First off, what an awesome opportunity and honor it is to be invited to post on Smoked Out. Then, as if there’s no pressure for a newb like me to post after any builder on this site, Gaulzetti just posted a sick a$$, eloquently written, philosophical neo-manifesto just before I sat down to scratch out my "by comparison" children’s story…. Nice!

My name is Chris Dornbach of DORNBOX Bikes. I find beauty in things that are useful. I love to build things. I love bikes! All bikes! As a builder, I strive to insure that my bikes embody the passion from which they’re made and above all, that they perform immaculately. By disposition, I’m more of a doer than a contemplator. But I am not a hasty person. I prefer to do everything right or I’d prefer to not do them at all. This doesn’t mean that everything I do is perfect… but I do try. And once I commit, it’s done.

So why did I choose bikes...? The roundabout story: Besides the obvious, since I was kid I have always loved bikes, and that I have gradually come to despise the commoditization of mass produced bicycles; I’ve spent my life chasing titles and trying to find something to do that the world would views as “legitimate”. I’ve always been an active person so as a youth, the thought of sitting in a classroom for an additional 4 years after graduating high school didn’t sound too appealing. Desert Storm had just kicked off and I’ve always had a patriotic streak…. After 7 years of military service, I separated and started a long chain of truly great careers. I held at least three completely different titles that included the term “Engineer” before I ever set foot into a college. Then one day while riding my mountain bike, I tried to do a flip off a ramp without a helmet…. After I woke up, I found myself with a lot of time on my hands and came to the realization that I despised my job. So, I sold my bikes (including a custom Harley Davidson I built) and went to college with the intent on becoming a metal shop teacher. I got an Architecture degree instead.

Bikes, right! Well, after feeling that I had properly vetted what the world wanted me to do or be, I decided that I was finally going to chase my passions: Beer, bikes, and self-employment! I’m making a good run at the first two…. So, after deciding that I wasn’t going to start a brewery, I ran down to the local C.C. and enrolled in a couple welding courses to brush up on an old skill set. While enrolling, I pulled some extra cash out of my student loans to cover a frame-building course. Originally I was planning on attending a titanium course at UBI. In the interim, I started working with a friend at his fab shop where he introduced me to the finer points of GTAW and exotic metals. I was pretty good right off the bat (structurally speaking). Then while waiting for the UBI class, I came across Toby at Hot Tubes. And after meeting with him in person, I scheduled a class ASAP.

While at Hot Tubes, I ended up meeting Tony Maietta, Zanconato, and Mike Flanagan. Tony and I actually have a few close friends in common, small world. Anyway, after meeting a handful of builders, I realized that I really liked the crowd. So after finishing the class, I sold half my organs and leased my first-born son to a nice couple in China (or was it India) and started building bikes for friends. While I’ve only completed 10 frames so far, everything I’ve built rides awesomely including #1.

So in short, I chose to build bikes because firstly, they’re in my blood. Secondly, while designing sustainable houses and buildings, I became increasingly sensitive to the environmental impacts of American consumerism which intern fueled my own self deprecating disgust for falling prey to the bike industries marketing ploys of transforming bikes, that are being churned out of foreign markets for the sole reason that they can be produced more cheaply, into a expiring commodity that should be replaced every couple years. Thirdly, damn I love bikes and all things that are remotely associated with bikes including the bugs that get stuck in my teeth while I’m grinning ear to ear while riding. Dirty chains however… they’re cool to look at… in a pile… in the corner of my shop. And I hate squeaky rattling noises when I ride... but everything else I love. Lastly, I have a lot to offer and enjoying being a positive steward to the industry.

Fore!