We love offering frame building courses, because we get to meet some amazing people, who make bikes that are a reflection of themselves and riding they like. That’s the beauty of a bespoke frame and fork…it’s the bike you always wanted, it’s unique and truly reflects the individual.
Teaching new skills to individuals who want to learn and have invested so much is the process is very rewarding!
Cutting, Blasting, Brazing…these are some of the skills that are dying out in the UK but we are determined to keep them alive in the Ironbridge Gorge.
Grant had known Peter for a few years and they got talking at last years Bespoke event, about making a bike… a forever bike!
“Frame Building at Bicycles By Design… A frame building course is done on a one-to-one basis with either Peter Bird or Robert Wade. Pete looked after me for mine. I’d had a visit to the workshop six weeks prior to the course beginning to discuss with Pete the kind of bike I wanted: which meant that tube set and lugs etc. were ready and waiting for me. The course takes you through sizing, printout of your frame from the computer, a practice braze, cutting tubes to length, mitering (shaping the end of one tube to fit snugly up to/round another, eg., end of top tube to head tube), transferring to the building jig and brazing it all together. Other things… you get lots of is shot blasting after brazing, and to finish, a long time filing and emery clothing to smooth back the joints.
Pete and his team are very friendly; it was a lovely relaxed atmosphere in which to work. I learned a lot about bikes and bike building and I had enormous fun doing it.
The only thing that left me feeling a wee bit disappointed – and this is not a reflection on Pete – was to discover how difficult brazing is. But Pete was on hand with every joint we made, and his experience meant that we got good joints. On the plus side, I do now have a basic understanding of brazing techniques and can, if I choose, practice brazing here at home”.
You are welcome to pop in anytime, however, if a discussion is required on Bicycles, Tandems, or E-bikes is required please call to make an appointment.
Open Tuesday – Friday – 9:00 to 17:00 – Lunch 13:00 to 13:30.
Closed: Sunday & Monday.
Saturdays: Pre-arranged Service drop-off or collections between 9:00 am to 10:00 am and appointments for Bicycle and Tandem orders at times arranged.
