Ep: 42 - Thomas Porter - Porter Cycles | Building Custom Handmade Bicycles in Brooklyn, NY

"Life by Bike"Thomas Porter taught himself basic bicycle mechanics by scavenging bikes out of the metal pile at the local transfer station, taking them apart and reassembling them (sometimes with new paint or as singlespeeds) for himself and his friends. Coupling that passion with his metalworking experience gathered at art school and working as a metal fabricator, he officially opened doors on a bike framebuilding practice when he started Porter Cycles in 2010. We were fortunate to see his handy work firsthand at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, and the mountain bike/urban utility vehicle at his booth immediately jumped out as one of our personal favorite bikes of the show. It is not often you see a frame based on a 26-inch wheel platform built up with a generator hub and light, fenders and an incredible plated front and rear rack system. Tom's artistry shined through in details like the removable and interchangeable low-rider pannier assemblies that could be switched from the front rack to the rear rack. Just an all-around solid bike crying for adventure, in an eye catching blue pearl paint and adorned with the signature Porter Cycles head badge.He has built fixies, mountain bikes, cargo bikes and as we caught up with him, the was putting the finishing touches on a very special mixte for his mother. All bikes produced to the highest standards, designed and built to each rider's individual needs.  Do yourself a favor and take a look at the signature curved seat tubes, the talon stems and the logo stamped brass dust caps that he's made. We had a great time talking with Tom about his process, and we're super excited to see him start ramping up bike production and get more badass Porter Cycles out in the wild.IG: @portercycles