To whom it may concern: My fellow cyclists, I am proposing to all who would be interested the development of a bicycle frame building collective in Denver. I have long been interested in building frames and my recent trip to Bike!Bike! in San Francisco has moved me from thought to action. I was able to participate in a short but excellent frame building seminar given by Josh from Bike Church in Santa Cruz. Josh has built some very lovely and functional frames using steel tubing. One of the frames Josh built is used to viably haul things, like his black Labrador Retriever. I believe in the bicycle. I believe that individuals who travel by their own power are quietly doing the best work for our environment and our planet. Could there not be a collective that used old bikes to make new and more effective bikes to move people and goods? My intent is as follows: Invite all interested to a meeting at to get an idea what a collective for the purpose of building frames would mean. I am looking for feedback and input along the following lines:
- What types of bikes could be made i.e. cargo bikes, touring bikes ,
city bikes? 2. What tools and materials would be needed to start? 3. Would this be a for profit or an non profit or a mixture of both? 4. What would our mission be in regard to the community and the needs of the people around us? ie disadvantaged people learning a skill we could teach them? 5. Could viable bikes be created reusing some steel tubing from old bikes? 6. What tools and materials are available to train ourselves and others to build and repair frames? 7. Can building a bike for a specific practical purpose supersede buying one because of labor issues and artisanship?
Thanks, Gary E Burden