During my last three months of college, I built a bike. Starting off by learning the intricacies of sizing and refining bike geometry in OnShape, I mastered brazing and tube-notching so that I could turn a box of steel tubes into a bike frame:

Next, I rode my existing $40 craigslist bike all over Boston to pick up discount components to build out my touring bike. The panniers were hand-me-downs from my father who toured throughout Europe when he was my age.

During the days leading up to graduation, it was anyone’s guess whether or not I would finish this bike. After walking across the stage for graduation, I went straight to the bike room and continued throwing components onto my frame. I affixed the last piece about an hour before the school kicked us out of the dorms, so with trepidation, I packed all my possessions into my panniers and rolled off campus. Lacking a test run, the first few miles were terrifying and I expected each bump to break everything. Gradually gaining my trust, my bike valiantly carried me all the way to the other coast without a single major mechanical malfunction. You can relive the adventure here.