I have been building custom bicycles for friends, family, and myself since 2017.
It has been a great experience, allowing my friends and I to traverse, race, and explore the Greater Lafayette area. We have been able to find all kinds of nooks and crannies that has allowed us to appreciate this small city that many Purdue students write off as a boring Midwestern town.
Creating the bikes out of scrap pieces, $10 part bikes, and whatever we found hanging in a tree or in a dumpster has challenged me psychically and mentally. I would hesitate to call each bike a piece of art, as they are rarely pretty, but each one has its own obstacles and triumphs behind it.
connection to UX
Building a bike for someone is creating an experience for them. The person riding a bike will be in full control of the bike, there is no computers and the person like weighs more then three times the bike, so the user must be considered in every bolt and nut. Where a user will ride, how confident they feel riding, and what emotions they feel while riding can all be enhanced, compensated for, and controlled with the bike itself. A simple handle bar change can turn a rough and tumble mountain bike into the a controlled and laid-back cruiser bike. This makes building a bike for someone else great practice for a UX Designer.
benjamin’s bikes:
These bikes are mine. They have gone through many miles, repairs, and iterations. These show off my bike building prowess rather than my ability to meet a persons 2-wheeled needs, but I’m too proud to not show them off.
friends’s bikes:
The true joy from this has been making bikes for my friends so we can enjoy them together. The process is as fun as the adventures. Nailing down their personality and needs and using what scrap parts I have to create a bike perfect for someone close to me is something I will never stop enjoying.
Benjamin's portfolio 