Welcome!

The purpose of this blog is to document my attempt to build a bicycle from nothing. I will buy tubing, construct a frame, and then construct the rest of the bike around that frame.

The idea for this project came about mostly as a lark, but was spurred on by some discussion on MetaFilter. Posts will occur on an as-shit-gets-done basis and will include everything from initial design, development of the workspace and tooling, all the way through to spit-shining the chrome.

Why this site? Well, while researching for this project, I found many personal sites that detail people’s completed frames, but very little geared towards a bare-bones start. Usually, the sites include a few sketches of the design, maybe a photograph of the tubeset that got delivered, and – voila! the bike is finished, painted, and on the road. These sites are great for inspiration, but not entirely useful for a first-timer trying to learn how to build stuff. Hopefully, someone else can take what I hope to document here and use it to build their own bicycle.

My credentials include a B.S. in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering, a few years’ experience in a machine shop at school, and several years in the aircraft industry. I have never built a bicycle before, and previous projects have not included the level of precision required to fabricate a ride-able bike.

Stay tuned, and I hope this site becomes a helpful resource!

-Mike