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JT
@Jingle_Jangle
So, after the various attempts at learning the arcane craft of frame-building, I finally accepted that I am a ham-fisted ne'er do well was never going to come to any good and settled on other ways of filling my free time.
All was well in my world, and frame-building dreams were but a distant memory, when last November Fixedwheelnut of this very Forum posted this:
http://www.lfgss.com/conversations/257895/#comment11945116
A little bit of related websurfing revealed that Geoff Roberts of THE Roberts dynasty had returned to frame-building and, intriguingly was leading courses at Enigma Cycles in Hailsham.
Later, a nice bottle of Chianti later, I sent off a hopeful e-mail to Enigma to see if they might be up for running the course in the first week of the New Year. Turns out they were up for it, and despite all of the evidence that I am incapable of getting my hands to work in tandem I found myself typing out my credit card details and booking a cheap hotel on the South Coast.
To be honest, when Monday morning came around, I wasn't even going to turn up. Me, build a frame, what was I thinking? The thought of a load of blokes who really did know what they were doing laughing at me in their workshop was terrifying. The only reason I went was that I had booked the time off work and told everyone what I was going to do, so in the end I had to at least give it a go.
Imagine my surprise therefore when on Thursday afternoon - a day and a half ahead of schedule - I loaded this into the back of my van:
Hard as it is to believe, I've built myself a proper frame, and I am delighted with it. Here's a few more shots:
Despite casting himself as the UK's grumpiest frame-builder, Geoff Roberts was great. If he can get someone as fundamentally hopeless as me to produce a frame, he can teach anyone to do it.
I should also 'big up' (?) everyone at Enigma Cycles, the whole team were great, and seemed reasonably happy to have a useless, loud Northern gob-shite around for the week. They also put a vast amount of love and attention to details into their Titanium frames, so if you are in the market for something exotic, you should definitely go and see them.
Anyway, looks like I've got another project. Shall keep this thread updated.