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Sorry if this is a silly question but what's wrong with British framebuilders that makes you go to America, or have you already done them?
That's a perfectly good question. The answer is plain and depressing; no British frame builders could be bothered to reply to me and they're not generally on the bikelist.org framebuilders forum where I initially made connections with several builders, whereas the US builders are on the whole more organised, friendly, open and inviting, not to mention all the free advice they have given me.
US frame builders also have the benefit of more developed supporting industries, such as lug, tubing, flux, jig & fixture manufacturers. In the USA frame builders have traditionally always used more equipment than their British counterparts, so there is much more to see, learn, photograph and ask questions about.
The WCMT only funds overseas study/travel. I applied, made my case and won the travelling fellowship.
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Best of luck Matt! I'll call you this week about a drink before you go.
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That's a perfectly good question. The answer is plain and depressing; no British frame builders could be bothered to reply to me and they're not generally on the bikelist.org framebuilders forum where I initially made connections with several builders, whereas the US builders are on the whole more organised, friendly, open and inviting, not to mention all the free advice they have given me.
US frame builders also have the benefit of more developed supporting industries, such as lug, tubing, flux, jig & fixture manufacturers. In the USA frame builders have traditionally always used more equipment than their British counterparts, so there is much more to see, learn, photograph and ask questions about.
The WCMT only funds overseas study/travel. I applied, made my case and won the travelling fellowship.
,L ol I think you basically summed up most british industry there!
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That's a perfectly good question. The answer is plain and depressing; no British frame builders could be bothered to reply
That's a bit sad and disappointing to hear. I grew up in the 70's when British frame building was still a massive cottage industry, virtually every bike shop had their own frame builder. The industry has been repeatedly written off in the face of foreign competition but every time I see a cyclist riding a modern British built steel frame, I am reminded that these skills have not been lost forever.
Still, looks like you'll have a great time.
So tell me, what do you hope to get out of your trip?
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damn, about a month ago ben serotta was in the UK talking about bike building and his philosophy
he came to the UK and studied with Barry Whitcomb, I have a feeling he would be very happy to reciprocate in sending some of his knowledge back to the UK.
seriously, make contact with Serotta, it would be fitting for the knowledge to move full circle
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That's a great idea re Serotta. They push the development side a lot. I also really want to fill in some gaps in my cycle fitting/sizing knowledge. I'll be hiring a car in Boston to visit outlying towns, so perhaps...
Oh, and I forgot to mention, on my return to the UK I have 3 months to complete a detailed report that will be available to all online.
Here's another frame I did for a mate (he added the beaten-up parts!).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matts_bike_stuff/5610580869/in/set-72157626492547552/ -
Alright, er, I'm now in Niles, Michigan, on Doug Fattic's frame building course. I've been trying to blog my USA frame building trip. I'm a bit rubbish with todern mechnology, but I've been borrowing my fellow frame building student's (Bill from Tennessee) laptop. There are some pics here:
http://www.ninelittletubes.wordpress.com
Matt
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Nice one, Matt. Hope you enjoy it!
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Wow, the pictures are great.
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It may be. He's also doing a whole tour of the US, though--see the blog.
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New update on the blog about Day 5. All done except the seatstays!
(And probably something else I've missed entirely, it's just that they're the most obvious items.)
Day 6 will no doubt follow soon, but I think it might be a few days before Matt has access to a computer again.
It's amazing to see that Doug Fattic still uses old English frame-building equipment.
I think what people like Matt are doing is absolutely brilliant. It's fantastic to see more young frame builders emerging! This used to be such an important industry in this country. There are obviously still great frame builders around, but we're a long way from what we used to have.
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I'm sure that Matt would have considered this option. He got funding for the trip to the US, though, so he would have been a mug to turn that down. :)
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Nine? What about the forks?
3 make up the main triangle, 4 for the stays, 2 for the forks. ta daaaa!
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You forget the head tube (the main triangle isn't really a triangle for most larger-size bikes) and the bottom bracket tube. I do think that Matt means those tubes for the frame only.
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Oops, :$
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Lovely new updates on the blog, in case you haven't seen it. NYC framebuilders and bamboo bike makers.
BrickMan
yoav
hellomiles
n3il
dancing james
Oliver Schick
Skülly-
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About
USA Framebuilding Trip/Blog
Posted by
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matts_bike_stuff/5610556929/sizes/l/in/photostream/
If anyone wants to follow my blog it'll be here:
http://wilkinsoncycles.com/
(I'm more comfortable with a hacksaw than a laptop, so sorry if it's a bit basic).
Cheers,
Matt