at  the latest San Diego Bicycle show

Joe is a a hell of a nice guy.  When I decided to do this project Joe said he could draw a custom tube set for me.  I got it the other day.   Now all the metallurgy is interesting to me but probably boring to a lot of you.  Suffice to say, this is not your grandfathers tubing.  On par of anything currently produced today it is most closely akin to 953 from Reynolds.   I can tell you it dang feels like 953 or more.   How does a framebuilder know a tube is strong?  Only anecdotally.  We cannot test them all but I can tell you I rather miter 100 carbon tubes than one front end of this stuff.   It is the natural order of things.  Nothing in metal is free.   Make something stronger, you have to make it harder.    As the strength of steel tubes has grown so has there hardness until it has reached a point of being nearly as hard as the tool we use to cut it.   Luckily I have multiple mitering setups, one being an abrasive system.  Abrasive belts don’t care about hardness.  I can tell you my hyper-expensive cutters where not happy going through this stuff.

So I won’t give it away too much, cause I still don’t have it all thought out but here is what I have so far.

There is lots more already, but check out my flickr page.

Bohemian Bicycles Flickr page

I have a couple of things to do at the same time but this is a priority right now, so stuff will be moving fast.   Or fast for Dave time which is a little like glacial time…..

Over and out.

Been a long time, Yes I am doing “stuff”

Ah, easy enough to let this blog thing lapse and not procrastinate.

I have been working.  I swear I have!

Let’s see.  I did a few paint jobs, built 150 ft of fence, built a few frames, one complete bike, have another 4 frames to paint, a few on the way for paint, a couple of forks, one frame student completed, restored my plasma welder and have been working on the Uber bike project….But more on that later.

Here are some pics I snapped of various goings on.

So I will try and keep up a bit more.

Dave

I was a punk before you were a punk

Reading through some old e-mail I came across an observation from a friend.

So many before us.   Art Stump, GP wilson, Pino Morroni…..Later Eisentraut, Bruce Gordon and it goes on and on.   Now,  you may think that the latest spice flavor gone bicycle brand is hip and begun it all.

The Tubes say it all in the above titled song…..

**********************************************************

We were surprised when it caused all this rage
and they wouldn’t let us take the stage
We knew we had a lot of what it takes
But we didn’t get the lucky breaks
Now it’s all such a great big fuss
and they all seem to copy just us
We never got reimbursed for the punks that were first

I was a punk before you were a punk
You don’t believe me? Just step outside and see me baby
I was a punk before you were a punk
You want some action? I’ll put your ass in traction baby
I was a punk before you were
I was a punk before you
I was a punk before you were
I was a punk before you

How long does it take?

So how long does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll Tootsie pop?  The world may never know…

No, what I am talking about is how long does it take to build a bike frame.   I am also going to touch on how long it takes to do anything well by hand.  Something a lot of people today have no concept of.

O.k.  the last point first, then we will talk about how long it takes to make bike frames specifically.   Modern industrialization is an amazing thing and probably one of the biggest things to ever hit society at large.  Not many people would argue with that.   But the ability to have almost anything we want as soon as we want it has distorted our sense for how long it takes to make, craft, assembly, create anything by hand on a small scale.   From our cheese to our coca cola to cars, cabinets, carabiners, candles and carrots everything is mass produced (did you like all that alliteration?)  Well, I for one am glad for that,  It has filled my house with all I could want for cheap, but what I find interesting is that most individuals really have no idea how much effort and time can go into a handmade product.   Oh, sure some would think 10 hours is a lot.  20?  What about 200 or 400 or 4000 hours.   Yes, some of the very finest things can take that long and longer.  Think about spending a year of your life on something or even months.   Then think about why something might cost what it does.

On to bicycle frames.   To say the amount of time to construct a bicycle frame varies widely is an understatment but here are some actual numbers.   About the fastest that one can assemble a frame in a small production environment is around four hours.   You have to be very, very efficient to do this.  Good, dedicated machinery and efficient layout and good skills are necessary for this.   These types of frames are also typically TIG welded or bonded as these processes are very quick.   Next are frames that can take about 8-12 hours.   Many frambuilders, building simpler TIG welded or unfinished fillet brazed bicycles can do this.   None of what I speak of here includes the paint BTW.  That is a whole other thing I will discuss.   Now we move into Lugged bikes.    Anything that is decently made typically starts at around 12 and goes up from there.   Many of the “famous builders” spend around 18-25 hours of actual construction time.   You will get a very nice, clean frame with this kind of time input.  You will not get heavy modification, polishing, stainless, cut-outs, lug thinning or the like.   Fillet brazed frames can also take this kind of time depending on the complexity and overall finish of the fillets.   Now we move into very complex frames.  Heck, that can go from 25 up to the stratosphere.  Yes, 100’s of hours and even a little bit of bling or complexity here can add massive amounts of time, not only in the construction process but also in the paint process.   From a business POV, the fast bikes and short term lugged bikes make the most per hour.   As of yet the hyper intensive bikes can’t command the kind of dollars it would take to bring anywhere near the same profits.

Carbon fiber?  well there are kits that take just a few hours, but most carbon that is the tube and glue (not unlike metal frames) take a fair bit of time.  Often the rear ends are pre-manufactured but getting the joinery smooth and doing the joint layup well takes time.  About 15-20 hours depending.   Some a little more some a little less.

Paint.  Some powders can be done from start to finish delivered in 30 minutes and cost a couple of dollars in materials.   Paint can go from cheap at 100 dollars and 2-3 hours to once again 50 hours for complicated  graphics and decorative treatments.

Don’t underestimate how much time good work takes.   Like Orson Wells said.  I will serve no wine before it’s time….

Frame building school

I am very excited about this.

What I offer is one to one instruction on how to build your own frame.   Utilizing steel and three different methods of your choice,  Lugged brazed, fillet brazed and TIG.

The course is 10 days long and you will have full use of my facilities and personalized, individual instruction based on your needs.   Once your dream frame is completed I put a beautiful coat of paint on it for you and send it back to your location.  I have been a professional framebuilder for 15 years and I am sure I can help you meet your framebuilding goals.

I have started a separate blog to keep track of all the potential questions.   Please check out the sister blog at to your right or here.

http://bohemianbicyclesfaq.wordpress.com

Please contact me with any further questions you may have.

All the best,

Dave Bohm

Bohemian Bicycles

P.S.  Just two examples of finished student work.  There are many more on my flickr site.

“ I contacted Dave about teaching me to braze, He thought he could teach just about anybody including me. So I got on a plane flew 1500 miles stayed in a hotel down the street and worked with Dave for 2 weeks.He loaned me a bike to use while I was there. I cant say enough good things about him (youve all seen his work) He doesn’t hold any punches when it comes to teaching. He designs the course around your needs. Had a great time, highly recomended. its a little more $ but one on one is the way to go.”

Why buy a Rivendell or Rene Herse bicycle?

Naw, Both are great.  You are not going to find a negative blog entry here.

What I really want to talk about is Mark Nobilette.

http://www.nobilettecycles.com/

Marketing is a wierd, wierd thing.   Both the top of the line Rivendells and Recreations of Rene Herse bicycles are made by Mark.   You would think with such a gem laying about of a builder that customers would be clamoring to get the frame directly from the source but no.   Mark sells far more Rivendells and RH’s than he does his own product.   Am I the only one who finds this strange?  It would not surprise me to find that in the future these brands are more collectible than the man who made them.

We see this in all sorts of businesses.   Jewelry manufacturers like Cartier don’t  make the jewelry.  Jewelers do.  The very same quality of jeweler in fact may be right around the corner in NY city but demand is high for the name, not the work.  I read once that a particular Ferrari was extremely valuable while the actual guy who made the whole chassis was alive and making them for a fraction of the price.   Sorry Enzo, but I rather have the real deal.   Here the car can command 8 million but the 80 year old guy who built it is looking for work.  Odd.

So to keep this short.   The best bicycles ever are being produced right now all across the world.   Consider buying your frame from it’s source not some company that name is based on a J.R.R Tolkien novel or another that bought a name from a gentlemams family who has been deceased since 1976.

There is a Motherfucking snake on this motherfucking bike!

We just got back from the San Diego Custom bicycle show the other day.

http://www.sandiegocustombicycleshow.com/

We had a wonderful time.  I think it was very  successful for all.  Friday was a great opportunity to catch up with other builders and industry folk.   Saturday was hoppin.  Sunday was mellower but a nice wind down to the event.

Andy Schwartz of Andy Schwartz bike fitting brought his beautiful tree python.   I think everyone who could took a picture with it.  Here is Ms. Snake on a frame not too far off in color from herself.

Recumbent Hippies or Superhero’s?

You know, you see them lurking in the shadows,  flying by you in a skin tight silver surfer suit (no I am not making this up).   Nobody knows who he is like any proper super-hero.   Then there is the grey wolf, A Tucson favorite.   No not a recumbent rider but is part of the same fellowship.   He howls.   Yep and sews his own cloths, has huge gears because he never goes up hill and always has a gallon of milk on his tool belt.   Wait….super-hero’s always have tool belts or at least belts.   It’s all starting to make sense.

Then there was this guy, I heard his name was Dave.   People called him leatherman.   He rode a cruiser all day,  never-ever sat down.  Built like a brick shit house and the best part?   Only wore a speedo…..ever….Mmmmm super-hero’s wear speedos on the out side of their outfits.

Then there is this guy….I don’t know who he is, seen him a bunch though.   He has one gear….BIG and a sweet set of cutoff jeans.  Nice enough but he looks a bit like Wolverine on the X-men.   Hairy.

I found this guy on the Internet this week.   Not from Tucson sadly, but he seems to fit the hypothesis.   Most super-heros have to have a vehicle.  Wonder-woman has her invisible jet, Batman has all sorts of things.  This gent has a recumbobike

He has the boots too.  Every proper super hero needs boots.   But more importantly even more than military surplus outfit is the glasses.   A little like cyclops from the X-men but backwards.

So, there you have it.   Can’t be any other way.   These guys are modern super-hero’s or as close as we really get to it.  I am convinced.

Thurday paint work

I am repainting a really nice schwinn road frame.   Pretty darn nice, even when I had the paint off and uses a neat tube set that would be hard to duplicate today.

the paint job scheme is chrome with a candy violette over the top.   This is not real chrome it is actually a paint and this is the first full use on a bicycle I have done.  I am learning a whole lot on this one.  I have done candies of course, masking, no problem but the chrome paint is another animal.  Neat, and my tests show it is pretty darn durable but make a mistake with it after application and essentially its ruined.   Painting is a lot of fixing.  Fact of life but this stuff you can’t fix so better not screw it up in the first place.