Q and A with Don Walker Cycles

1. Name, Age, Occupation.
Don Walker, 42 (43 next month), Bicycle Frame builder, Bicycle Shop Owner, NAHBS Dude.

2. Were do you live?
Speedway, Indiana.

3. Tell us a little bit about Don Walker Cycles and these beautiful frames you build.
I started building frames in late 1990. Honestly, all I cared about was race bikes back then. It was all about performance, and aesthetics meant very little to me. Not saying I didn't lay down a pretty fillet, but it was after I really realized that making race bikes wasn't going to pay the bills. Racers barely spend money on bikes, most of the time they want it free or for cheaper than a set of tubes and a paint job costs. Then, I really focused on making them pretty for the guys who actually had money. I still pay attention to the performance aspects of the bikes, of course, but I pay much closer attention to the details than when I first started.

4. You run the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. Tell us about all the crazy stuff you see.
Well, I wouldn't necessarily call the stuff I see as crazy. Since the shows inception in 2005, there were fewer frame builders, so I have seen crazy growth in that aspect. I have also seen that the quality of the entire handmade industry raise to new levels, but as for crazy bikes? I can only think of one, and that was the Peacock Groove "Kill Bill" bike at this years show. It wasn't crazy in the sense of poor design or anything like that, it was crazy in the concept and execution. I loved it! I can't wait to see what he is up to for next years show...

5. In the last couple years the track/fixed gear craze as been blowing up. What do you see happening in the future?
I think the new fixie riders will get bored and either take their riding to a new level, i.e. learn to race track, or they will quit. Far too many of them got into it for fashion and keeping up with the Jone's. I really think that more folks will discover that Cross is fun, too.

6. What is you favorite city to ride in?
I grew up in Sacramento, CA., so I have way more time riding there than anywhere else. I have to admit, when I ride nowadays, I ride out into the country surrounding Indianapolis. But if I had to choose between the two, I would go with Indy now. I live on the west side in Speedway and I can be on a country road in 20 minutes. That's a good thing. I don't particularly like fighting with cars for a lane downtown, but I have been known to do it on occasion.

7. Where do you see the market for custom frames going?
I see the trend continuing to grow, however, its going to be tougher for the newbies to make it. Each year that goes by, I see a bunch of guys hang a shingle and say "I build frames!" and each year I see a few of them quit that had hung a shingle within the last 5 years or so. The problem is one that most folks that get into this don't understand or don't believe could happen to them. When a new builder asks a pro builder for advice, the most commonly repeated phrase is "Don't quit your day job, kid" and far too many of these newbies do quit long before they should have. Building frames isn't a great way to make a living. Instead, its a great hobby that rarely pays off. But, going back to the question, it becomes a matter of supply and demand. If you have a better than average product or reputation, folks will seek you out. If you make something that few other folks do, people will seek you out. The growth since the inception of the show continues to climb at a rate of about 15-20% per year, based on the distributors that I have talked to, but, I should add that they also sell to many guys who make just one bike for themselves.

8. How is the riding were you live. What are the pros and cons of cycling in Indianapolis?
The riding is good here. There's plenty of good bike trails around town and Indy is looking to add many more. They are very progressive when it comes to cycling, which is one reason I chose Indy as the location for NAHBS this year. The Cons? Well, some motorists just don't "get it". But that happens everywhere. Another pro? I can ride to Major Taylor Velodrome in 15 minutes....

9. Tell us what you are working on these days?
I have some frames I am finishing up this week and have 4 or 5 more that I need to start on. NAHBS always keeps me busy as well. I just conceptualized my daughter's college bike. She starts in a couple weeks and I want to get her something ASAP so she can get between buildings efficiently and with style. I also just designed one of my NAHBS bikes. Its going to shock quite a few folks...

10. What is your favorite material to work with? Lugged, Tig, Fillet?
I am a steel guy. I had worked with titanium and can start making ti bikes sometime soon, but I am behind on so many projects, I just want to get caught up so I can do it. Also, I am primarily a fillet brazer. When I first started there were lugs even close to the angles I needed or shaped for aero tubing, so I fillet brazed. Just within the last 3 or 4 years I really started doing lugged bikes. I have a tig welder, it sits in the corner... for now.

11. As anyone ever rode one of your bikes to victory?
Oh, plenty. As I stated earlier, I was all about performance. Since I was a trackie back in the day, I had plenty of connections that still raced and I got as many of them as I could on my bikes. Fast Freddy Markham, Matt Chambers, (among many others) some Trinidad/Tobago National Team riders and a few Canadian National Team riders as well. All that within the first couple years building. 94 was a banner year. Shaun Wallace rode one of my bikes to a Silver Medal in the commonwealth games in the individual pursuit. The next year, he Bronzed at the worlds in the Kilo on one of mine, but it wasn't badged as a Don Walker. Since I had a lapse in building (96-2001) I had to re-establish myself. I was living in Texas and made several connections that all kicked ass at different levels. Men's State Road Champ, National Tandem (track) champs, Woman's Track and Road Champs, etc. I'm proud of the fact that I had designed and built some really, really good bikes for some really fast people.

12. When can we we expect to see you at the Brain Piccolo Velodrome in Florida?
If Masters Nats comes to BPV, You might see me there. I am currently riding and planning on racing next season. When you see me at NAHBS, there will be a whole lot "less" of me...

13. Running the North American Handmade Bike Show. Do you see potential in the track bikes that you see from smaller builders?
I think the problem most builders have is that they still see things as round and lugged. Sure, they are gorgeous to look at and probably ride well, but they aren't as fast as oversize or aero bikes. That doesn't mean that they are bad bikes, it just means they aren't building the "fastest" bike a rider can be on. Don't forget, this is just my humble opinion. If it came down to a race where all the bikes were the same, its going to be the fastest/smartest rider that wins.

14. What is the one thing you would tell an up and coming builder to do or stay away from?
KEEP YOUR DAY JOB! That, or "marry well". Only build for paying customers after you run out of relatives and friends, never before. In all seriousness, I like to encourage them, but I don't want them to make mistakes that I or any other builder have made. When I give advice about geometry and tell them what works and what doesn't, I expect them to take it as gospel, because that means I or someone I know have made that error and its not worth going that direction. Also, have a buttload of money in the bank, because the first 3 years are going to be tough (if they did quit their day job) and put together a business plan and hire an accountant.

Don Walker makes some amazing bicycles. Be sure to head over to his site and check them out. He also has a blog page see it here.