It’s hard to know when to call it quits.
I started building in 2010, full time in 2013, and to be honest I haven’t been financially successful since. Each tax season i’d be embarrassed at how it ended up. Without the support of my wife i wouldn’t have been able to stick stuck it out this long. I’m a living framebuilder meme.
New and different bikes inspired me, fitting the largest tire clearance in the shortest chainstay length, bending tubes to make it look just right…many times trying several times to get it right, while trying to keep it light, safe, and not too flexy for the rider. Each frame was different because each rider is different and they ride different trails in different ways. Custom bikes were just that…custom. I gave people the ability to choose everything if they wanted to.
With the help of a friend and his CAD expertise I made a last ditch attempt to make a profit and released a stock model with custom options called the Ponderosa, but really that’s just the same name on a custom bike and takes about the same amount of time and cost of materials as full custom. So while this past year has been my most successful i still am just paying off my credit cards and not contributing to the family bills. What i know i need to do and what I do in reality are far apart and i’ve given up trying to mend that divide. I’m a terrible businessman.
But it’s not all bad. I’m happy to end on a high note with happy customers and friends that love their adventure buddies (bikes). If success can be measured without dollar signs i’m happy that i’ve had a successful framebuilding career. Thanks for the support and trust from all you that have bought bikes! If you ever need a repair on your bike i’m here to help. I’ll still be building my own creations but downsizing the shop a bunch.
Happy Trails!
