Chris Blandford has picked up the torch he hopes will reignite Portland’s vaunted repute because the epicenter of American bicycle constructing. His Firsthand Framebuilding enterprise is about to broaden right into a framebuilding college and shared store house scheduled to open subsequent summer time.
I not too long ago met Blandford as his present house in northwest industrial to be taught extra about his thrilling mission.
Tucked away in a nook of the huge, 70,000 square-foot Chris King Precision Parts manufacturing facility the place among the world’s most sought-after bicycle elements are made, Blandford and I talked about his plans and why he was impressed to “make the leap” on this new enterprise enterprise.
Blandford, 40, grew up in what he known as, “car-centric Phoenix” after which lived in Durango, Colorado, which is the place he caught the biking bug. In 2016, he got here to Portland to take framebuilding lessons from (the now closed) United Bicycle Institute (UBI). He and his spouse had been dwelling in Chicago on the time. “We skilled Portland, type of fell in love with it, and we moved out right here,” Blandford shared. “And I’ve been attempting to poke my manner into the bike trade ever since.”
As he made customized bikes for himself and some purchasers, he noticed UBI shut their Portland location in 2019. “That type of planted the seed behind my head that there may be room for a brand new model of a framebuilding college,” Blandford mirrored. He continued constructing and teamed up with Oscar Camarena and Easy Bicycle Firm (a enterprise that made bikes for different labels) in 2021. Then, late final 12 months he seized a possibility to take over the North American distribution of Reynolds bicycle tubing. He now sells high-end metal and titanium tubes for bicycle frames, handlebars, and seatposts — in addition to a full number of framebuilding provides and instruments — from his e-commerce web site Firsthand.bike.
As a framebuilder himself who loves the method and craft that goes into every bike, and understands the monetary aspect of the enterprise, Blandford can recognize the battle of younger builders attempting to scratch out a dwelling doing what they love. And sharing assets can imply the distinction between constructing and breaking the financial institution. Blandford understands that the overwhelming majority of the price of making bikes is spent on shopping for and storing instruments which can be solely used 10% of the time. He’s discovered that many builders, particularly youthful ones, are occupied with sharing these assets.
That’s a part of why Blandford taking the plunge together with his new idea of a framebuilding college, neighborhood hub and store house which he calls Firsthand Bike.
“So as to be taught one thing, it’s important to do it firsthand,” he shared after I requested the place the title got here from. “You’ll be able to watch YouTube movies or learn a ebook, however the good thing about seeing these items achieved firsthand is large and there’s at the moment no public place you’ll be able to see it.” Blandford additionally mentioned the title pushes again on at present’s all-digital world. “So many issues are on screens today that to have an precise, firsthand expertise with one thing is vastly helpful.”
Firsthand will probably be a 5,000 sq. foot, multi-level house within the Johns Touchdown neighborhood. As he flipped by means of pages of architectural renderings, Blandford described his new house: a body store, a classroom, an upstairs occasion house, a patio, a small retail showroom, a courtyard, even an on-site residence for visiting instructors. He additionally hopes to host occasions like small bike reveals and swap meets. “I’m actually hoping it evolves into type of a neighborhood hub that’s centered round steel fabrication and bicycle constructing,” he shared. “I might like to see this factor grow to be the place for builders to return, hang around, share information, and determine what’s subsequent in framebuilding.”
Blandford wasn’t keen to share who the primary batch of in-house builders will probably be, however he’s at the moment testing the shared house idea at his present location. The builders working below one roof embody B Vivit of HotSalad Bicycles, Bradford Smith of After Hours Framebuilding, and Tom LaMarche of LaMarche Bike Co.
15 years in the past Portland was the middle of the American framebuilding scene because it performed host to the biggest handmade bike present in 2008 after which cultivated its personal model of present with the Oregon Manifest, which was held 5 occasions between 2009 and 2014.
However as the price of dwelling in Portland skyrocketed and our biking tradition shifted into a brand new period, the framebuilding scene ebbed. Blandford thinks the tide is able to come again in. “Within the final couple of years, particularly with the MADE present that Billy’s [Sinkford] is placing on, I felt like there’s a renewed enthusiasm. And so I believed, if somebody was going to do it, now may be the best time and I believed I’d simply make the leap.”
“I’m going to construct one thing actually cool,” he added. Judging from what I noticed and heard on Tuesday, I couldn’t agree extra.
Blandford will make an official announcement about his plans on the MADE Bicycle Present, coming to Portland August 22-Twenty fourth. Renovation of his house will take about six months and he mentioned he plans to maneuver on this coming spring and be open to the general public by subsequent summer time. Watch this house for updates.
Hear from Chris and see his present store within the video under:
