For the past 15 years I've been a stuntman for TV and film. I originally got into this career through riding bikes and a bit of luck. In 2010 I had an opportunity to work on the movie "Premium Rush" doubling for Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Since then I have been fortunate enough to work in NYC on many TV shows and movies performing all types of stunts. I never would have guessed spending my youth riding BMX would be the perfect preparation for a career in stunts.

I started learning to build bikes in 2015 from Lance Mercado of Squarebuilt bikes in Brooklyn, NY.  He agreed to take me on as an apprentice after begging him for a week. Lance did everything by hand in his basement workshop in Bedstuy. He used hand files and an oxy acetylene torch to make his frames. This provided me the groundwork I needed to get a basic understanding of how frames were made.
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After apprenticing for Lance I got a job with Horse Cycles just down the road. Horse Cycles was an entirely different experience with machinery, tig welding, and a paint booth. I worked for Horse Cycles for a year before moving to Santa Barbara, CA to work at Stinner Frameworks. This was a big shop with multiple employees and lots of orders. I was able to learn a lot in a short period of time. Eventually I headed back home to Philly eager to set up my own shop. I continued my education by taking a machining course at community college and a welding class specific to bikes at The Bicycle Academy. Throughout my time back in Philly I have moved the workshop 4 times! It's hard to believe it's been a decade of building bicycles already. I still learn something new each time I build a frame.
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I don't think there's just one thing that piqued my interest in framebuilding. I was always around framebuilding in a riding sense. Growing up I coveted American made BMX frames. This was a different type of framebuilding than the artisan one man shop that most think of today. These were rider owned factories where most of the team were also welding the frames. I rode for Brooklyn Machine Works for a period of time which also had a huge influence on me. They had a full frame fabrication shop that I hung around way before I ever considered making frames myself. So I think it was a combination of just being surrounded by bike culture and American manufacturing.

When I start a bike for a customer it's a very routine process of gathering information about their body measurements, fitness level, and the type of riding they plan to do with the bike. The building process is composed of measuring, bending, cutting, and welding steel tubes before it becomes the bicycle frame. Some of these tasks can have creativity in them, but many of them are repetitive motions that are more skill based. Sometimes they are fun, sometimes they haunt me.  At the end of the day it's an industrial process that is very labor intensive.
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Where I try to channel my creativity into the bikes is through the frame parts that give it a signature touch. Something that sets it apart ever so slightly from the rest of the bikes you see. For example, a stamped logo or a curved tube. The design, branding, marketing, and color palette are also very important to me. In my opinion It's the culmination of all of this that makes a bike feel special.

Riding & camping. The whole point of making bicycles is getting to ride them. I'm constantly scheming up different bike camping trips to go on with friends. There is nothing more satisfying than pedaling deep into wilderness with only the essentials. No phone or distractions, just enjoying the nature and good company around you. This also helps me to come up with new ideas for bicycles or products that I want to make. Generally I come back from a trip itching to get back in the workshop and start tinkering on a new idea.
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Top 3 areas I've explored:

‍1. Carrizo Plain - New Cuyama, CA‍

One of my favorite areas I come back to time and time again. Whether it's camping on a bike or just driving through, it never ceases to amaze me. It has one of the most incredible wildflower blooms in the spring.

2. Gaspe Peninsula - Quebec, Canada‍

This was one of those trips that I will never forget. Me and a group of friends rode from the town of Amqui through the Chik-Choc mountains and ended at Forillon National Park. Lots of poutine, crystal clear rivers, beautiful wilderness, and goofing off. Check out the travel footage

3. Northeast Kingdom - Vermont

Maybe not as exotic as the other places, but Vermont is one of a kind, especially the Northeast Kingdom. Summer days riding the Kingdom Trails followed by a cliff jump session at lake Willoughby, pizza at Parker Pie, and then camping in the state forest. I can't explain it, but it always feels like there is some type of Philly/Vermont connection.

Don't undersell yourself or your work. This took me a long time to come to terms with. I constantly wanted to give friends deals or felt troubled charging the correct amount of money for the goods I was making. In the end you will end up putting yourself out of business.