Most bicycles are just a commodity mass produced in Asia. Of those, too many end up hanging upside down in your neighbor’s garage, or get set out to the curb when the tires go flat. Those trashed cycles are how I became a mechanic, picking it all, harvesting what I needed, and experimenting with the rest…There are still a few builders out there that treat the production of a bicycle with the old world craftsmanship seldom seen in the production of anything anymore. One such builder is Ira Ryan from Portland. He has a certain passion that has caught my attention a couple of times. Recently I was looking at his blog, and studying some of his Portuer frames. Simply stunning. Have a look for yourself. Note that sometimes form meets function. These bicycles are tools, that can pass for art.
1 comment:
At NMU, Ray Ventre had us read John Stuart Mill's essay, "Utilitarianism." In it, Mill describes the value of any item that is both useful and beautiful to look at.
Your description of this builder's work reminds me of how I feel about my DeWalt radial arm saw.
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