Lyrebird Cycles

[Mark Kelly]

It reset itself the other day, I haven't bothered fixing it as it makes no difference to me.

[Mark Kelly]

Lyrebird Cycles is now officially closed. I have a couple of frames to finish by the end of this year and that's it.

[Ras72]

Well damn, that is not what I came here to learn. And learn, I did.
I'll raise a glass to cheers all you've given to the world of cycling and beyond. I've admired work from afar and will forever regret not jumping on board when I had a chance.
Best of luck to you and your future endeavors.

[RichTheRoadie]

As someone who has many hours on more than one of your machines, @Mark Kelly - for which I thank you wholeheartedly for allowing me to experience - I am saddened by this news as I really wish more people could get the chance to decide to choose one of your creations.

I only hope that this decision has come about through to other opportunities and, whilst I'm sure it was a hard decision to come to, that those other opportunities may be worth the decision.

Regardless, good luck in whatever the future holds, Mark.

[Mark Kelly]

No, it's very simple: I'm broke and can't afford to continue. I've been doing this for ten years and the net result is I'm about $100k in the red and that's not counting the opportunity cost of not working full time for that period.

I thought I had six people in the queue mid year but that's all evaporated for various reasons. Those orders would have kept me at the bench for the next year and maybe the global shitshow will lift by then.

My problem is that the bikes are now literally unbelievably good: no-one believes they are worth what I have to charge until they ride one, which of course they can't do.

[RichTheRoadie]

Really sorry to hear that, Mark.

You are more than welcome to invoke the terms of my peppercorn rental so that you have a built one ready to sell - even if just to recoup something from it.

[Colinmclelland]

I too am saddened. I’ll wait to see, but I suspect you’ve now achieved peak awesome in your frames. My family has some nice bikes, but the Lyrebirds are the only ones I expect to rate a mention in my will. Arse, sorry it hasn’t worked as a business.

[Mark Kelly]

Thanks Colin

I was talking to my elder brother today and his opinion was that the whole thing was one internet influencer away from working. .

I had hoped that an upcoming review from Dave Rome might be that tipping point but after the news from CT yesterday that ain't happening.

I'm going to pack things in for now but not sell anything vital. I have a couple of crazy ideas (who knew?) in other fields to pursue so we'll see how things work out.

[RichTheRoadie]

I was talking to my elder brother today and his opinion was that the whole thing was one internet influencer away from working. .

I had hoped that an upcoming review from Dave Rome might be that tipping point but after the news from CT yesterday that ain't happening.

I completely agree. Keep in touch with Dave - it sounds like he and Caley Fritz have plans...

[Mark Kelly]

Thanks Rich.

I hope you are right, it struck me this evening that the reaction since the Outside announcement at CT is best described as grief. We only feel grief if there is a real emotional connection.

[Ras72]

Mark,
As much as it pains me to think you're stepping away from frame building, it comforts me (a little) to know this is simply a business decision. I hope to see you resurface and continue with all your awesomeness.
Head up. Work hard. Take care!

[darkmother]

Be sure to keep us informed of any new projects. Your bikes are really interesting.

[Mark Kelly]

Be sure to keep us informed of any new projects. Your bikes are really interesting.

AutoCAD PDF.jpg

I created this as a display table for my chain cleaner and lubes, it's called "Acetone" ; (remember your organic chemistry ?). The idea came out of the research I did for the tension bike.

The top is myrtle beech, the bonds are titanium tube, the atoms and the tension lines are carbon fibre. The oxygen will be painted red and the hydrogens finished in "white carbon": these correspond to the standard colours for organic modelling.

Since the carbon lines are so thin the top appears to float in space. Even when you notice the tension lines it seems impossible.

When the full scale (900 mm high) table is finished I'll post a pic: it will weigh less than 5 kg but be able to hold my weight.

I have a few other designs that use a similar theme.

[mmcengineer]

Shame really one of the less bullshit guys here i suppose

[claritycycler]

Shame really one of the less bullshit guys here i suppose

VS has "less bullshit guys" (imo hardly any) than any forum on the net, not sure wtf you're talking about.

[mmcengineer]

not sure wtf you're talking about.

lol

[Mark Kelly]

So I came up with a slightly crazy idea and ran with it. That surprises all of you I'm sure.

Beechworth is made of granite, the local gravel ride is called the "Beechworth Granite Classic"

Granite_Comp

These are some blocks in the wall of the Old Beechworth Gaol where my workshop is located.

This is the fork off the bike I showed a HBSA last year:


Base

I've never found a away to visually integrate a carbon fork into one of my frames so I've just let them stand out. It occurred to me that I could try trompe l'oeil so I did just that. Three layers of little dots, finishing with white flecked with red and orange:

Layer_1

Layer_2

Mix_3

Layer_3

Sorry the last pic is a bit shit, I'll take a new one when I do the clear coat.

[Mark Kelly]

Official launch today. Wish me luck.

[darkmother]

So...can you tell us a bit about what is coming out of that keg?

[Mark Kelly]

Petillant Meunier

I tried to get an action shot but it came out really badly.

The wine is a pinot meunier made in pet nat style*. The base wine is saignee from the meunier for dry red at one of the wineries at which I help out. I held off bleeding until I got the flavours I was looking for so it’s unfashionably dark for a rose, though you could think of it as a very light fizzy red. The choice of meunier was very deliberate: I’m a big fan of meunier and especially like it for sparkling.

Being keg conditioned means SO2 addition, cold stabilisation, heat stabilisation, fining and filtration are all infeasible so it ticks all the “minimal intervention” boxes.

The keg itself is important for what I’m doing. It means I can control the pour quality, the bete noir of pet nats (see note below) and it is also much more sustainable than wine in bottles.

According to the AWRI, about half of the GHG impact of premium wine is the fact that it goes into glass bottles. According to figures from the German brewing industry, using refillable stainless containers obviates more than 90% of this, so I am putting all my wines into refillable stainless. Of course that means an uphill battle trying to get people to change the way they do things but I am hopeful that I can get a few wine bars in Melbourne interested and then go from there.

Since I’m doing wine in an unconventional manner, one of my brothers came up with “unconvino” as a brand name via an AI chatbot, so I’ve adopted it.

The keg size is a consequence of a bizarre bit of Australian tax law which penalises containers of more than 5 litres. Australia is the highest taxing wine producing country on the planet: the contents of that keg attract $AUD 17 in WET (wine equalisation tax) plus another $7.60 in GST (goods and services tax). In the US it would attract $USD 1.10, about $AUD 1.50, in excise, plus sales tax at state level. Using the <5 litre containers means I can apply for a rebate on the tax paid because I am a small producer. I need the rebate to offset the sky high setup costs (those kegs cost much much more than glass bottles would have).


* Pet nat is petillant naturel, a terribly trendy method of making a sparkling wine by finishing the primary fermentation in bottle, in contrast to standard sparkling wine where a secondary fermentation is used after the base wine is cleaned up post primary.

Pet nat method means there’s a lot of yeast remaining in the bottle which gradually falls to the bottom. When the bottle is opened the trapped CO2 in the yeast comes out of solution and the yeast rises back into the wine. It is common for the glasses poured from a pet nat to vary from almost clear to very cloudy and it’s also common from it to go flat quickly because there are so many nucleation points.

Another problem is that if you don’t pay attention to yeast nutrition it goes into nitrogen starvation and the yeast can then contribute sulfides which can smell like burnt rubber or stale garlic. Some of the “natural wine” clowns** try to pretend that this is a desirable trait but it really just shows they don’t understand the process.

I finish the primary ferment in keg and then blow out some of the yeast (because the keg draws from the bottom) so I get a consistent pour. This is analogous to how a keg conditioned beer is made, I used to work as brewer so I am very familiar with it. There’s also a trick regarding pressure compensation in the keg itself but that entails a lesson in fluid dynamics so we won’t go there.

** There is no such thing as natural wine.