Frame Builders

Another weekend and another ride, the Pants Richmond Riverside Drive Cycling Initiative (P.R.R.D.C.I.) has been going full steam ahead for five weeks now. Every week the cast of characters is different, but the route and fun are the same. This week saw Landon entered the fray along with three regulars: Grant, Russ and myself. Seeing as Landon was new to our fun and on the way, we gave him a curbside pick up at his apartment near VCU.

Nothing to notable on this ride, the weather was the nicest is has been since the start of the P.R.R.D.C.I. and with Landon along the pace was a bit quicker. We normally ride across the Nickel bridge to save time, but with two cops parked with their lights flashing we walked the whole thing. No time or love lost and we had Grant back to his place at 11am as usual. I packed up my bike and was off to grab some comics and coffee.

What was notable about this Saturday was the bike activities after our regular ride. I went home to paint at 11am with the plan to make my way back to the city at 4pm. Landon and a friend are in the process of starting up a VCU affiliated frame builders club. I picked up Grant and Mike and we went to VCU to support Landon and because of our interest in all things bike. This was the first meeting of their club, but they already had Ed aka Cycles Ed in attendance to show off some handmade frames. The club can't really get off the ground till they get funding and shop time in the fall, but it was nice to see so many interested this early in the process (25-30 folks).

The take away for me (and Grant) was an interest in building custom racks not frames. I love the idea of building a frame from the ground up, but the time and money invested are better spent elsewhere for me. I own four bikes already (three complete or getting there) and I don't quite fancy another frame to gear out. At least not at this time in my life. My next frame after what are hopefully many loving years with my Cross Check will be a Rivendell. In any case I will be sure to attend VCU frame builders club meetings in the future out of pure interest alone and who knows I may end up with the bug to build my own frame yet. That or a hawt custom rack for my Check.

Ride and frame builders photos coming soon...like tonight...for serious!

Update: Photos from the Weekend: Ride and Frame Builders

Site Watch
Little Fish Bicycles Hobby Stuff is the brain child of its author, simply known as Suzy. The frame she put together is a beautiful piece of art (I'm a sucker for chrome lugs) and her other projects are nothing to sneeze at either. Czech it out for sure.