Biking started as a way for me to get places, but it eventually became one my favorite hobbies. Starting off in middle school, I would bike to school everyday with my friends; biking was a mode of transportation that gave me independence and freedom. After I started college, biking grew to become a bigger part of who I am.

When I moved to Seattle to attend University of Washington, I needed a bike as I was living off campus. I bought a simple fixed gear off of Craigslist and restored it, adding:

• New bullhorn handle bars with leather wrap

• Matching leather accents on bike seat

With this bike, I explored Seattle and slowly made it my home. Photo of my first bike below!

Soon, I became a biking courier for Caviar. In my spare time, I would bike around with this clunky orange insulated backpack (pictured below) to deliver food to Seattleites. By doing this, I biked through almost all the neighborhoods of the Greater Seattle area. It was a sweet side gig, allowing me to bike 20-30 miles a week, exploring parts of the city I had never been before while listening to some good tunes.

I loved my current bike, but as I clocked those miles, I couldn’t help but think how fun it would be to craft my own bike, pick all my own elements, and create a machine that is tailored to me. Unfortunately, my bike at the time was stolen, giving me the perfect opportunity to go ahead and build my second bike. I started off by doing an intense research process, learning about fixed gear ratios and flip flop hubs. I kept note of all essentials:

To begin the bike build, I bought a bright pink fixed gear frame from State Bicycle Co. I later decided to coat it with a warm golden yellow paint, making it stand out in the typically monochromatic scene of Seattle. This color was inspired by my favorite Crayola marker color, golden yellow.

I have always admired the look of vintage bikes. To compliment the medium wash leather and yellow, I chose gumwall tires.

After acquiring all the parts, I brought everything to the UW on-campus bike shop, where I spent about 4-5 hours assembling.

After finishing my bike, I was the happiest girl in the world! I spent a lot of sunny days in Seattle biking to places I’ve never been before. I felt empowered and proud of myself for completing this project with my bare hands.

Here are a few snapshots of my adventures!