Lichen Bikes

Photos Winger Studios

I love flicking through the galleries of the handmade artistry at the North American Hand-made Bike show (NAHMBS) every year. I’m a sucker for handmade steel frames and builders up the ante every year with remarkable creativity and attention to detail.

This year I came across the Lichen Matchstick, a 6″ travel mountain bike standing out like a lighthouse on a rocky outcrop in a sea of 27.5″+ hardtails and gravel road bikes. I reached out to their founder, Devin Bodony to find out more.


NSMB – Tell me about Lichen bikes?

Devin – Lichen Bikes is Devin Bodony. It started as me and my buddy Roland, but he’s had a lot going on in his life and hasn’t had the time to put towards the Lichen project. We’ve been riding together literally since first grade.

NSMB – Where are you based?

DB – Indianola, Washington. Born and Raised. Indianola is a small town on the Kitsap Penninsula across the water from Seattle.

Lichen WS1

Out of a small workshop in a small town in Washington State, Devin Bodony is looking to carve out a niche in handmade mountain bikes.

NSMB – How did Lichen Bikes come to be?

DB – It sort of happened after a road trip. You know how it goes, lots of miles clicked up on the odometer as the conversation roams from one thing to another to pass the time. Well the dominant conversation through this particular trip with Roland was building the ultimate bike, adjustable head tube angle, travel, BB height, all on the fly.  We came up with some pretty cool ideas; eccentric cam actuated head tube angle adjuster, etc. etc.  All pretty unrealistic stuff. Happenstance has a way of steering you some times and I crashed my bike while we were riding one morning and separated my shoulder.  The bummer was that I was unable to work for a month (or put on a shirt for a week) and I don’t do well with sitting still and doing nothing. So to keep me sane and as there was nothing else that I could do I got stuck into the CAD and worked out the details of that linkage design.  Everything after that was just a bunch of hard work…

Lichen WS6

Devin has strong ideas about how a bike should ride.

NSMB – What background do you have in building bikes and metal fabrication?

DB – My metal working experience is fairly extensive. My parents split when I was very young, and both my dad and step dad had shops. My birth dad had a furniture and instrument wood shop, as well as a basic metal shop. My step dad had a Goldsmith shop. I started learning to weld in fifth grade, and worked in the goldsmith shop in varying capacity from age ten to twenty-two. Seven of those years were full time goldsmithing.

In my mid-twenties I got interested in machine tools and working on sustainable technologies, specifically stirling engines for off grid combined heat and power with wood stoves. The stirling engines didn’t go anywhere as a business, but they did teach me a heck of a lot about machining, and I transitioned my work to be in the shop full time doing machining, fabrication, and custom tool and machine design.

My bike building background is minimal, in that I didn’t apprentice or work in another shop. I’ve visited a lot of shops and chatted with folks. And then there’s the miracle of the internet. It’s amazing what you can learn these days with a discerning mind and a functioning mouse hand.

Lichen WS5

With a strong background in fabrication and goldsmithing, Devin has the required skills.

NSMB – How did you conclude you can do better than the likes of Specialized, Trek etc?

DB – I don’t know if better is really what I’m going for. There are a ton of amazing bikes on the market, and there’s no denying that the big companies have put an immense amount of work in to get mountain bike technology to where it is now. I see what I’m doing as existing alongside what the big companies are doing, and I don’t kid myself into thinking that I’m going to be pulling much of their business away, economies of scale are a real thing in this day and age.

I think what I have to offer to a potential buyer is twofold. On a very practical point, I can offer custom geometry that a big company simply can’t do, because of that economy of scale thing. I’ve had numerous conversations with guys saying they’d really like a bike with this reach, and that head angle, and this chainstay length. But the bike simply doesn’t exist. I think I can offer something special to those folks who have a very clear idea of what they want for the numbers of their geometry.

The second point is a little less practical. I guess you’d call it a matter of style. Mountain biking is very young, and doesn’t have the history that you find in Road riding, or cars, or motorcycles. There are tons of people in all of those other disciplines that go out of their way to purchase something just because of the way it was made, not necessarily just for the end product. I think a lot of mountain bikers these days are a little like kids in a candy shop trying to figure out how much they can get for their $2.35. But I think as mountain biking evolves and matures, there’s going to be more appreciation of artistry and craft, versus just straight technological ability. I hope to be able to offer a product to those folks that want something unique, hand crafted, and still just as capable as a technologically advanced big brand bike.

Lichen WS4

Combining old school welded steel with CNC machined links the Matchstick is a polarizing machine in the world of swoopy carbon.

NSMB –  Why start building a FS bike? Wouldn’t most builders start with a hardtail frame first to build a name for themselves and go from there?

DB – That’s a good question. Honestly, I don’t think I would have finished a hardtail frame, because it’s not what I’m currently excited about. Building a bike is a lot of work, especially if you’re building a lot of your own tools. It’s the excitement that carries you through all of that work. I have friends who are frame builders, and I’d talked about building different road bikes and hardtails for years, but never got to it because the excitement wasn’t there. Full suspension bikes get me stoked, and that’s the excitement that carried me through.

In addition, I’ve always had a fascination with mechanisms, and teasing apart the mechanics/kinematics of the rider/bike system on a full suspension bike was incredibly intriguing. Also, when considering a business, I felt like the custom frame market was pretty flooded with people doing road bikes, gravel bikes, hardtail mountain bikes. I didn’t want to try and be another fish in that pond, I would rather just do something else and maybe build a few frames for myself. But building FS frames is exciting in its own right, unique enough to stand out of the crowd.

NSMB – Other builders of custom FS bikes are doing simple single pivots or buying pre-fab rear ends to mate to a custom front end of their own. Again you guys seem to be going the hardest route with your own linkage design. What is it about this design that you feel has an advantage?

DB – Well this is twofold again. Honestly the initial impetus was just to do something unique and different because it’s fun, and for the challenge. Through that process I’ve learned a lot more than I would have about kinematics than if I’d just borrowed from existing stuff. Not that I don’t pull from what’s already out there, because nothing is created in a vacuum, and ignoring what’s been learned so far would be stupid. But building a straight single pivot seemed boring to me. That said, I may still do that at some point if I see a good application. It’s the challenge that’s exciting and keeps me involved in the process.

Lichen Proto

Prototype #2 of the Matchstick frame.

As to the advantage question, that’s a tricky one. My dad’s always asking me how my design is better. And I guess I’d say that it’s not, per se. Every bike, every suspension design, is a collection of compromises. I’d say that this design is the collection that I like most, and has grown out of my riding style. I spent quite a few years racing road bikes, and I really appreciate good pedaling characteristics, but I also grew up on mountain bikes and love a DH bike. So I was trying to blend those two. I’d say my riding style is fairly planted and fast, and the linear/regressive suspension really lends itself to that style.

NSMB – Has the linkage design been patented?

DB – It has not. I’m kinda against the whole concept of patenting. I see that it’s important, but I don’t think I’d ever choose to patent something myself. I’m a proponent of free information. If someone wants to use my design, and actually takes the time to understand it, I’ll take that as a compliment. I just made sure that no one could stop me from using my own design. I see my niche as being able to offer custom bikes more than my suspension design anyhow.

Lichen WS2

Tools of the trade. Devin is looking for more to bring the whole production of the Matchstick in-house.

NSMB – So back in the early days of FS bikes we were told that steel would be too flexible or heavy to build a FS bike from, yet here you are planning to build a 6” travel FS bike out of steel. Why?

DB – Well you’re an engineer right? So you know that Aluminum isn’t actually any stiffer than Steel. Pound for pound they’re about the same. So I’d say that steel is a very good material, it’s just a question of putting the material in the right place. My theory as to why Aluminum is the material of choice for production bikes is that it’s less work to make a competitive weight bike, but not necessarily a better material by any means. In many ways it’s worse. I have a friend who’s broken every aluminum FS bike he’s had. My initial reason was that steel was more accessible, but in my prototyping process I’ve come to believe that steel is the material to use. I may mess around with Aluminum, but I don’t think it’s the be all end all.

The Matchstick is named after a lichen species known as the Devil's Matchstick.

The Matchstick is named after a lichen species commonly referred to as the Devil’s Matchstick.

NSMB – What steel do you use? Rumors are this large bike is built to under 30lbs with some fairly stock looking parts so you must be using some exotic tubing here.

DB – I use True Temper double butted tubing for the front triangle. Not the crazy light stuff, it’s the second heaviest wall that they offer, and the tubes are larger diameter than what you see on most road bikes. That’s both for aesthetic reasons, mountain bikers are used to big tubes, and also to gain some stiffness. The swingarm is made from straight gauge .035” wall 4130 box section tubing. Most of the weight savings came from putting a lot of thought into all of the machined components to remove every bit of material that wasn’t necessary; lots of tight little radius’s in all the corners. When you’re used to seeing aluminum frames everything looks spindly, but I always have to remind myself that steel is so strong.

Lichen WS3

Softly and well spoken, Devin is passionate about bringing some artistry to the modern mountain bike.

NSMB – What kind of riders do you think will be attracted to the Matchstick?

DB – I want the Matchstick to appeal to the majority of riders. That being said I think the majority won’t necessarily want to buy a custom bike. But I think it’s time that the hand built scene start addressing the fact that most mountain bikers don’t ride the type of bikes being hand built. So I guess I’d say your typical mountain biker, who also appreciates artistry and having something made domestically.

Lichen dropouts

Drool-worthy raw steel dropouts waiting on some stays.

NSMB – And what benefits do you think they’d get from going custom over an off-the-shelf wonder bike from the big manufacturers?

DB – Well if they want custom geometry, that’s that right there. But for anyone that doesn’t want custom for specific handling characteristics, or to fit their body, I’d say the pleasure in having something handcrafted, where they actually get to talk to the person who made it and go for a ride together. Knowing that it’s made down the road from American steel. All the stuff that makes a person buy a Ducati instead of a Yamaha. They’re both amazing on the track, some might say the Ducati has more soul.

NSMB – So how extreme will you let a customer go with the geometry? Are we going to see anything like that crazy Nicolai that’s super long and slack built by you?

Lichen stays

Raw welded steel just looks so good to me. Almost a shame to cover up this with paint.

DB – Funny you should say that. I don’t think I’ll build one for the heck of it, because personally I’m wanting a little nimbler bike at the moment. But I know someone who I think might want something like that. I’m open to do whatever a person wants. I’m not gonna make claims on how it’ll perform, and I probably won’t design a bike like that to offer standard sizes. But that kind of work is also what got us to where we are now. So I’m in no way against it, but probably won’t be doing that on my own time until the business is a little more established.

NSMB – The standard geo numbers look pretty contemporary do you think many customers will stray from your standard much?

DB – Not sure. A lot remains to be seen, because this is really a new segment of the market in many ways.   I tried to hit the numbers that I think will work well, and I think that’ll be good for most people. Even so, one guy who’s interested in a bike wants to run a 150mm fork instead of 160mm. It doesn’t take much for me to adjust the frame to keep the HTA and BB drop the same, and a production bike can’t do that. You might say 10mm isn’t a big change, but being able to make little adjustments like that can mean a lot when they all add up. A little adjustment here and there can really change the ride feel of the bike.

NSMB – The aesthetics of the Matchstick are quite different to all the curvy swoopy carbon competition; I dig it because I like steel hardtails but what sort of reaction to you get out of riders you meet on the trail?

DB – I can’t say I’ve ever got a negative reaction, but I’m sure there were people who kept it to themselves. Personally, I like a little swoop, but I think things have gotten a little out of hand. I like the aesthetics of straight tubes, and it’s been a fun challenge matching the shape of the CNC parts to have some curvature, but not look out of place with the straight tubes. I want to do some tube bending on future designs, but keep it within reason. I’m not down with curve for its own sake.

Lixen frame detail

The new CNC linkages on the Matchstick. Devin worked hard to have the linkages merge with the welded steel tubes that make up the frame.

NSMB – How many bikes/frame do you plan to build per year?

DB – I think twenty to thirty would be about the maximum I could handle without making some serious changes in my process. And I want to remain a one-man shop if possible. I really like being involved in the whole process. Except bookkeeping, I hate that part.

NSMB – Any plans to add other frames to the collection?

DB – At some point I’d also like to do an aggressive 29’er for big folks. My personal feeling is that 29’ers make a lot of sense for bigger people, not so much for smaller folks. And at some point a really nimble short travel bike for having fun in the super twisty stuff. That’s a bit down the road though.

I also have a DH design in the works. A local shredder approached me about building a bike for him, and it was something I wanted to do anyhow. I’ve got the kinematics and basic layout done, now I need to do the CAD design on all the specific parts so I can start getting them queued up on the CNC.

NSMB – What about other materials?

DB – I’ve got an aluminum tube set, but honestly it’s lost its appeal for me. I may use it to build myself this bike I’ve been thinking about for a while, the mountain biker’s city bike. Small cassette, slick tires, short travel fork. Fun geo with short chain stays, and a dropper post. That way you can be cruising with the seat up making some miles, but drop the seat to manual down 1st Ave and hop curbs and stuff. I’d really like to build a Ti version of the Matchstick, but a lot of Billet got machined away to make all those parts. I’m going to have to wait till the business is seriously on its feet before I can plunk down the cash to buy the stock to machine all the parts out of Ti for a prototype.

Matchstick Profile

The finished item. A quick poll of my riding friends see a split of 50/50 on the looks and those esoteric ones with a hankering for steel hardtails seem to like Matchstick the most. Purist is the term I’d use.

NSMB – So tell us about the Kickstarter campaign?

DB – The Kickstarter campaign is to bring a few more pieces of equipment in house so I can be 100% in house from design to a bike rolling out the door on a ride. If I can do everything myself I don’t have to order batches of parts and it keeps the overhead low, so I can customize more aspects of the bike. Also, it puts more money in my pocket, instead of a supplier, so I can keep the end price of the frames lower. Also, it’s to get the word out there that I exist. I’ve been quietly prototyping out here in the woods by myself for some years now, but no one knows about it, so it’s time to spread the word.

NSMB –  Where would Lichen bikes be in 5 years? 10 years?

DB – Hopefully demand is so high that I’ve raised my prices 😉 But seriously, the ideal situation would be that I have enough business to keep the shop afloat without doing outside job shop work, but not so much that I don’t have the time to develop new concepts. If I can’t stay relevant and keep it fun I might as well not be doing it.


I took a quick spin on Devin’s personal steed shown in the photo above, but it wasn’t enough to form an opinion. Look for more detailed ride impressions soon.


Clearly these bikes aren’t for everyone, but are they for you?

Trending on NSMB

Comments

esteban
0

If I had money, I'd get one of these. And I don't like FS bikes!

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tashi
0

Really liking everything this dude has to say about building and designing bikes, right up my alley. Maybe one day I'll be able to have him make me a 5″ 29er…

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jonathan-harris
0

I have first dibs. Devin is very interested in riding my Following. 🙂

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dan
0

That's the ticket. I'm going to keep this guy in mind for sure. I respect all of the handmade bikes I see at the show, but it's only the squishy ones that I'd want to ride that really get my attention.

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morgan-heater
0

I've ridden it, it's awesome. Climbs super well, even with the shock open, and descends super intuitively. The title says "hardtail", I think it should say "full suspension". Great interview!

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morgan-taylor
0

I really like this:

"I think a lot of mountain bikers these days are a little like kids in a candy shop trying to figure out how much they can get for their $2.35."

It's a difficult point to convey, but building a bike from the frame up with a focus on domestically manufactured parts from smaller companies is a significantly different experience than building a modern mountain bike.

I had a great conversation yesterday with a guy who commissioned a titanium bike from Chris DeKerf. Out of my league at the moment, but inspiring nonetheless. His pride in being involved in the design process, and his kind words for Chris as a builder, goes well beyond a seemingly Lego-esque off the shelf build.

As Devin notes, it's not for everyone, but it is an opportunity for those looking for a more meaningful way to spend their five figures.

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boomforeal
0

not sure i buy "meaningful"

personally fulfilling maybe, but let's not kid ourselves: it's still an act of consumption, and nothing more

you want meaningful, give the money to charity

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jonathan-harris
0

Well you know where your money is going, who it is supporting and the kind of person that person is, so more meaningful. I get your point though.

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morgan-taylor
0

Man, you sure like to split hairs.

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nat-brown
0

I think you're galling by reducing 'meaningful' to a qualitative term when @disqus_g2KMtHTS0V:disqus was using it quantitatively. Using that same money to support yourself while taking off work and giving your time to work at the coalface for some charitable cause would arguably be more meaningful than the example you give. Here's why I think Morg's argument has legs: An artisan does all the intellectual, creative and physical work that goes into making the items they sell. In their business activities they do little else. Also, artisans commonly do what they do with a pure interest in what they make, and seek to make a modest living from it. There is nothing particularly antisocial about that. A typical industrialised manufacturer directs considerable effort to activities that have some detriment to the community, or even their market. Examples of this would be marketing without any rational information given on the benefits of an item for sale, and corporate hierarchies that act with an almost exclusive financial interest and little interest in the items they make and sell. Profits are often not distributed proportionally among the workers of typical industrial manufacturers. Each of those examples run counter to the common good, but of course this business model needn't be all bad. It's just a broad stroke, non-exhaustive analysis that reveals obvious benefits in social terms to buying things from an artisan. The only way you could not derive an increased sense of meaning by choosing an artisan is if your personal values do not include an interest in society.

Quite literally, it is something more than consumption if someone makes a conscious decision to buy something from a particular vendor because they feel value in the existence of that vendor, and not only because they want the item.

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boomforeal
0

i feel that words are important, and both have and create meaning. i think you do too

i also feel like "as a society" we're coming to value consumption (the buying of stuff) as the primary means through which we self actualize, create and ascribe value, form and recognize bonds with one another, etc. i feel like this is a bad thing. statements, intentional or otherwise, that contribute to this change, bug me. you can call it splitting hairs -- i like to think of it as having principles

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boomforeal
0

go home nat, you're drunk

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pete@nsmb.com
0

If you assign the same logic, one could point out that you're wasting energy trying to correct someone's use of the word meaningful when you could be directing that time and energy towards something charitable, or significant in the global/social/beneficent sense. Take it a step further and one could call you wasteful for spending any time on the internet at all. But it's recreation, right? As is riding bikes. All depends on how metaphysical you want to be about it. Looks like you're choosing very metaphysical, in which case the only bikes you should be concerned about are those concerned only with utility, not with recreation.

Yes, words are important. But I also think (as does Morgan, who knows you better than I do) that you understand the distinction between meaningful in the social context versus that of choosing where to spend your money on a bike as expressed in the comments section of a website with a fairly pronounced focus on gear.

In other words, learn how to pick your fucking battles, dude.

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nat-brown
0

You've got me stumped there. I'm not going to take a personal shot at you.

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boomforeal
0

fair point, that last one

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nat-brown
0

The noun 'meaning', from which the adjective 'meaningful' is derived, was first used around 1384 (http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/115465?rskey=dIGWYm&result=2&isAdvanced=false#eid). If you don't have access to the OED (and no wonder you're off track if you rely on merriam-webster), I've attached a cropped screen shot below. You can't rationally think @disqus_g2KMtHTS0V:disqus using the term meaningful was technically incorrect without being plain ignorant.

More to follow.

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jonathan-harris
0

All I wanted to do is get some exposure for the pretty steel frame…. Now my head is spinning.

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morgan-taylor
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High horse is high. An idea does not need to be altruistic to be meaningful; it merely needs to have significance according to one's values.

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boomforeal
0

sorry jon

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boomforeal
0

meaning is subjective, contextual and reflective. and for all of those reasons, it shouldn't be tied to consumption

an individual ascribes meaning subjectively: that which is meaningful to someone is so because it is meaningful to them. it is something they imbue with value and importance, so viewed completely subjectively, meaning can be tied to anything that resonates with you, personally, for better or worse: this watch is meaningful because my dad gave it to me; i love that guy! this scar is meaningful because my dad gave it to me; fuck that guy!

zoom out, and efforts to ascribe meaning are still subjective. outside of one person's subjective experience meaning is held in context: you and i either both individually ascribe meaning to something, or i ascribe meaning to something because you do, and i ascribe meaning to you. if you and i both think something is meanignful but jon disagrees, we can argue with him about it or call him a fool: meaning is in a social context is about fitting in, being "down", norm-ing. and since we're social creatures products largely of "nurture" and our environment, really, our personal, subjective meaning is determined in large part by the social, contextual meaning out of which we have built our understanding of ourselves, our values and our beliefs; many of the things you believe are meaningful to you, personally, are a result of socialization

nothing has inherent meaning. things reflect the meaning that we give them. that includes what we value/don't value in the world -- but it also includes what we value/don't value about ourselves. meaning motivates us and it validates us. that's why i don't think meaning should be linked to consumption. consumption is the lifeblood of capitalism, and capitalism is institutionalized exploitation: of people, of resources, of loopholes, of weaknesses, etc. i like my bikes: they look nice and they ride well. the opportunities and experiences they afford me are meaningful, but they're just things. if i couldn't afford them i'd be bummed, but my life wouldn't be any less meaningful, and i wouldn't value myself less. my work is meaningful. the time i spend with my son is meaningful. my bikes are just things

meaning is subjective; it motivates us and it validates us. and that's why i think it should be tied by altruism. if the stuff that drives you, that makes you feel good, is good for other people, for the world, then you make the world a better place. if what drives you and makes you feel good is acquiring stuff, then you fill the world with stuff, and your sense of self limited not just by what you can afford, but also the diminishing returns inherent in inspirational consumerism

also, this

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boomforeal
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if you think i'm reading all that you're mad

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nat-brown
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No it doesn't. It means I was being naive for thinking you'd put a little effort into communicating the rationale for something you described as one of your principles. It was particularly stupid of me because I don't recall you ever engaging seriously with anyone in the comments section here.

I have a tendency to go into more detail than is common because I like to make points that are clear, and this is the standard for communication in my work. While it may be unusual to people, I think the effort I put in shows respect for the person I'm dealing with, although my language sometimes doesn't. I make mistakes like anyone else. I'm OK with them being pointed out.

Anyway, you initially corrected someone on something because you were compelled by personal principle, but you have in no way done anything to rationally convince anyone that your principle is reasonable. No one else can do that but you. The readership here might have something to gain if you do.

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nat-brown
0

I think you did a good job on the interview and got some exposure to an operation that deserves it.

Sorry for my part in derailing discussions. I don't really think the discussion is irrelevant, but the focus is not on his bikes.

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nat-brown
0

Props for trying to make a real contribution with this comment.

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morgan-taylor
0

It's 478 words to your previous post's 462. And, it has capital letters and proper punctuation.

I will stand behind my statement that involving other people in your experience of life is a way to make things more meaningful. The world of recreational cycling is indeed part of the capitalist system, but that fact does not affect the ability of connections between human beings to produce meaning.

You contend that we can not achieve maximum meaningfulness within the bounds of our capitalist structure. That's fine, but again, I don't believe that devalues the meaning created by connections between humans.

It does, however, seem futile to be starting arguments like this on websites that built around the pastime of recreational cycling.

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boomforeal
0

Really cool! Nice work Jon

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GladePlayboy
0

Love it… that bike is very refreshing among a sea of carbon, look at me designs….

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slimshady76
0

Holy cow, just reading this phrase alone made me want to shake Devin's hand and give him a big hug! "I’m a proponent of free information. If someone wants to use my design, and actually takes the time to understand it, I’ll take that as a compliment. I just made sure that no one could stop me from using my own design."

And looking at the craftsmanship he puts into those frames makes it all come together. Thanks Jon for such a great interview, helping guys with such a commitment to metal artistry come into the spotlight!

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drewm
0

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm… Yummy.

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