First off thanks to VS for starting this really interesting dialogue!
I guess metal started calling my name in high school. I went to an Arts Magnet HS
where we had a full blown metal shop, not necessarily the norm for teens my age. MIG
welders, TIG welders, Oxy-Acetylene rigs, angle grinders, plasma cutters, and a giant
heap of donated steel were our course materials. I learned the basics of fabrication, and
it was at this time that I sold my first hunk of steel for the whopping sum of $450 to my
English teacher.
Fast forward to college, Baltimore is my new home and Iʼd brought along a Trek 520
touring bike that had belonged to my uncle and had once braved the hills of Scotland in
the early 80ʼs. Coming from Dallas, Tx where the automobile reigns supreme, where the
operators of said automobiles are possibly armed, and where most cycling is off road or
on dedicated paths, the sheer idea of USING A BIKE INSTEAD OF A CAR was a
foreign concept to put it mildly. I went to class on my bike, I went to work on my bike, I
went to bars on my bike, and I went grocery shopping on my bike. I really canʼt stress
the impact this had on my impressionable young mind; I was hooked and becoming a
bit obsessive. I continued working with metal in college: making displays, casting
aluminum, bronze, iron, and welding things for less welderly classmates. After receiving
my BFA in Sculpture from Maryland Institute College of Art, I was questioning how to
keep using my brain and my hands to create, while also contributing to my community
and making the rent.
Initially my trip to UBI was more of a vacation than a career move. My best girl and I
drove from Baltimore to Portland, stayed with friends, and eventually made our way to
Ashland. While I expected to be comfortable with the processes of frame construction, I
did not anticipate the joy I felt while creating my first frame. The tools were the same but
the aim was different. This object at the end of my labors was practical yet elegant and
beautiful.
One of the clearest moments of that two week period was Ron Sutphin remarking while
watching me braze the DT/HT joint, “You know, you could really do this if you wanted
to.” Iʼm sure he says that to all the girls was what initially went through my head but it
stuck with me on the long drive down California to Texas back up to Maryland. When I
got home I started buying some tools, cutting up scrap frames for tubing, toiling away
with practice joints, and building frames for friends in the basement.
Today Iʼm one collective owner of Baltimore Bicycle Works, a worker-owned retail repair
shop that houses our custom brand Nash Cycles and will soon house our production
line of hand-made bicycles. At the moment, 70% of my time is dedicated to shop duties,
helping customers, doing repairs, ordering/admin stuff, and the rest at the bench. As the
shop and our collective grows I hope to flip that ratio around and get more workers
building bikes. Our goal is to promote goods made locally and conscientiously by
making our bikes with the utmost care and attention to detail.
At 24 years old, I realize my place on the giantʼs shoulder, and itʼs an honor to be able
to share my experience albeit a brief one. Thanks for reading and Iʼm glad to answer
any questions.
Tommy,
Thanks for posting. What are your favorite styles of frames to build? Which plays a bigger role in what you build, your art background or your history commuting?
Tommy,
Thanks for posting. What are your favorite styles of frames to build? Which plays a bigger role in what you build, your art background or your history commuting?
Jonathan
Honestly I don't think I have a favorite style yet, I'm still learning what floats and sinks my boat. So far most of the frames I've made have been lugged, lot's of Single Speeds/Track Bikes. I'm halfway through a fillet brazed MTB for myself and it's been really fun and rewarding so far. The bike I'm working on now is a bi-laminate frame which presents it's own challenges and rewards.
I think it's interesting how the Signal cats, Craig, and myself all have some "fine art (?)" connection. To me art has always been about three things: problem solving, thinking critically, and satisfying my need to physically create. I'll not project that onto the others, but I think building bicycle frames fits nicely in all of those categories and is probably why that first frame felt so good. I think being a commuter was just the starting point of my familiarity with the bicycle as a vehicle and how it should perform and feel. I don't know if it directly effects the frames... until we roll out the lugged commuting frame.
Do you think about how your life experience and motivation can be used to promote cycling? That's a large blank slate however I do not wish to corner you!!! Hey, you've been to the block and know where John Waters gets his inspiration. Now what will come from Baltimore with the T.Nash brand? Curious how this stew of cultures and experiences will develop.
Do you think about how your life experience and motivation can be used to promote cycling? That's a large blank slate however I do not wish to corner you!!! Hey, you've been to the block and know where John Waters gets his inspiration. Now what will come from Baltimore with the T.Nash brand? Curious how this stew of cultures and experiences will develop.
Bravo sir.
Thanks TT! Have you visited our little shop yet?
My cohorts and I definitely try and promote the bicycle as the modus operandi for Baltimore, and the daily riders in the area get our shop and what we do. Josh is leading a Baltimore Labor History Tour via bicycle on May Day, anyone close should check it out.
A bike that captures the grit and the grandeur that is Bmore would make for quite the project... I have to give that one more thought. Where's Tom P.?
We all know, or have some idea what makes your work similar to other made to measure/custom frames/bicycles, ie. Quality materials, tester joinery methods, attention to detail, and the delicate balance of producing a frame that is both esthetically pleasing and functional, but what makes your bike different?
I think that it goes without saying that each of the builders in the “smoked out” thread create superior work, so without comparing yourself directly to another builder(s), what is it about your frames/bicycles that draws (or will draw) in clients?
Do you feel that bike commuting is on the rise in B'more aside from the fixie scene? Have you noticed a trend in the larger Baltimore bike community of growing interest in locally built bicycles? I'm aware of Nash, Palermo and Bishop, all in the area...do you see them as competitors, resources, collaborators?
yeah, I saw Laura and Lindsey at the BOB party. Laura told me about the Reader's Choice part. Very cool. You guys deserve it. You've put in a lot of hard work.
Because Baltimore Bicycle Works is in the title, I'd like to share a cool project that just came through the shop. A customer brought in a Hollands road bike that had been somewhat neglected and was in need of a repaint. We suggested Circle A Cycles and acted as the go between, striping the bike down to frame, holding on to the parts, shipping the frame, and building it up once the paint was done.
After stripping the paint off the workers at CAC found major corrosion issues in the top tube, which they expertly replaced. The paint scheme was derived from a number of Kirk frames, but the red and white accents really match the Hollands decals. Interesting factoid: John told me once that the red white image is the naval flag code for "H".
The frame shows up and the eyes go wide. This frame looks killer. The masking lines are crispy and the lug lining is top notch. The customer then starts looking at the box of original parts and then back at the frame gleaming in the mid day sunlight. "That would look really good with the new Athena group," a little voice mutters and the order is made. QBP shows up and have the pleasure of building up this elegant frame set with this elegant group. Good day to work at a bike shop. Enjoy Steve!
I just wanted to check in and say hello after the PA Bike Expo. It was cool chilling. We'll have to assemble with Chris and Brian next year and tour the town!
Changes abound at Baltimore Bicycle Work! We have recently expanded our retail space and moved the frame shop downstairs. Although I'm losing those great big windows the move is allowing us to build two more repair stations, which we desperately need, and to separate the frame work so the two aspects of the business have their own flow.
We also are providing the bicycles for the 4K for Cancer benefit ride this year, which means ordering, storing, and assembling at last count 73 bicycles that will be ridden across the country. Check out the shop's blog for more info...
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