The Cargo Bicycle As Sculpture: Accepting my Fate

Coming Summer 2015: A Cargo Bike, once again, and as an example of Functional Sculpture, Personal Aesthetic Expression, world-class Design, Craftsmanship & Execution. –It never ends, as I continually try to sculpt the Bicycle into the cultural Icon it's supposed to be, and will surely become. Beauty, I've almost found you...But wait!– Rent is due. And Wait!–such unique "first-of-their-kinds" rarely get the recognition & attention deserved, and definitely not right away, –so I'd better just get to work building everyone else's Dreams to Survive!.....On top of all these logistical details called Reality, a bike like this could and would never become a Product of Manufacture, for so many reasons (described below); and sure, it will also cost more should a price be determined,–but these Realities, to me the Creator, are relatively irrelevant, or, perhaps to put it more precisely: I am living my life struggling with their relevancy. What matters most, to me, is that the Aesthetic Impact is able to Dance fluidly with Practicality, Usefulness, and Importance; that the Thing Look better; for it to be an Expression, in many ways, of both the maker and of whomever may choose to purchase it and call it Theirs. –Bicycles are Simple in their Mechanical Nature, but that doesn't mean they cannot or should not have the ability to leave complex aesthetic and social impressions, –so long as these complexities do not detract from the mechanical simplicity & efficiency of the Machine; the Usefulness; the Reason. Aesthetics alone should also not disturb the beautiful integration,–which has evolved so organically–of the Human-&-Machine Relationship; –the reason why bicycles are so amazing in the first place,–but rather, they should enhance this relationship by creating the ability for a more solid emotional and thus physiological connection to exist between the two. The Alcohauler is a tough object for me to supersede, but this bike might just have what it takes to do it, as it follows a more traditional outline: 20/26 inch wheels, open-top front loader like the original Long John designs of 100 years ago,–it may actually be recognizable as a Bicycle, and from planet Earth!
Hopefully the Insignia Pun is recognized and amusing to someone, on this early concept sketch.

The Empirical Rockitt

My approach at bicycle-making is quite different than most other builders. As much as I dislike the term, (due to its mainstream misunderstanding, social cool-ness, and basic lack of any real definition outside of any context besides ones of various socio-competitive natures) I come at it as Art, with the mindset of an artist, not a fabricator. I do not care how long it takes, how much money it will cost, or what I will have to sell to make it a reality. I do not care really if anyone likes it, and I do not build bikes with selling them in mind. I build a bike because I dreamt it up, out of necessity. It needs to exist because nothing like it has existed in the Material World before. The constant Quest for Beauty is in control, not I; the Void needs to be filled no matter what. All else is trivial, unimportant, non-existent. I've only recently recognized this fully, to where I am able to explain it, at least to myself, and have come to the conclusion that my Income cannot solely come from my Ideas, but my Abilities first and foremost. This has allowed me to accept, and move forward with my "Big Ideas" without being held back by the fact that they do not make me money.

This bike will be a first-class example of hand-made: In addition to frame, fork, parking stand, and cargo platform, I am making the handlebar, stem, bell, chainguard, fork ends/dropouts, fork crown, seatpost collar, fenders, and various hardware pieces used in the construction of the bike. This bike will utilize motorcycle brake cables for steering, and I have designed and will fabricate the entire system. No "outsourcing" to CNC shops! I also bend all the tubes myself, by hand. All this is out of necessity, not because I have all the time in the world or anything. -I refuse to make cookie cutter crap "Products". There is too much of that, and that is mainly what has directed my creative vision towards Bicycles and away from previous forms of self-expression such as Music, Poetry, and Photography, (although I still maintain a fully operational medium-format black and white darkroom in my home). If you are trying to cut corners, watching the Clock all day, you have the wrong intentions. If you think originality is easy, you are mistaken. If you think your ideas are great just because because, you are probably wrong: it's a lot of work and a lot of thinking, to come up with something WORTH DOING! And not only that, but for it to be better, in your own eyes, than what you have done before. Oh, and then there's the part of actually doing it, making it...

I use relatively old-fashioned techniques and hand tools to build things, and at this time I don't wish to increase my overhead and lack of self-sufficiency by purchasing large, heavy, and expensive machinery which only help separate the maker from the made. Many people who own large machines and "fancy" equipment become more or less machinery and equipment operators, thinking inside a box of their machine's capabilities and their fixturing and jigging parameters. Take all this away, and you become free to dream without limitations, without rules. Sure, it might be more work to actually build what you are then able to dream up, and that is precisely what holds back Innovation and Originality- the fear....the laziness. Most people prefer Comfort, Predictability, and defined points of Reference; the ability to communicate what they are thinking and doing at all times so as to appear competent and in control to their friends, co-workers, and families,- and all this is quite normal. I however, prefer to work intuitively and chaotically, letting the thing form itself when it wants to, never thinking i have control over the situation or relying on predictability. The final thing has, in a way, already existed but only in the ether, only in dreams. I am just transporting it, and to do that and have the final material thing have any resemblance whatsoever to the original etherical thing, you need to listen to its demands, understand its and your weaknesses and strengths; not dictate, but orchestrate. I interact with the material, the Idea, I converse with it. The original Feeling or Style is the root subtlety that everything else is built off of. Carelessness and lack of patience easily destroy this and the result is nothing like what was originally desired. Perhaps only musicians can understand what I am talking about here. Ask a Musician what they are thinking when they are hearing a song come to them in their head for the first time. Do you really think they would be able to or would even get distracted enough to even try to explain it?! The creative process is a turbulent centrifuge and to become a master in this environment, you cannot think you know anything, you cannot assume control.........You must become innocent, helpless, a Child. You need to listen to and look at what is presenting itself to you at all times, but so many of us are too busy and distracted to ever notice. These things never appear complete in any way, early on, they are just fragments, and to the average person, nonesense, irrelevant static taking their minds off of the Immediate Tangible. OK, enough rambling.

One of the biggest mistakes I have ever made was showing the Alcohauler in an unfinished state; one of my only real regrets in life so far. Not only was it the third bike I ever made, it was rushed; I built it at an insanely fast pace, compromising my job and my relationship at the time. (yeah i had a "real job" as a mechanic/builder/designer/prototyper for a US Importer of Dutch bikes) But, I did manage to weasel my way into NAHBS without paying a booth fee under the guise of my then employer. Looking back, it was the wrong way to do it. So many things came together to make that bike happen though, it's really a miracle that it got done at all. I mean, the bike was very involved fabrication-wise for even a seasoned fabricator. I had only two bikes under my belt, and the first one you could consider half a bike since it was recycled from junk mountain bike frames. Anyways, below are some images of it how I intended it to be known. Sadly, photos of it unfinished are all over the web. Luckily, Old Coast Ales bought the bike in the unfinished state, and their interest, enthusiasm, and payment provided me with the means to finish the bike properly. When they bought the bike it was literally rusting away, used regularly by myself, but its importance forgotten, the magic had evaporated, no one cared about it, i forgot about it and moved on (well tried to).

I then tried to make a bike that I thought was more accessible, affordable, and practical for more people, The Urban Legend. How much interest was there in this bike? None. Did I do something wrong? -I have since stopped basing my ideas of success on other people's interest in what I do. I like the bike, i think it looks great and is one of the sweetest, easiest bikes to ride around, cargo bike or not.

I've only very recently accepted the fact that I approach my Bicycle work differently than most.
I've also only recently become a "metal worker" and will never achieve perfection.
I know I will never be a successful "business man" or have a very profitable shop/studio.
I know I will never make the same thing twice.
I know I will continually pursue my Dreams, no matter the cost, -I do not dream within my current capabilities or knowledge base. -This is how I Grow.

I know I am OK with all of this~


Hopefully someone has been inspired by this rant, or maybe even wants me to make them a bike!

Stay tuned for build pics of the "Rockitt"