Profiles

The framebuilding world has just experienced a seismic shift. Simon Firth, steel and ti artisan, BBC loyalist and owner of Philadelphia's most annoying cat, is striking out on his own.

  

(Off he goes!)

Simon has built bikes at Bilenky Cycle Works for the past fourteen years, and I was privileged to work with him for some of the last one. I wanted to do a proper interview but he kept getting distracted and wandering away, thus forfeiting his right to object to anything I say about him. 

Born in Hanford England, little Simon, (known as "Fidgety Firth") hung around the nearby Mercian factory, getting inspired. 

(...And he hasn't changed a bit.) 

Before settling down as a framebuilder, Simon was a London bike messenger, a motorcycle nut, and a skateboarder. 

(Check out all that protective gear!) 

He travelled to the hopelessly inferior Colonies, cycled across them east to west, and somehow fetched up in Philadelphia. There he learned metal skills from Stephen Bilenky and Andy Dyson, a fellow Brit who went on to run Neighborhood Bike Works. Simon's excellent craftsmanship and enormous character made him a fixture in the framebuilding world. 

(Restored Carlton-- Simon made exact replicas of the damaged lugs)

(Beer tastes better with a hint of framesaver.)

Aside from building awesome bikes and drinking beer, Simon had ridden thousands and thousands of miles, participating in the Paris-Brest-Paris and many other randonneuring events.  Not to mention organizing the annual Junkyard Cyclocross, which cost him one of his big toes this year. (A beam fell on it. But it's largely healed-- I can look at the stump without screaming and scramming). He's also seen the Smiths live, which makes me more jealous than even those sweet Carlton lugs. 

His absence from the Bilenky shop will be sorely felt-- no more BBC Radio 4 relentlessly chirping away, no more cheerful commentary on everything from Prince William ("He's marrying a commoner! Common as dirt!") to world news ("Waaaaahhhh!") to the Tour de France ("Come on Cavendish! You can do it, son!"). 

So where is Simon going? He is starting his own brand of bikes, Hanford Cycles. He will be working with Drew Guldalian at Engin Cycles out in civilization Chestnut Hill. It's an exciting development for his framebuilding career, and I can't wait to see the first Hanford bikes that roll out. 

But damnit, he will be missed!

Important Correction: Simon was known as "Fiddling Firth", not "Fidgety Firth". Please make a note of it.