Hi All,
I wanted to put up some pictures of my first complete frame build. I'm very proud of it and learned an absolute ton during the build process. There are quite a few things that I'm not completely happy with and I'm very eager to take what I've learned and apply it to my current second build. I'm hoping to build it up and be riding it by next week. If it wasn't for the help of many of you from this site, I'm not sure I would have made it to this point. This is just the first of many more to come.

All comments are welcome.

Brandon

It looks good! Nice paint scheme. Have fun over the next week. The feeling of riding your first frame for the first time is really truly awesome.

Now you can talk about yourself in the third person when someone asks about the bike brand Andy

Looks great! Enjoy the ride!

Your enthusiasm is wonderful. Keep it up!

Here are some pics of her all built up. Came it very nice and I'm really amazed at how well it rides. Super comfortable, climbs well, and handles speed very nicely. I'm really happy overall. Weight was 18.2lbs as it sits in the pics below, which I felt is very respectable considering I didn't use any weight weenie kit.

Looks nice. I originally labeled my bikes as Speed King. I built a tandem under that label, after delivery, the owner told me to please change names. I took their comment seriously and changed names. I think that you should upgrade to a classier name.

I appreciate your input, but have to ask why you think it should be changed. What would you considered a classy name? My name actually has meaning and isn't something that I pulled out of thin air, unlike a lot of brand names.

Looks good to me. I think you should change the name to "Speed King"

I think the name is fine.

Thank you!
Haha, that thought had crossed my mind for about a split second. It doesn't suit me.

A few stories; I owned a Trek dealership for over seven years. TREK bicycles was founded by Dick Burke and Bevel Hogg. At the time, TREK's sales volume between the two thousand domestic dealerships and the other two thousand dealers internationally was in in the 5,000 units per day range That,s 5,000 x 250 sales days per year. (their warehouses don't ship on weekends.). I do not believe that TREK's sales volume would be where it is today, If they had branded their bikes as Burke or Hogg. On a side note, Mike Sinyard started SPECIALIZED in the mid seventies, and again Would SPECIALIZED be were they are today if it had been branded SINYARD bikes. Cervelo was started some guys who's names I can't even pronounce. A friend of mine suggested that I should try an Italian name. I came up with 25 names. Every day, I scratched off the one that I liked the least, until only one remained. How about if you go to a local coffee shop, and get some neutral input. Please do not take this personally. I thought that your frame looked very nice, I just thought you might consider a different name.

I saw the list of names that they considered when they were choosing a name for Trek. "Kestrel" was 2nd on the list, so when Bevel moved on, he used it. I never really thought Trek was that great of a name. Good enough, I suppose.

Certainly didn't take anything personal. Just wondering what you considered a classy name. BAHL isn't a name in my family or anyone that I know, but has meaning within my family. Everyone that I've spoken to about my brand (which is a lot) have all had nothing but positive to say about it. Mainly because it isn't some random name.

When you moved on from "Speed King", what did you end up going with?

First, I thought that you did well with the paint scheme. I once built a frame for a guy in Texas who wanted to do his own blue/ orange colors. I tried to tell him to manage the orange. He went crazy, ended up painting the entire forks orange and about 40% of the frame as well. It was so ugly, I could never put it on my website. I just thought that you showed admiral restraint with the orange. As far as classy names; Medici. Ferrari Colnago. Santini, Capri, Sartello, Pinerello, Maserratti, Ferrazzi, Sarazello, Gisello. I owned a Trek dealership in California and I had some of my Ravello frames on the wall when Bill Murray came in and bugged me about the Ravellos, since he had just spent nine months in Ravello shooting a movie and he latched onto the fact that I had not ever been there. Side note; Thank you for being so polite with me. I do not recommend posting on the randoneering or training forums. I raced all three years as a junior and four years as a 1/2 pro and have help coach some teams,but the people on those forums are the biggest clueless trolls that I have had the misfortune of encountering. (nasty) Some of those names I fabricated. If you want more I would be willing to help. This is my opinion. Just think if you walked into a bike shop and saw a BAHL V.S.a SARTELLO (for instance) which seems more appealing? Maybe you just feel comfortable wtith BAHL? Maybe you hate Italian names? Anyways - good luck.

Seems to me the discussion about the name is moot unless Brandon is planning to take his brand national. Most guys making their first frame are just looking to build for themself and maybe family and friends. Personally, I like it when someone uses a name that has personal meaning. Makes the connection stronger vs. some glitzy name. At any rate, this frame looks like a fine first effort! Ride safe!

Bahlnago?

Plenty of low volume production frames are just named after the builder with no desire to turn into a 5000 units per day item.

Maybe you could collaborate with Richard Sachs and have a limited edition BahlSachs.

LOL! That sounds like a great idea maybe I'll reach out to him.

Thanks. I feel the same about the connection. Who knows, maybe I'll become the next big thing and go national. Still not sure I'd change my name though. It's a simple, catchy, and easy to remember.

I don't see anything wrong with it even if your plan is becoming the world's largest bike manufacturer. Trek becoming a giant was pretty unlikely. The Burkes had money, but they sold household appliances before Bevil got them to give him the money to start Trek.

Be careful what you reach for.