Macey Spensley
Not many people can say they’ve built a bike, but some students on campus can.
More specifically, engineering and art students at the University of Iowa who took Fabrication and Design: Hand Built Bicycle I and II, can.
On Thursday, ten students and fourteen bikes flew to Sacramento, California to take part in the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, which officially begins today.
“This is the third year that we have been participating in the show,” said Steve McGuire, a UI professor of Metal Arts and 3D Design, and the professor in charge of the class. “We’re the first university to have students exhibit at the show. It’s probably the most important handmade bike show in the world.“
NAHBS is a handmade bicycle showcase that started in 2005. The show’s mission is to showcase the talents of individuals around the world whose art form is the bicycle.
“It’s a way to engage in a professional conversation around the design and engineering of bikes,” McGuire said.
In order to be in the Fabrication and Design class, students must be either an art major or an engineering major. McGuire said each major evenly splits the class.
Bailey Banach, a UI senior majoring in engineering, said she took the class to utilize her creative side in her classes.
“When I first came to Iowa, I considered being an art major but stuck with engineering,” she said. “I heard about this bike-making class my freshman year and it worked out my junior year that I was able to take it.”
In class, Banach said, students would have an open discussion and create an idea about how the bike would look like.
The class uses AutoCAD to design the bikes. AutoCAD is a commercial software application for 2D and 3D computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting. After designing, students are then required to order tubes, and then cut and weld the tubes to match their design.
“It was a fairly straightforward process that looks more daunting than it really was,” said Vern Garcia, an engineering graduate student who also took the class. “It was definitely a large time commitment.”
The handmade bikes were built to specifically fit the students’ bodies.
“We took measurements unique to our own body types,” Banach said. “The bike that I built is completely comfortable for me to ride. You can’t go into a store and buy a bike completely made for you.”
Along with exhibiting their bikes, the students will also help set up for the show by working three hour shifts at the exhibit.
“It’s a way to engage in a professional conversation around the design and engineering of bikes,” McGuire said. “Students meet with professionals they may work for in the future.”
According to the NAHBS website, the show has had exhibitors from countries such as Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands.
Freelance Journalist and the press contact for NAHBS, Scott Boulbol, said members of NAHBS are hoping10,000 visitors will attend the exhibit.
Both Banach and Garcia said they had a positive experience in the class.
“I learned that building a bike is not easy. It’s one of the most frustrating things you’re ever going to do,” said Banach. “At the very end of the day, you ride out into the sunset on a bike that you built.”