This article is part of a series I’ve been writing about my experience taking a two week bicycle frame building class from master framebuilder, Doug Fattic. Taking a two week intensive frame building class was just that, intense. Spending 8-12 hours a day working on one project in isolation allowed for quick learning, but also [...]
Posts Tagged ‘lugged steel frame bike’
Doug Fattic Framebuilding Class Update: Day 8-10, Austin, we have a bicycle frame
This article is part of a series I’ve been writing about my experience taking a two week bicycle frame building class from master framebuilder, Doug Fattic. Things moved quickly the last few days. After spending a week and a half working on small parts of my frame and learning brazing techniques, my frame parts came [...]
Doug Fattic Framebuilding Class Update- Day 6 & 7, Things coming together
This article is part of a series I am writing about my experience taking a bicycle frame building class from master framebuilder Doug Fattic in Niles, Michigan. I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel on my frame. The last few days have been great with parts of my frame now [...]
Doug Fattic Framebuilding Class Update- Rest Day Recap
Since Doug is a 7th Day Adventist and observes Saturday as the sabbath, we don’t have class today and Doug’s workshop is closed. It’s all fine as having a day to recharge and read up on frame building and frame geometry probably isn’t a bad thing. So far, we’ve learned most of the basic skills [...]
Doug Fattic Framebuilding Class Update: Day 3 and 4, Playing with fire
This article is part of a series I’m writing about my experience taking a two week bicycle frame building class from master framebuilder Doug Fattic. Wednesday was an exciting day, our first stab at brazing. Doug warned this would be our toughest day. In my opinion it was not the toughest by far (see my [...]
Doug Fattic Frame Building Class Update: Day 2, There will be blood!
This article is part of a series I am writing on my experience taking a bicycle frame building class from master framebuilder, Doug Fattic. I think the name of this class should be changed to “There will be blood.” As I type this article with my thumbs on my iPhone, I am nursing not one, [...]
Doug Fattic Framebuilding Class Update: Shipping Out
Today, I leave to begin a two week intensive class in building and brazing steel lugged bikes with master frame builder Doug Fattic. I’m heading to Chicago for the day with extended family and will take the train Sunday morning to Niles, Michigan, Doug’s home. I have feelings of excitement, trepidation, and a little melancholy [...]
The birth of the hand-built bike industry in Texas
Passion. That is the common word I heard from everyone I interviewed at the first Texas Custom Framebuilder’s Show in Fricso this last Saturday. It was obvious from all my discussion that no one gets into custom frame building for the money. It is an often hand to mouth affair that many must hold a [...]



