Do-It-Yourself

Yesterday, I spent some time reading about how to build a bicycle frame. Basically, I was reading how the angles, tubes sizes, etc. are all calculated and drawn out. This led me to read about how weld and how to make carbon fiber. All of this has me thinking that I need to build my own frame.

Sure, that's a nice dream, just like the brewery I'm going to build, and the solar powered coffee roaster I'll be building.

Anyway, this had me wondering what it is about these three things that really attracts me to these activities. I'm self-delusional but not so much that I believe that I ride well enough to justify a lightweight carbon fiber, high-end, mountain bike. And contrary to popular belief, I do not drink enough beer to justify building a brewery that produces a quarter barrel of beer every month.

So, why am I drawn to these? They all have in common are three things:

1. they are "projects" - the act of doing - setting these items up and then working the projects (building the frame or brewing the batch of beer) is what really draws me to them. The physical act of making something.
2. they all very different from how I spend most of my day - they are more hands-on, compared to the research and computer work that I spend my days on
   
3. they are social - none of these projects are projects that I can do 100% by myself. Either though learning from someone else, or just getting help in assembly, I'm going to have to bring in a friend to help.
   

This trend of "DIY" (Do-It-Yourself) is becoming a very big force in our marketplace (similar to your Dad's woodworking "shop" that he had in your childhood garage). Industrial suppliers are finding a new market of small retail customers (a new market for copper tubing, aluminum extrusions, wiring harnesses, solar panels, etc.). Cities and banquet halls are finding new shows in DIY or handmade shows. All of this spells growing trend. And its a trend that I suspect will accelerate as dollars get tighter and the social media allows even greater collaboration of ideas to work around problems that inevitably come up with DIY projects.

And with that, I better get back to tracking down where my next bike's aluminum head tube is going to come from....