Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Ped Baker Fast Commuter

Ped Baker Fast Commuter

It really is exciting to see the interest and passion that is ignited by the love of the custom bicycle. Every day seems to reveal more enthusiastic cyclists, innovative entrepreneurs and creative frame builders contributing to this new era of cycling awareness. Fair enough, too, cycling is one of the most rewarding pastimes known to man. To ride a bike you’ve created yourself must be an exhilarating experience: Ped Baker certainly thinks so.

Currently residing in Stamford, UK, Ped attended Dave Bohm’s frame building school in Tucson, Arizona and brought back the bare bones of a ‘fast commuter’, designed for his 30km daily ride. Ped used Columbus steel to form the main frame and Kaisei blades for the forks. Richard Sachs supplied the bronze brazed dropouts and the silver brazed lugs. The bosses, chain stay bridge and rear brake cable hanger were attached when he returned home, and a matching stem was also assembled. Ped had the frame electroless nickel plated by Nitec in Chesterfield, producing an almost mystical, sword-like sheen to the metal, while the stem was left raw, the contrasting finishes being a head-nod to the work of legendary Japanese motorcycle builder, Shinya Kimura.

This is Ped’s second frame, the first being a Reynolds single speed mountain bike under the tutelage of Dave Yates at his frame building course in the UK. Hats off to Ped for learning how to wield the torch and building the beloved vehicles we ride, here’s to seeing more of his work in the future.

PS: I’m heading off to the UK for a break so the daily posts may be sporadic, but not non-existent. In fact, there’ll be special guest posts and interviews with some significant notaries from the custom bicycle world, so stay tuned. See you on the fourth of July.

Ped Baker Fast Commuter
Ped Baker Fast Commuter
Ped Baker Fast Commuter
Ped Baker Fast Commuter
Ped Baker Fast Commuter
Ped Baker Fast Commuter