It’s never been easy to make it as an independent framebuilder, and it’s only getting harder. Chris Blandford knows the struggle well, and might well be doing more than anyone else currently to support small US builders, from founding Firsthand Framebuilding to resurrecting Paragon Machine Works, and more. He’s here to tell us all about it.

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Introducing Chris (2:40)

The Portland, OR framebuilding scene (6:26)

Chris’ introduction to framebuilding (10:22)

Founding Firsthand & the Firsthand vision (13:20)

Framebuilding classes (18:25)

Acquiring Paragon Machine Works (31:18)

What’s next? (44:59)

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We tend to think of maps as objective representations of the physical world around us, but they're subject to the biases, goals, and editorial choices of the folks making them — just like any other piece of writing, film, or method of communication. Dillon Osleger's excellent new book, Trail Work, lays out how the erasure of trails from historic maps erodes our collective access to public lands; how and why those maps have evolved over the decades; the biggest challenges facing public land advocates, especially in the American West; and a whole lot of other topics that are vitally important to anyone who likes spending time outside. He joins us to discuss all of it.

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Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on Bikes & Big Ideas. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.com

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Trail Work

Dillon Osleger on Historic Trails, Changing Climates, & Evolving Communities (Ep.133)

Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Trail Work (2:14)

Inspiration & goals for the book (6:52)

The evolution of MTB trail access (9:09)

Mixed-use trails & managing user interactions (13:10)

The deliberate disappearance of trails (16:47)

The trail degradation feedback loop (21:31)

Maps as a language (29:06)

The erasure of place names & their history (35:37)

Stewardship & how we can do better (40:08)

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Like most small framebuilders, Ashley King launched Significant Other making custom rigid frames, but she turned that model on its head by launching the Ded Reckin full-suspension XC/Trail bike, and taking it to serial production. And if that’s not enough, she’s already built prototypes of two more full-suspension models, too. So we brought Ashley back on the show to tell the whole story, from deciding to build the original Ded Reckin show bike to offering it as a production model, material selection and opting for a mix of steel and titanium, developing the Doom Scroll Prophecy prototypes, and a whole lot more.

And for a lot more on Ashley’s background, the founding of Significant Other, and her path into frame building, check out Ep.253 of Bikes & Big Ideas.

Note: We Want to Hear From You!

Please share with us the questions, topics, or stories you’d like us to cover on Bikes & Big Ideas. You can email us at: info@blisterreview.com

RELATED LINKS:

Blister Mountain Bike Buyer’s Guide

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TOPICS & TIMES:

Moving from custom rigid frames to production full-suspension bikes (3:00)

The Ded Reckin show bike (10:37)

Design brief & details (17:30)

Looking like a Significant Other (21:43)

Production readiness & refining the details (25:05)

3D printed parts & mixing construction techniques (31:27)

The preorder model (35:41)

The Doom Scroll Prophecy (38:27)

Naming the bikes (52:19)

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