Llewellyn Bikes

[progetto]

How old was Blair then Dazza?

[Dazza]

How old was Blair then Dazza?

I think he was
37 give or take a year.

[Dazza]

A few builder mates encouraged and poked me for some time to to speak up about the following, so here I am, head above the parapet, willing to have my head shot off.
One can make a very pretty bike, sweet paint job, nice head badge, go to a bike show, and the kid press go "awesome". The builder goes away thinking "I am effing awesome"
but the builder has no experience of how to apply biomechanics, design the bike fit to all the various customers that will come through the door. The bike is not quite right but that is OK, I have got a LASER etched 3D printed head badge and the tubes are made of unobtainum...................

"I am a genius, look at what I have done!"

Do they never ponder
"I wonder why those old prehistoric life timers never do stuff like I do? never mind I am a genius, look at what I did!"

Bespoke shows are populated by the large number of enthusiastic new starters, they are seeking attention to get a start, which is fair enough
but the problem is the product is becoming more funk than time at the toil to make a reliable, proven reputation, giving good value to the customers hard earned dollars. That is hard to get up to speed with when one does not learn via the journeyman process under an established shop. This is a problem for the those starting out, no easy answer for them.

One knows there will be tears for some builders and their customers, example when you see the multiple piercing of main tubes, fork blades and chainstays, poking brass tube through for cable routing with a bit of silver around it in critical stress and strain locations with no reinforcements at all! Oh, that tube will never fail.................Actually these failures have started, but the press who told them they are a genius will never, and cannot report on the "that was a bad idea eh!" The builders who have been around or the ones that are intelligent with an eye on the long term all sound like we are just moaning curmudgeons or "prehistoric pretentious pr--ks". I and others are concerned that the rush to be a genius bespoke frame builder may do some harm to the niche industry. A new builder must have a vision of their path and that is understandable, I did when I was 16yo, but being hot with social media, and drilling holes and poking brass tube through willy nilly does not mean the builder has got there yet let alone make a product that returns the investment to the customers hard earned gold coin by surviving many of years of hard riding. Actually, one never gets there. One is always progressing.
OK, was that harsh? Spit it out if you think so. Different font today, for a different emotion to the day.

[WheelNut]

Dazza do you think you’ll end up sending drawings of the colossus lugs to LongShen for production? You’d be first to market :)

[Dazza]

Dazza do you think you’ll end up sending drawings of the colossus lugs to LongShen for production? You’d be first to market :)

I would like to think so, however the costs of the tooling against sales to other builders is the hand brake as my in house production is not enough. I have Columbus all set to make the butted 32.7mm seat tube.
I have OS socket seat stay seat lugs in the pipe line, I want new BBs with better angles to reduce the amount of rework time, disc brake drops and a chainstay to match, and better fork crowns. I wonder if the people who design fork crown castings have ever made forks them selves. I have spent $ on 3D printed waxes and tested local foundries who fail to cast such thin castings. It can be done but the qty required is the stopper. Before anyone tells me that 3D printing is the answer, do your sums and research, it cannot do everything and anything at a price that can be realistic. (well not yet) With only 10 years or less till I slide into my oblivion of frame building relevance, it all costs much more than can be recouped. This is my chosen path of professional expression, so I have to be pragmatic, so lug fabrication a couple times a year it will be.