Don Walker Cycles

[John M]

Hi DW,

Thanks for taking the time to post your replies. Tell us how you chose the design for you head tube decal/badge. The plaid and swords is very cool.

[dcpdpayne]

Hey Don,

With You, Tim O and Craig in Naptown, is Indy the new Portland with less rain, more snow and hotter summers? Kidding a bit, but how does location help or hurt your marketing or building of bikes. With the midwest always seeming a little less hip than the right or left coast what advantages and disadvantages are there to being in Indy (midwest). Also, how many Indy driver are in your que to score new rides from DW's fabrication cave?

Cheers,
Andy

[Don Walker]

Hi DW,

Thanks for taking the time to post your replies. Tell us how you chose the design for you head tube decal/badge. The plaid and swords is very cool.

Hi John,

Thanks for your question.

I'm glad you like the look of them, thanks!

The concept of the tartan and shield came from a discussion with Gary Prange of Screen Specialties. We were designing my decals and we already knew what my font was, so all we had to do was create a headbadge. This was the very first time my brand had been changed since 1991, so I wanted something that showed what the bikes are all about.

The shield idea was taken from my Scottish ancestry. I wanted two claymores crossing and they would signify (at least in my vision) that the bikes were ready for battle. The Tartan is a tartan I wear, Black Stewart, and that signifies family, because once you own one of my bikes, you become part of the family. The castle peaks signify strength and the ability to be around for the ages. So, thats how it came to be... I am in the midst of a slight redesign of the same logo, and hopefully it won't disappoint.

Thanks again.

DW

[Don Walker]

Hey Don,

With You, Tim O and Craig in Naptown, is Indy the new Portland with less rain, more snow and hotter summers? Kidding a bit, but how does location help or hurt your marketing or building of bikes. With the midwest always seeming a little less hip than the right or left coast what advantages and disadvantages are there to being in Indy (midwest). Also, how many Indy driver are in your que to score new rides from DW's fabrication cave?

Cheers,
Andy

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your questions.

I doubt Indy could be the new Portland, because our numbers are too small. However, if Keith Anderson and Jordan Hufnagel moved back here, it might be a good start... (they were former Indy residents).

My own location is semi important. Since I like to make track bikes, I got lucky because Major Taylor Velodrome is just a short 5 miles from me. Thats helpful in a sense. However, I am the new kid in town and not everyone knows I am here. I am starting to advertise just to make sure I leave no stone unturned... The good thing is that I have been getting some referral business on frame repairs. I don't know that I can impact the entire midwest, but it would be nice if I could. The advantages I see is that within a 4 hour radius, there are probably hundreds of thousands of cyclists ( ok, well at least tens of thousands anyhow) 4 velodromes and most of these cities economies are still fairly strong. Disadvantages? Winter is pretty severe, compared to the previous locations I have lived in. Most cyclists in this area get about 6-7 good riding months a year and the rest of the time, its rollers or the trainer...

I am still working on the IRL drivers. Its a tough nut to crack. Most of them are sold on the C/F frames, but the good news is I have a couple inside contacts and the drivers are starting to pay attention to who I am. I hope to have 2 or 3 on them by the end of the year.

Thanks again!

DW

[Too Tall]

Don, my friend and collaborator for chuckles on the net it is great you are sharing your words and thoughts. Folks who make things with their bare hands will always have a special place on this earth becuase you are able to connect with others thru your work. Ability to connect with others is one of the most basic defining human elements. Yer "out there" and it is noticed and appreciated.

OK OK I do have a question!!! Because I identify strongly with your track bikes pls. indulge me with some of your uniuque insights.

Tell me what things are unique about a track racing tandem you must consider when building. Also, can you explain how you deal with the physical forces on the fr. and back of a track tandem coming out of turn 4??? Honestly that's just freaky stuff to see 300+ lbs of man and beast under full steam and both ends of the bike want to travel over the wall!!! I've heard that with (weight) mismatched teams the heavier rider should be in the rear...true?

[Don Walker]

Don, my friend and collaborator for chuckles on the net it is great you are sharing your words and thoughts. Folks who make things with their bare hands will always have a special place on this earth becuase you are able to connect with others thru your work. Ability to connect with others is one of the most basic defining human elements. Yer "out there" and it is noticed and appreciated.

OK OK I do have a question!!! Because I identify strongly with your track bikes pls. indulge me with some of your uniuque insights.

Tell me what things are unique about a track racing tandem you must consider when building. Also, can you explain how you deal with the physical forces on the fr. and back of a track tandem coming out of turn 4??? Honestly that's just freaky stuff to see 300+ lbs of man and beast under full steam and both ends of the bike want to travel over the wall!!! I've heard that with (weight) mismatched teams the heavier rider should be in the rear...true?

Hola Mr. Simonds!

Thanks for the props and question. Its a great question, too!

First, let me give just a bit of insight into a track tandem vs. a normal track bike. A track tandem has a much longer wheelbase and double the riders weight on it so its more prone to twisting and flexing than a regular track bike, so it much be built to counter the extreme forces.

Under the usual circumstances, the majority of weight or heavier rider should be on the back of the tandem as the tandem is in the turns, it keeps the "forces" from really "burying" the front wheel into the turns, thus making the tandem handle much better at high speeds.

So, yes, when you have weight mismatches, go with the heavier rider as the stoker.

Thanks again!

DW

[e-RICHIE]

hey nahbs boy -

i'm a shameless schill for the handmade show and have been since houston 1.0 atmo.
were it not for the BFE, the year or so of batting it around, and the subsequent tries at
texas and san jose, many if not most of the framebuillders now taking money for their
work would not have work, and maybe not even have futures. the show was the breath
of air needed to resuscitate and galvanize the niche. heck - it could be said that before
1.0 there was no niche. many 20 and 30 somethings owe a debt of gratitude to the moxy
you showed by not caving in to the early detractors. the career guys also owe you too.

now, as we approach 7.0, there's an entire segment of the framebuilding community that
was not even at an anvil fixture when we went to houston. your contribution to this group
should be acknowledged and many families should know your name as the man who, more
than anyone, has enabled them to see a paycheck. sure - they all have to have clients and
deliver goods, but it was you who set the table.

smaller shows, and copycat shows now abound. if nothing else, feel flattered atmo. for anyone
who is in the business or wants to be in the business, nahbs remains ground zero for the guys
who go into work every day and fill orders for custom frames atmo. so, thanks from all of them
and all of us.

i'll leave with one favorite quote of mine from one of my favorite characters. and it's from one of
my favorite movies. the tone of it speaks to me, and it reminds me that you should remembered for
having great vision atmo.

There was this kid I grew up with; he was younger than me. Sorta looked up to me, you know. We did our first work together, worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it. During Prohibition, we ran molasses into Canada... made a fortune, your father, too. As much as anyone, I loved him and trusted him. Later on he had an idea to build a city out of a desert stop-over for GI's on the way to the West Coast. That kid's name was Moe Greene, and the city he invented was Las Vegas. This was a great man, a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque, or a signpost or a statue of him in that town! Someone put a bullet through his eye. No one knows who gave the order. When I heard it, I wasn't angry; I knew Moe, I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead, I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen; I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business!

xxoo -
e-RICHIE

[zank]

hey nahbs boy -

many 20 and 30 somethings owe a debt of gratitude to the moxy
you showed by not caving in to the early detractors. the career guys also owe you too.

xxoo -
e-RICHIE

Hey, I'm in that group. I'll be the first in line to say thank you, Don.

[Don Walker]

hey nahbs boy -

i'm a shameless schill for the handmade show and have been since houston 1.0 atmo.
were it not for the BFE, the year or so of batting it around, and the subsequent tries at
texas and san jose, many if not most of the framebuillders now taking money for their
work would not have work, and maybe not even have futures. the show was the breath
of air needed to resuscitate and galvanize the niche. heck - it could be said that before
1.0 there was no niche. many 20 and 30 somethings owe a debt of gratitude to the moxy
you showed by not caving in to the early detractors. the career guys also owe you too.

now, as we approach 7.0, there's an entire segment of the framebuilding community that
was not even at an anvil fixture when we went to houston. your contribution to this group
should be acknowledged and many families should know your name as the man who, more
than anyone, has enabled them to see a paycheck. sure - they all have to have clients and
deliver goods, but it was you who set the table.

smaller shows, and copycat shows now abound. if nothing else, feel flattered atmo. for anyone
who is in the business or wants to be in the business, nahbs remains ground zero for the guys
who go into work every day and fill orders for custom frames atmo. so, thanks from all of them
and all of us.

i'll leave with one favorite quote of mine from one of my favorite characters. and it's from one of
my favorite movies. the tone of it speaks to me, and it reminds me that you should remembered for
having great vision atmo.

There was this kid I grew up with; he was younger than me. Sorta looked up to me, you know. We did our first work together, worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it. During Prohibition, we ran molasses into Canada... made a fortune, your father, too. As much as anyone, I loved him and trusted him. Later on he had an idea to build a city out of a desert stop-over for GI's on the way to the West Coast. That kid's name was Moe Greene, and the city he invented was Las Vegas. This was a great man, a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque, or a signpost or a statue of him in that town! Someone put a bullet through his eye. No one knows who gave the order. When I heard it, I wasn't angry; I knew Moe, I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead, I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen; I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business!

xxoo -
e-RICHIE

Wow, I'm speechless. I'm not even sure what to say other than THANK YOU! I really appreciate you, what you have done for the show and all the pep talks you have given me through the years.

I am truly proud to call you my friend.

DW

[Don Walker]

Hey, I'm in that group. I'll be the first in line to say thank you, Don.

Thanks Mike.

I really appreciate your support of NAHBS. See you in Austin!

DW

[zank]

Thanks Mike.

I really appreciate your support of NAHBS. See you in Austin!

DW

Can't wait! Best party of the year.

[EnginCycles]

hey nahbs boy -

i'm a shameless schill for the handmade show and have been since houston 1.0 atmo.
were it not for the BFE, the year or so of batting it around, and the subsequent tries at
texas and san jose, many if not most of the framebuillders now taking money for their
work would not have work, and maybe not even have futures. the show was the breath
of air needed to resuscitate and galvanize the niche. heck - it could be said that before
1.0 there was no niche. many 20 and 30 somethings owe a debt of gratitude to the moxy
you showed by not caving in to the early detractors. the career guys also owe you too.

now, as we approach 7.0, there's an entire segment of the framebuilding community that
was not even at an anvil fixture when we went to houston. your contribution to this group
should be acknowledged and many families should know your name as the man who, more
than anyone, has enabled them to see a paycheck. sure - they all have to have clients and
deliver goods, but it was you who set the table.

smaller shows, and copycat shows now abound. if nothing else, feel flattered atmo. for anyone
who is in the business or wants to be in the business, nahbs remains ground zero for the guys
who go into work every day and fill orders for custom frames atmo. so, thanks from all of them
and all of us.

xxoo -
e-RICHIE

Out of lurking for this one. I am going on NAHBS #5 and have been on Don's side through most of his shit storms and mostly defend him. To some since they do not understand me and the situation it appears I give Don a hard time with some topics but it is only because I am trying to get my point across. What NAHBS has done for the craft and the bicycle industry is amazing and few others will ever repeat it. No matter how many more exist the mark was made and it is forever in stone as the show of shows. NAHBS is a vehicle to get good publicity. The publicity is up to you and how you manage it. If you have good product and a good way of selling it then the show is a bonus. If you suck at being in business no matter how good the product the show is not your saving grace. It is not for everyone (NAHBS) but for me it has been a great investment and I applaud Don for putting up with me and some of the others in his little group of "let me ask you a question" people. Kudos.

Cheers,
Drew

[Don Walker]

Out of lurking for this one. I am going on NAHBS #5 and have been on Don's side through most of his shit storms and mostly defend him. To some since they do not understand me and the situation it appears I give Don a hard time with some topics but it is only because I am trying to get my point across. What NAHBS has done for the craft and the bicycle industry is amazing and few others will ever repeat it. No matter how many more exist the mark was made and it is forever in stone as the show of shows. NAHBS is a vehicle to get good publicity. The publicity is up to you and how you manage it. If you have good product and a good way of selling it then the show is a bonus. If you suck at being in business no matter how good the product the show is not your saving grace. It is not for everyone (NAHBS) but for me it has been a great investment and I applaud Don for putting up with me and some of the others in his little group of "let me ask you a question" people. Kudos.

Cheers,
Drew

Thanks Drew!

Glad you provide me with advice when I ask, much appreciated! Also thankful to have your support!

See you in Austin!

DW

[ron l edmiston]

what makes NAHBS so special to ronnie, a customer & rider:

the special pals/buds and friends "meeted & greeted .."
and .....after lookin at all the "triple dog dare" neat creations --- i return home very satisfied with "my ride..."
see ya in austin..

always a hoosier,

ronnie

[Don Walker]

what makes NAHBS so special to ronnie, a customer & rider:

the special pals/buds and friends "meeted & greeted .."
and .....after lookin at all the "triple dog dare" neat creations --- i return home very satisfied with "my ride..."
see ya in austin..

always a hoosier,

ronnie

Hi Ronnie,

I'm really glad you have such a good time at NAHBS. When I go through the almost year long planning, I try to consider what folks might be doing after hours. I sincerely try to make sure there is a decent waterin' hole or two for
folks like yourself to be able to chat with old friends and make new friends as well.

So glad its workin for you when you do attend. Looking forward to seeing you in Austin!

DW

[YiPsan]

Don,

Thanks for NAHBS as the others have said. Now back to your bikes.

Having such a strong niche in track bikes, does it pose any hurdle in attracting other cyclist?

Thanks,
Renold

[Don Walker]

Don,

Thanks for NAHBS as the others have said. Now back to your bikes.

Having such a strong niche in track bikes, does it pose any hurdle in attracting other cyclist?

Thanks,
Renold

Hi Renold,

No, it doesn't really keep me from getting orders for other bikes. I think it shows that I know how to build high performance bikes.
Some of my road bikes have won state and national championships as well, but I am more proud of the track races won because that's really where my passion lies.

Thanks for the reply! See you in Austin!

DW

[zetroc]

Hi Don, thanks for posting. I have another NAHBS question if you don't mind.

How did the 'new framebuilder' section of the show come about and what kind of feedback have you gotten about it? Do you see any trends among the new builders that don't necessarily manifest among those who are more experienced?

steve

[Don Walker]

Hi Don, thanks for posting. I have another NAHBS question if you don't mind.

How did the 'new framebuilder' section of the show come about and what kind of feedback have you gotten about it? Do you see any trends among the new builders that don't necessarily manifest among those who are more experienced?

steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your questions.

When NAHBS was in its infancy, we were including builders of all skill levels, including guys on frame numbers 3 and 4. I became uneasy when some of these builders were selling bikes at NAHBS without having PLI. With many discussions with some folks in the "inner circle", we had come up with the minimum criteria to exhibit.
That criteria is; 1. A product liability policy, 2. in "the biz" of framebuilding for at least 2 years and 3. a minimum of 50 frames built. This left a lot of the newbies out of the equation, and I recognized that. Since newbies wanted to partake in NAHBS as much as the pro's, but most didnt want to have the financial outlay as a pro would, we came up with the idea of the NBT's ( new Builder Table) as a way to still include the newbies and keep their investment at a minimum.

As for trends, I would have to say I don't notice any. Sorry.

Thanks again.

DW

[anthonymaietta]

Don,

You have a few trykes posted in your website galleries; more than anyone else on here for sure. Can you talk a little bit about how you got into them? Did you have a friend in need, as I do, that got you into making the first? What do you find to the hardest part of building one?

Thanks, yo.

Tony