SHAW HAWKEYE HUGHES
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
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.
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...
2021 | Zeeland's Dirt Jumper
My friend Zeeland is an exceptional young individual, and it was a blast building this frame with him.
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.
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.
Motorcycles
There's just something about early '70s motorcycles...
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.
The Yam
Why I am building it, what inspired it.. Divided into portions:
Miscellaneous
High School | Solar Rollers Remote Control Cars
under construction
High School | First Tech Challenge Robotics
under construction