Zanconato

[zank]

yo zank -
what do you know now that you wish you could have known last month, or five years ago?
i'm talking about the framebuilding stuff. and the answer doesn't have about a process at
the bench, or a tactic that's related to running of the business, but it could be atmo...

Breaking out the big guns...

five years ago
I wish I had done a real business plan and learned how much it actually cost to put a frame together. I was turning over cash thinking I was making money.

three years ago
I wish I had known how understanding most people are when sh*t hits the fan. Instead of setting unrealistic goals, missing them, and upsetting my customers, I should have been more forthcoming about my situation and figured it out from there with each of them. It's something I still work on everyday.

six months ago
I wish I had known that setting up a new shop is a lot tougher and time consuming than I thought it would be.

I'm going to revisit this after I give it more thought. This was a tough one.

[e-RICHIE]

I'm going to revisit this after I give it more thought. This was a tough one.

i'm only picking on you because you're a neighbor but...

there's another question i wanna throw out atmo -

what is the task in framebuilding that most confounds you , and has it always been that one,
or would the answer change at different times in your career? ps mass fickung rocks, huh.

[cardinal]

i'm only picking on you because you're a neighbor but...

there's another question i wanna throw out atmo -

what is the task in framebuilding that most confounds you , and has it always been that one,
or would the answer change at different times in your career? ps mass fickung rocks, huh.

I'm loving the answers almost as much as Richard's questions! Thanks for doing this guys!

[SteveP]

zanc
how long is the typical frame transaction? from first call to delivered frame?

and by how long i mean time of course but also how many communications does it take?

is a visit helpful, necessary or required?

[zank]

zanc
how long is the typical frame transaction? from first call to delivered frame?

and by how long i mean time of course but also how many communications does it take?

is a visit helpful, necessary or required?

Man, that all depends. Some give me 4 contact points and basically turn over the keys to their cycling life while others are involved every step of the way. I would say 2-3 phone calls and 5-6 emails on average though. A visit isn't necessary, as most of my customers are not within driving distance. It's really nice to meet the local ones though.

[dcpdpayne]

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?

Thanks
Andy

[zank]

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?

Thanks
Andy

One word...



I think my customers are drawn in by a common understanding and appreciation for purpose, design, and aesthetics. They may not know exactly what it is about the bikes that appeals to them; they just sense it and feel it. I can talk about design until I'm blue in the face, but a connection is made when they see it and get what I'm talking about.

What draws you in to a brand?

[ron l edmiston]

mike,

how has your cross racing influenced your cross geometry and or sizing...

ronnie

[zank]

mike,

how has your cross racing influenced your cross geometry and or sizing...

ronnie

Hi Ronnie,
Sorry I missed this!

One of the benefits for me of living in New England is that we get a variety of weather and conditions. Sure, we don't get a deluge every weekend like they do in Portland, but we get a fair bit of mud. We get snow and ice. We get 75 and sunny. We get 15 and sunny. We also get the grass crits, the choppy, bumpy, rooty tracks, and the courses with a 1/4" of greasy mud (those are fun!). What I'm getting at is over the course of a season, we see all kinds of different course and weather combos. It's helped me test different geometries and identify what designs produce a bike that I like the feel of. I also had the opportunity to work with Adam Myerson very early in building career. I built a bunch of bikes for him and he was able to articulate what he liked and what needed to be changed. Having the feedback from a real pro helped steepen my learning curve. Since then, I have continued to make tweeks. It helps getting out there and rubbing elbows though!
Happy Thanksgiving!

[WFSTEKL]

Mike, what is the color name on the blue NAHBS show bike #2?

It is sharp!

[davids]

Mike,

Talk to us about the tools. I know you've just started using a whole bunch of beautiful new jigs, tables, presses.

How does the tool affect the work? The product?

[corko]

Mike, how many hrs per day on average do you spend 'at the bench'? Do you keep regular shop hrs? Do you keep(or try to) a rigid structure or do what has to be done that day?

Thanks

[zank]

Mike, how many hrs per day on average do you spend 'at the bench'? Do you keep regular shop hrs? Do you keep(or try to) a rigid structure or do what has to be done that day?

Thanks

This one varies tremendously. Since I am currently doing all facets of the business, from book keeping to ordering materials to shipping to designing softgoods to doing frame specs to doing fits to answering email to answering the phone to doing inventory to actually making frames, it really depends on the week. Teh goal now is to produce 6 framesets a month. I do keep regular shop hours most days, unless I have a ton of computer work to do. I'm generally more productive doing those tasks from home, as I have fewer distractions and my home PC is nicer to work with than my laptop. I really have to go with the flow for the day or week. Things pop up, like having to empty a room to pour a new floor. But, in general, I work a lot.

[zank]

Mike,

Talk to us about the tools. I know you've just started using a whole bunch of beautiful new jigs, tables, presses.

How does the tool affect the work? The product?

Speed. Accuracy. Precision.

The tools make it possible for this to be a sustainable business. Well designed and rigid fixtures or machines, like the Anvil tooling and the Bridgeports, set up fast, set to where you expect them to be, and produce repeatable results. The set up fast part speaks for itself. The "set to where you expect them to be" and "produce repeatable results" parts though, well, those save me time later on. This time may be in fewer corrections or rework. The time saved is also in simply knowing that I can forge ahead.

I suppose you can say that a tool doesn't affect the work as much as it affects the process. Ultimately, I could get the same finish line with other tools. It just might take longer.

[Dazza]

Snipped for clarity

I suppose you can say that a tool doesn't affect the work as much as it affects the process. Ultimately, I could get the same finish line with other tools. It just might take longer.

A very good point and well said

[Tristan]

Zanc,

What percentage of your time is spent actually building frames vs customer communication, ordering supplies, paperwork, answering questions about yourself on forums etc

Also, most of buying a custom frame is about aligning your worldview with the builders. Which of the mass-produced bike brands do you admire the most and which is the closest to your worldview?

Keep up the great work.

[Shinomaster]

Mike, I was under the impression that you were going to Med School. Does this mean you are going with frame building as a career? I love learning about the guy who made my bike btw!

[zank]

Mike, I was under the impression that you were going to Med School. Do this mean your are going with frame building as a career? I love learning about the guy who made my bike btw!

Thanks, John!

Yes, that was my big decision in 2008. I wanted to put 110% into this. My heart wasn't into the other track nearly as much as this one.

[WadePatton]

Thanks, John!

Yes, that was my big decision in 2008. I wanted to put 110% into this. My heart wasn't into the other track nearly as much as this one.

right on. as i spent 14 years getting 7 years worth of degrees that were, as i know now, going in the wrong direction--i routinely harass the college-aged kids i'm around with some reality-checks. i ask them what _are_ you going to do and how are you going about that. make 'em think a little.

[zank]

right on. as i spent 14 years getting 7 years worth of degrees that were, as i know now, going in the wrong direction--i routinely harass the college-aged kids i'm around with some reality-checks. i ask them what _are_ you going to do and how are you going about that. make 'em think a little.

Funny. I routinely harass starry-eyed frame builder hopefuls I'm around with some reality checks. I ask them the same questions. They don't realize that all of the blow and fast women come at a price. It's really hard on the family.