PORTFOLIO | Shaw

I'll try to record my best work here... There's invariably a lot of newer content that I need to update, so if you're curious to hear more about anything, just ask!

Bikes

Miscellaneous Projects

Bikes

Calorically speaking, a human on a bicycle is the most efficient way to get around. If that doesn't do it for you, it's also a pile of fun, good medicine for your mind and body, and practically free. William Saroyan said it best in his intro to The Noiseless Tenor: "The bicycle is the noblest invention of [humankind]."

When I started building bike frames in college, I discovered a whole new way to have fun with bikes. A custom bike frame is simultaneously a functional machine and a piece of art.

2022 | Touring Tall Bike

I built this frame during my final quarter at Poly for ME 441, Singletrack Vehicle Design.

Check it out here .

2021 | Pixie Bike

Cal Poly Bike Builders hosts an annual Pixie Bike Derby, so we have a fleet of 12" gravel blasters. One shuttle of shooters was all it took to decide to build the ultimate pixie bike...

A few photos here .

2021 | Zeeland's Dirt Jumper

My friend Zeeland is an exceptional young individual, and it was a blast building this frame with him.

Photos of the build process here .

2020 | Hardtail MK3

This is the third revision of my ideal bikepacking hardtail. I built it in the shed at BKE when California first locked down. It has a bolt-in framebag, and I finally built a rear rack for it (see photos here).

2019 | Belt Drive Commuter

I commute about 50 miles/week, and riding my bike to campus is often the best part of my day. This bike is my trusty steed for everyday adventures - on or off the pavement. It has some fun features, including a Gates belt drive and dynamo-powered lights.

Check it out here.

2018 | Bikepacking Hardtail (MK1 and MK2)

This is the first bike that I built. I made two frames - after riding the first one for a few weeks, I built a second frame with a larger front triangle and (somewhat) better welds. I was a novice TIG welder at the time, but I took it on a two week self-supported trip of the Colorado Trail in the fall of 2018, and it was my go-to bike for a couple of years with no issues.

Click here for some more photos.

Cal Poly Bike Builders

Cal Poly Bike Builders is our student-run Mechanical Engineering club at Cal Poly SLO. Any student with an idea for a bicycle can design and ultimately fabricate it with our guidance (and our sweet Anvil frame jigs). For a few years, we built frames and components as a club to exhibit at the North American Handmade Bike Show (NAHBS). Club projects are a great way for us to pass on our knowledge to newer members while tackling some more involved projects.

I have been an officer of the club since my second year at Poly, and I was president for a couple of years. Here are a few of my favorite club projects.

Machining

I love taking a piece of mystery steel from the scrap bin and turning it into something useful. Whether it's with a CNC mill, a TIG welder, or a humble angle grinder, I always learn something new and enjoy the process. As a student at Cal Poly, I spent countless hours in the campus machine shops learning how to master some of these processes. There's always more to learn.

Specialized Bikes | R&D Machine Shop Intern

I took a quarter off from Cal Poly to spend 6 months immersing myself in a new learning environment. While I was working at Specialized, I machined prototype parts and molds, designed a few fixtures, and spent time in the composites lab laying up carbon fiber parts.

Here are a few of my favorite projects.

Misc. Machining Projects

Check out some of my favorite small projects here.

Motorcycles

There's just something about early '70s motorcycles...

1970 Yamaha R5

under construction

1973 Honda CB350

under construction

Woodworking

My grandfather was a cabinetmaker for over 30 years as Ute City Cabinet Company, and my dad owns Sundog Creative Carpentry. Growing up, I spent a lot of time in the family woodshop. As I got older, my grandpa and my dad taught me how to use more and more tools, from hand plane to table saw.