Lyrebird Cycles

[Colinmclelland]

Well first of all, good luck.

Secondly, to be crystal clear, you are free to use any and all photos from the build of of my frame, and any photos I’ve taken of the build... you’re welcome to them, and if you want anymore, or just better ones, please ask!

Practically, since your bikes are awesome you need to update your website, your facebook page and god forbid get some stuff on instagram. They are dated...shall we say.

Then there are the handmade bikeshows. Sounds like you are sorted for the Melbourne show, if you are interested in the tiny Sydney one (i forget it’s name) and want a bike let me know!

I think it would be worth trying to get a bike reviewed in one or all of the Aussie bike mags. Again, i’m happy to be lending the bike.

And then Cycling Tips and the Radavist? But I imagine Rich is better connected throughout the industry. I’ve got no connections, but I’m happy to let people try the bike!

Ooh, and start actually invoicing deposits and progress payments - working capital shouldn’t be coming out of your savings - that’s not right.

[Colinmclelland]

Also, this thread is a priceless goldmine of backstory on the bikes. It’s way more interesting and there is way more material there is on your website. No disrespect to the Salon, but I don’t think that’s the way it should be...

[Mark Kelly]

Yeah, remember the bit where I said I'm crap at marketing? I need to get better but I have this thing where I automatically deflect praise and reflexively shrink back from anything that looks like self promotion. My son looks after the website and facebook stuff because I always find something more urgent to do.

But that has to be the past, I need to get on top of this promotion stuff. Accepting suggestions on how to make the website and FB pages more relevant. I'll have to look into Instagram, I thought it was just a pic sharing thing like Flickr.

[Matthew Strongin]

Yeah, remember the bit where I said I'm crap at marketing? I need to get better but I have this thing where I automatically deflect praise and reflexively shrink back from anything that looks like self promotion. My son looks after the website and facebook stuff because I always find something more urgent to do.

But that has to be the past, I need to get on top of this promotion stuff. Accepting suggestions on how to make the website and FB pages more relevant. I'll have to look into Instagram, I thought it was just a pic sharing thing like Flickr.

Good tips above from Colin. I'll double down on the Instagram recommendation. Flickr is like a photo repository and hosting site where people could, theoretically, browse and find your content. But nobody really does. Instagram is becoming a bit of a shitshow of reposted and uncredited content, but it's still the best way to get eyes on what you're doing. It's a social feed that's photo driven (as opposed to something like twitter that's more driven by angry rants) and makes it really easy to find new content due to their strong recommendation algorithms. Make sure to master the #hashtag so people are more likely to stumble upon your content. Use the comments with each photo to tell a little piece of a bigger story. Post often enough that you stay relevant in the feeds but not so often that people tune you out. You have a treasure trove of content here that could serve as the basis for what you post elsewhere.

And I hear you about sucking at self-promotion, but that's pretty much the most important part of what you're trying to do. I have the same challenge in my line of work, it's just not in my DNA, so I learned to treat it like a job skill rather than a personality trait.

Good luck and keep posting here to flesh out ideas, share your work and keep building a body of content that you can use to tell your story.

[Mark Kelly]

I have the same challenge in my line of work, it's just not in my DNA, so I learned to treat it like a job skill rather than a personality trait.

I will take that to heart, great way of thinking about it.

[Colinmclelland]

But that has to be the past, I need to get on top of this promotion stuff. Accepting suggestions on how to make the website and FB pages more relevant. I'll have to look into Instagram, I thought it was just a pic sharing thing like Flickr.

It is, but it’s what the cool kids use. Our local bikeshop only does Instagram now as it’s the only thing that makes a difference. My parents are on facebook, enough said.

Have a look at the Freshy Fresh thread...it’s all instagram.

[Colinmclelland]

This is not awful...

How to Use Instagram: An Introduction to Instagram Marketing

Nor is this...

How to Use Hashtags: How Many, Best Ones, and Where to Use Them

[RichTheRoadie]

Any Instagram searches using these hashtags should yield all of my pics:

#LyrebirdCycles
#Woody
#woodenbike
#gotwood

Just be careful of that last one...

Same sentiments as Colin’s apply with mine obviously too, Mark.

[Colinmclelland]

Here’s the Sydney “show” I couldn’t remember....

The Makers Show 218: A collective of seven Aussie builders | CyclingTips

[RichTheRoadie]

Here’s the Sydney “show” I couldn’t remember....

The Makers Show 218: A collective of seven Aussie builders | CyclingTips

That was a surprisingly good show; and very well attended - but the two guys behind it (and behind Chimera, the launch of which is why the show came to be) are no longer working together, so it may not happen again.

[Mark Kelly]

Thanks for that guys.

If it does go ahead I presume at least some of the people involved will be at the Melbourne show, so I'll take it from there.

[Colinmclelland]

So I was re-oiling the bike today, and as I was doing the really very slender seatstays it occurred to me that I really don't know how you made them?

Do they have a WAY lower wall thickness than the main tubes...or...??

[Mark Kelly]

Trade secret.

Jokes aside, the wood laminae don't lend themselves to wrapping around a mandrel to form a hollow tube until you get to about 25mm internal diameter. The seatstays and chainstays were formed around solid cores made from balsa and Australian cedar (which isn't a cedar, it's basically a lightweight relative of mahogany).

I am playing with a method of treating wood which should allow me to wrap smaller diameter mandrels. Downside is it requires a heated hydroforming press so I'm currently building one.

[Mark Kelly]

Got the keys today for my new pop up workshop space, in the Old Beechworth Gaol.

I commented to the director that this must be the first time a Kelly has been given the keys to that institution.

More to come as I get this sorted.

[Colinmclelland]

That’s a cool spot!

[Colinmclelland]

Hi Mark,

Can you tell us more about the carbon dropouts in FNL?

[Mark Kelly]

More info coming next week when they get used for their intended purpose.

The idea came to me when I read James Huang's description of his Seven on Cycling Tips "Bikes of the Bunch".

I contacted Mark Norstad at Paragon Machine Works and he graciously allowed me to use his design, even refusing an offer of a royalty payment. I am, of course, buying the inserts from PMW.

My wife's bike was badly damaged when it came off the top of the car on the freeway and I decided that rather than repair her existing frame I'd build a new one. The times being what they are I am using everything I can salvage, including QR wheels and post mount brake calipers, but don't want to limit the options for a future upgrade to through axles and flat mount brakes.

As James Huang pointed out, the polydrops future proof the build as much as is possible. I'm also working on a design that uses PMW's "Bolt On Brake Inserts" for another bike, that also looks very promising: again I'm doing the frame parts in carbon and bolting on inserts purchased from PMW.

[Mark Kelly]

Sorry I forgot the VS link thingy is busted.

Cycling Tips: cyclingtips.com/2020/07/bikes-of-the-staff-bunch-james-huangs-seven-evergreen-pro

PMW BOBI: paragonmachineworks.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=bolt+on+brake+inserts

You'll have to do a manual cut and paste, if I add the www to the link the forum software automagically effs it up.

[Colinmclelland]

Thank you. That’s cool. The dropouts I mean. Not the bike coming off the car. That’s specifically not cool.

[Mark Kelly]

New research estimates that Lyrebirds move so much soil around that they have a significant effect on their habitats.



https://theconversation.com/new-rese...-animal-141737