Hand Made Bicycles and me

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Hydrostatic Dazza
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Hand Made Bicycles and me

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Sun May 13, 2018 10:57 pm

There was some forumites who suggested I write some thing about my chosen path of professional expression, which is making bicycles. With my Model Engineering and my recent start to sate my 45 year year desire to have a garden railway that friends and family can enjoy on weekend barbies with lots of smelly cheese and nice wine and beer -ale, and also involved with some heritage rail operations and I hope to be involved with the Mary Valley Rattler again as it approaches a retart, I am reluctant to bring my daily toil to my escape-hobby-enjoyment. So this will be very infrequent.
More here
http://www.llewellynbikes.com/
Follow my bike work here
https://www.facebook.com/darrell.mcculloch
and
https://www.flickr.com/photos/llewellyn ... 089377361/

I have syndicated the following text from elsewhere and it is about the recent "Hand Made Bicycle Show Australia: which was a great success.

I have attended four shows in the USA and two in the UK and also the first Aussie show iteration in 2012 which is the show that proved to many of us that an Aussie show has value and is sorely needed down here. I can in full honesty say that the vibe and value of the 2018 HBSA gig that was built on the pioneering 2012 gig is already for me Number 1 of all time.
The removal of show booth war fare extravaganza bull poo poo that goes on at other shows facilitates and ensures that the spot light is focused and maintained without distraction on the makers and their bikes and or products they make.

That was the intent Ewen Gellie, myself and others desired and the show organisers recognised the value of this.
No effing dioramas, imitation workshops, or 3.5 tons of timber erected in a booth to look like a log cabin…….. Sigh!
The vibe, the process was as if you are at the Tate gazing at a Turner or a Constable. Appreciating the product, conversing with the maker rather than the shallow “Wow” of a conspicuous marketing budget.
Space around the bikes and products, no walls, no banners was very important. Every bike was displayed on the same show provided plinths. The punters appreciated this and so did the exhibitors. If you were there, you would know that it worked splendidly.

The choice of 1, 2 or 3 bike display price options assists the exhibitor to fit their level of expenditure and or level of production. These aspects worked extremely well. I will not be surprised if we see other shows travel down this route. I never build show bike nonsense, I take brand new un ridden customer bikes to shows and sometimes I have a new prototype display bike of a new model or using a new lug design. My three bikes at the recent HBSA gig were all new client bikes. The Saturday night evening dinner for the exhibitors and punters who wanted to be with the makers in the pub next door was a cacophony of high spirits with a decent mix of pragmatic business chat along with the sharing of knowledge and ideas. It was the best get together that I have ever seen at any show I have attended. The show venue only used 50% of the available floor space, so the there is room to expand in the years to come. Michael and Nathon who are the show organisers are very astute professional operators, genuinely caring, observant and they listen and communicate very well. They understood the needs and possible needs of the show in the future and recognise what this niche scene is really about and what it needs. We are very fortunate that the connection with M and N were made. Ewen, myself and others recognise that the HBSA is a valuable vehicle to ensure we stay relevant and appreciated in the market place here down under and also overseas. This show has already given my brand great value and the other exhibitors I have spoken to have expressed the same positive reactions and experiences. I want to add that Ewen and myself have no financial involvement with the show and we paid full $ for our space just like everyone else.
It was all good ! Roll on HBSA 2019.


Image

HBSA report stuff here
http://theradavist.com/2018/05/2018-aus ... es-road/#1
more stuff here, scroll down
https://cyclingtips.com/2018/04/handmad ... e-bigwigs/

HBSA photos here

https://www.flickr.com/photos/llewellyn ... 4973991701
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

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Peter Butler
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Re: Hand Made Bicycles and me

Post by Peter Butler » Mon May 14, 2018 8:44 pm

We have a modest genius in our midst..... your bikes are superb creations of art and engineering and deserve all the praise your followers can offer.
Whilst not in the market for any two wheeled transport I can see the attraction for such masterpieces, although not on the streets of GB where they would be a target for road rage or theft.
More power to your pedals....
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?

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Re: Hand Made Bicycles and me

Post by bazzer42 » Mon May 14, 2018 9:21 pm

Fair play Darrell they are beautiful bikes. Cycling seems really big over here at the moment I can only assume it's the same down under. I find the controversy around Bradley W and the mysterious parcel kind of tarnishes the lustre of the sport. I find it odd that all the British riders are so reliant on their sport permitted inhalers :?:

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Re: Hand Made Bicycles and me

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Tue May 15, 2018 4:47 am

bazzer42 wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 9:21 pm Fair play Darrell they are beautiful bikes. Cycling seems really big over here at the moment I can only assume it's the same down under. I find the controversy around Bradley W and the mysterious parcel kind of tarnishes the lustre of the sport. I find it odd that all the British riders are so reliant on their sport permitted inhalers :?:
It is the same here.
High performance sport down to the local kids at secondary school, drugs in sport, social drugs. It is not just about $, it is also about one's ego.
It is all a mess and was from day one. The consequences are wide spread but ignored. I am not involved with the sport in any way and I just make bike frames because that is all I know.
Thankyou for your kind comments on my work. Onwards to the garden railway and model engineering and some time on the full size steam locos later this month :P
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

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Hydrostatic Dazza
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Re: Hand Made Bicycles and me

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Tue May 15, 2018 4:51 am

Peter Butler wrote: Mon May 14, 2018 8:44 pm We have a modest genius in our midst..... your bikes are superb creations of art and engineering and deserve all the praise your followers can offer.
Whilst not in the market for any two wheeled transport I can see the attraction for such masterpieces, although not on the streets of GB where they would be a target for road rage or theft.
More power to your pedals....
Thank you for your kind comments, much appreciated. I have exported to the UK and my frame making castings are sold in Europe via a UK agent. I have attended the Bespoke show in Bristol 2016 and 2017, which leads to visits to railways after the show :-) , but this year we stayed down under. We missed Peterborough last year as it clashed on the same weekend at the "Bespoked" show. That show is held in Brunel's Templemeads Train Shed. Lovely venue.
I might see you all in 2020.
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

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Re: Hand Made Bicycles and me

Post by jim@NAL » Mon May 21, 2018 10:29 pm

Wow some serious skill and talent Il be following you on fb .very impressive

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Re: Hand Made Bicycles and me

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Wed May 23, 2018 7:10 am

Thanks all.
It is toil at the workbench and too much toil at the desk these days. For every hour at the bench it is an hour at the Computer or phone. This is a serious problem to making a living. It is all too complicated and too many implications and a market place saturated with new products every day.
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

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Re: Hand Made Bicycles and me

Post by FWLR » Thu May 24, 2018 7:47 am

Not that I am a cyclist, but I have tried to get on your page by copying and pasting your link Dazza, but it keeps on telling me there is an error. The reason I was going to have a look is my Son-in-law is a cycling mechanic, he goes on tours for most of the year. At present he is in Italy watching the Giro is it called, him and his brother are all about bikes. So I have sent him the link to have a look at. I am not saying they will buy, but you never know what may become of it. The Son-in-law does have some very wealthy clients…… :thumbright:

I sent him this link Dazza.

http://www.llewellynbikes.com/LlewellynBicycles.html

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Re: Hand Made Bicycles and me

Post by Hydrostatic Dazza » Tue May 29, 2018 9:24 pm

FWLR wrote: Thu May 24, 2018 7:47 am Not that I am a cyclist, but I have tried to get on your page by copying and pasting your link Dazza, but it keeps on telling me there is an error. The reason I was going to have a look is my Son-in-law is a cycling mechanic, he goes on tours for most of the year. At present he is in Italy watching the Giro is it called, him and his brother are all about bikes. So I have sent him the link to have a look at. I am not saying they will buy, but you never know what may become of it. The Son-in-law does have some very wealthy clients…… :thumbright:

I sent him this link Dazza.

http://www.llewellynbikes.com/LlewellynBicycles.html
Thanks, I do export.
Cheers from Dazza, The Hydrostatic Lubricator 8)
The chances of finding out what’s really going on in the universe are so remote, the only thing to do is hang the sense of it and keep yourself occupied. Douglas Adams

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Re: Hand Made Bicycles and me

Post by Andrew » Thu Jun 07, 2018 7:52 pm

Beautiful bikes!

I'm not technically a cyclist either, in that I don't currently cycle anywhere, but I reckon I've got a cyclist's heart... My late father used to race for an East London club (in the early 60s, I'd guess), I've got great b&w photos of him, including one with a classic London bus in the background. I have one of his bikes, made by Bates of London, with a wonderfully light frame and finished in a deep pink colour with sign-written twiddly bits in cream where the various bits of the frame meet. It lives at my Mum's because it's of such sentimental value that I daren't keep it here in case it's pinched, but I must dig it out and ride it sometime. My parents' old tandem also lives in the same garage - that weighs a ton and has no gears, but seems to be magically set up so that it leaves solo cyclists way behind on hills. My dad fitted it with racing handlebars...

Anyway, I'm a 20 min walk from Temple Meads, so if you find yourself at a future bike show and fancy playing trains do shout...

All the best,

Andrew

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