UBI grad looks to start framebuilder club

Roland Couture wants to start the Portland
Framebuilder Club as a resource for
new and existing builders.
(Photo courtesy Roland Couture)

A local graduate of United Bicycle Institute’s frame building school plans to start a club that will help builders pool resources and have a better chance at success.

Roland Couture is a 41 year-old, self-described “…tinkerer, lifetime cyclist, and musician smart enough to have an engineering degree, but with a persistent and nagging desire to actually make things by hand.”

Couture’s vision for the Portland Framebuilder Club (he’s bought the domain name but is still working on the site) is a to create an informal network where builders could come together, learn from each other, and more.

Couture hopes to someday collect dues and pool finances so that fledgling builders could afford expensive tools, share shop space (a “club shop” he calls it) where members could schedule work time, get volume discounts on materials, and host professional development seminars and clinics.

Nine builders have already expressed interested in becoming members and Couture says he hopes to add more names to his list the coming weeks. Couture is aware of the existing Oregon Bicycle Constructors Association — a non-profit organization that has builders from throughout the state and puts on a major annual bike show — but says the scope of his club would be “more local and more hands-on.” He also points out that established builders would also be welcome to join. “It should be pretty awesome for lots of folks whether framebuilding is ‘just a hobby’ or a professional aspiration.”

For more information, contact Roland Couture at rjc2[at]hevanet[dot]com.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, contact me via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a paying subscriber.

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Anonymous
Anonymous
14 years ago

Might it be called a coop?

Mark Allyn
14 years ago

He might be interested in hooking up with the Watershed, which is a group of artists on Millwalkie ave, about 1 mile south of Powell.

Alex Wetmore
14 years ago

We have one on Seattle for readers who live that far north. It is more of a club and less of a co-op, but there has been some informal tool sharing.

http://www.bikelist.org/mailman/listinfo/sabma

Johnnie O.
14 years ago

Sounds Awesome!!!

Paul Tay
Paul Tay
14 years ago

“an informal network where builders could come together, learn from each other, and more.”

Brothaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, kin ya spare a torch?

Roland
Roland
14 years ago

P.S. There will be beer.

KWW
KWW
14 years ago

There might be more interest for amateur frame builders, ie, short classes in conjunction with UBI, group buys on tools, etc

Bill Stites
14 years ago

This sounds like a great idea, and seems very inclusive for all levels of builder.

Helping folks get even more creative in the bike world … excellent!

Roland
Roland
14 years ago

KWW: Funny you should mention that, I originally conceived it as the “Portland Amateur Framebuilder Club” but dropped the word amateur because I didn’t want to exclude the “pro” builders. (There’s even more potential for knowledge-sharing that way.)

KWW
KWW
14 years ago

Yeah, I feel that the pro’s are a discreet bunch, and may not be interested in this because there are several professional otulets for them already.

Personally, I would love to learn to how to braze lugs for stems, maybe a whole bike frame someday, but I will never, ever make a living at it. I just feel that one can appreciate it more if you do it yourself.

Roland
Roland
14 years ago

Agreed. Well, send me an email and we’ll get you on the list!

David Jenson
David Jenson
14 years ago

Anyone interested in starting a club like this in Southern California?I live in Colton.

Alex Wetmore
14 years ago

The Seattle club has some pros and some amateurs. It is a good mix. We also have a couple of ex-pros who have decades of experience, but who do other jobs now.

We are having a meeting in mid-Jan if anyone from Portland happens to be up here and wants to come.