‘Firsthand’ framebuilding school and shop space set to open in Portland – BikePortland

Chris Blandford has picked up the torch he hopes will reignite Portland’s vaunted reputation as the epicenter of American bicycle building. His Firsthand Framebuilding business is set to expand into a framebuilding school and shared shop space scheduled to open next summer.

I recently met Blandford as his current space in northwest industrial to learn more about his exciting project.

Tucked away in a corner of the vast, 70,000 square-foot Chris King Precision Components factory where some of the world’s most sought-after bicycle parts are made, Blandford and I talked about his plans and why he was inspired to “take the plunge” on this new business venture.

Blandford, 40, grew up in what he called, “car-centric Phoenix” and then lived in Durango, Colorado, which is where he caught the cycling bug. In 2016, he came to Portland to take framebuilding classes from (the now closed) United Bicycle Institute (UBI). He and his wife were living in Chicago at the time. “We experienced Portland, kind of fell in love with it, and we moved out here,” Blandford shared. “And I’ve been trying to poke my way into the bike industry ever since.”

As he made custom bikes for himself and a few clients, he saw UBI close their Portland location in 2019. “That kind of planted the seed in the back of my head that there might be room for a new version of a framebuilding school,” Blandford reflected. He continued building and teamed up with Oscar Camarena and Simple Bicycle Company (a business that made bikes for other labels) in 2021. Then, late last year he seized an opportunity to take over the North American distribution of Reynolds bicycle tubing. He now sells high-end steel and titanium tubes for bicycle frames, handlebars, and seatposts — as well as a full selection of framebuilding supplies and tools — from his e-commerce site Firsthand.bike.

As a framebuilder himself who loves the process and craft that goes into each bike, and understands the financial side of the business, Blandford can appreciate the struggle of young builders trying to scratch out a living doing what they love. And sharing resources can mean the difference between building and breaking the bank. Blandford understands that the vast majority of the cost of making bikes is spent on buying and storing tools that are only used 10% of the time. He’s found that many builders, especially younger ones, are interested in sharing these resources.

That’s part of why Blandford taking the plunge with his new concept of a framebuilding school, community hub and shop space which he calls Firsthand Bike.

“In order to learn something, you have to do it firsthand,” he shared when I asked where the name came from. “You can watch YouTube videos or read a book, but the benefit of seeing this stuff done firsthand is huge and there’s currently no public place you can see it.” Blandford also said the name pushes back on today’s all-digital world. “So many things are on screens these days that to have an actual, firsthand experience with something is hugely valuable.”

Firsthand will be a 5,000 square foot, multi-level space in the Johns Landing neighborhood. As he flipped through pages of architectural renderings, Blandford described his new space: a frame shop, a classroom, an upstairs event space, a patio, a small retail showroom, a courtyard, even an on-site apartment for visiting instructors. He also hopes to host events like small bike shows and swap meets. “I’m really hoping it evolves into sort of a community hub that’s centered around metal fabrication and bicycle building,” he shared. “I would love to see this thing become the place for builders to come, hang out, share knowledge, and figure out what’s next in framebuilding.”

Blandford wasn’t willing to share who the first batch of in-house builders will be, but he’s currently testing the shared space concept at his current location. The builders working under one roof include B Vivit of HotSalad Bicycles, Bradford Smith of After Hours Framebuilding, and Tom LaMarche of LaMarche Bike Co.

15 years ago Portland was the center of the American framebuilding scene as it played host to the largest handmade bike show in 2008 and then cultivated its own brand of show with the Oregon Manifest, which was held five times between 2009 and 2014.

But as the cost of living in Portland skyrocketed and our cycling culture shifted into a new era, the framebuilding scene ebbed. Blandford thinks the tide is ready to come back in. “In the last couple of years, especially with the MADE show that Billy’s [Sinkford] is putting on, I felt like there’s a renewed enthusiasm. And so I thought, if someone was going to do it, now might be the right time and I thought I’d just take the plunge.”

“I’m going to build something really cool,” he added. Judging from what I saw and heard on Tuesday, I could not agree more.

Blandford will make an official announcement about his plans at the MADE Bicycle Show, coming to Portland August 22-24th. Renovation of his space will take about six months and he said he plans to move in this coming spring and be open to the public by next summer. Watch this space for updates (and for a video from my visit which I’ll finish and upload here as soon as I can).