This is the bike that will love you back.
Thought we would share a few pics of some racks we have been working on at the shop. The front rack is designed for the Li’l Loafer (not to be confused with the Big Loafer).
The bike that these racks belong to is going to be amazing. Its off to paint and should be back in a couple of weeks.
Hey Folks!
Sweetpea Bicycles t-shirts are now in stock and available for sale. Two fantastic colors: Pink and Chocolate. It occurs to us that if you love a shirt and wear it all the time, you might consider getting two! American Apparel sizing! (If you don’t know what that means for you - Natalie is a S or XS in just about everything but a M in American Apparel.)
Supplies kind of limited, so get yours today!
It seems as though these last weeks have gone by in a blur of coffee, logistics, gettin’ there, settin’ up, tearin’ down, and goin’ home dog tired. Thank goodness for the Flexcar.
First up to bat was the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show. We had been involved with organizing this event for the last five months or so, and if you thought going to an event was hard - putting on the event and going to it is way harder. But when you are involved with the planning, you get to do some neat things. Like invite all the bike builders in the state to show their craft . . . all of them. The response was incredible, and we were so busy the entire time, I only got to take one picture:
Next up was the third annual Bike Craft Fair put on by Jonathan from Bike Portland. We had our “Wool for Steel” program in effect for a second year in a row an added a new Quick Release Mitten as well as recycled sweater arm warmers to the S’mitten line up.
We have a few pair left over, so if you are interested, drop us a line. And the t-shirts will be up for sale in the next day or two.
Dearest Readers,
Taking place this Sunday is the first ever Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show. Twenty five builders from all over the great state of Oregon will be showing their bikes. We will be there showing a handful of bikes, selling caps and socks, and will be releasing our freshly minted Sweetpea Bicycles t-shirts into the wild. (Check or cash only. Available on the web come Monday.)
Its going to be an incredible show and we hope to see you there.
Details:
11 to 7
$5 at the door/kids under 12 free.
A little while ago, someone was looking for our address on the website. They couldn’t find it and wondered why. Well, we’ve moved. For those keeping track this is the fourth move in Sweetpea Bicycles two year history. It’s tough work finding landlords who don’t get dizzy, short of breath, and grasp at their chests when they hear the word “welding.”
There are hundreds if not a thousand framebuilders in North America. Most of them build a frame or two, and some build a few more for friends and family. But a scant few build a lot, and only a handful have spent a lifetime building bikes. So when Andy Newlands, who has been building bikes for three decades, asked us to move in, we felt incredibly grateful and jumped at the opportunity.
It’s rare to find a real mentor in this business. Someone who can take a look at the problem and say “it’s nothing” or “it’s screwed.” (The two questions you are constantly asking yourself when you start out.) And it is rare to get to work side by side with someone who knows what he knows because he has done it a thousand times and has painstakingly learned the language of his tools and materials. He teaches me things everyday, and on occasion, I get the satisfaction of helping him solve some fabrication problem.
There are a lot of bike companies out there that talk about their history and tradition even though they long since started building their bikes in China. But I feel a sense of awe, because the tools that I get to work with everyday reflect years of building, years of problem solving, and years of creative tradition. A tradition I feel honored to participate in and to continue in my own direction.
Which brings us to the first edition. When I started building, I thought it would be neat to praise the first bikes out of the shop. But being around a master builder and other amazing craftsmen has taught me that I will always need to be a student of my craft in order to truly grow. And while I feel like I have come into my own as a builder, I see a long road of learning and creativity ahead. This is an important moment. And so today, I am officially ending the First Edition to mark this new beginning and to reflect on the long past that came before me.
