Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Wan Gerin

Wan Gerin

While searching for information about Doug Fattic, one of America’s most respected teachers of framebuilding, it quickly became obvious how extensive his influence has been. Doug runs his school from his own property in Niles, Michigan, which has been attended by what appears to be hundreds of aspiring builders. He is well known for his elaborate lug work, the reason he was sought out by a Chicagoan designer named Noah Wangerin.

Noah’s goal was to design and carve his own set of lugs to create a frame with, under Doug’s tuition. The design process was documented on Noah’s website, revealing a certain fascination with the New Jedi Order: look closely at the head tube lugs and you’ll notice aspects of the Alliance Starbird, the crest of the Rebel Alliance. Noah then designed his own logotype, based on the Schwinn logo used during the 80s, and also the head badge, based on his own family crest.

“The geometry keeps me upright and relaxed compared to typical aggressive road bikes,” Noah tells us. “The tight wheel base is nimble for dealing with traffic. Biking around Chicago, three gears is all you need. Combined with a low maintenance internal drum brake, a Sturmey Archer hub is perfect for the city. The lugs were inspired by Hetchins, a detail that was very important for me as a designer — I wanted to apply my own unique aesthetic to the bike, and have a truly custom detail.”

Hopefully we’ll see more of Noah’s work in the future. Head to his website and blog for a greater insight into the process.

Wan Gerin
Wan Gerin
Wan Gerin
Wan Gerin