"The bicycle is the noblest invention of mankind"
-William Saroyan
ABOUT US
We are a student-run Mechanical Engineering club out of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. We are dedicated to learning and teaching modern methods of bicycle frame building to other students at Cal Poly.
Our mission is to give students at Cal Poly experience in the design and manufacturing process of bicycle frames and components. Through our club, any student with an idea for a bicycle can design and ultimately fabricate it. We teach 3D modeling, welding techniques, composite construction, and more to any student who wants to learn. As a result of our unique interests, we are the world’s first collegiate student-run club dedicated to the design and construction of bikes.
In addition to helping students build their own bikes, we collaborate on club projects for our annual exhibit at the North American Handmade Bike Show (NAHBS). NAHBS is an international bike show that attracts cycling enthusiasts from around the world. It is one of the largest cycling shows in the world, and is an incredible opportunity to garner attention for our school. Last year, the show was held in Hartford, CT where we displayed a carbon fiber road bike. This was the first carbon fiber bike frame ever made at Cal Poly. We conducted research with professors and sought advice from industry professionals to learn what was required to complete this project. We went through many trials and iterations of all the processes to refine each part before manufacturing the full frame.
As our club grows, so do our goals. This year, NAHBS will be held in Sacramento, and we are looking to use our home field advantage. We will showcase several bikes made by students in the club, as well as a full suspension downhill mountain bike. The downhill bike will be designed and built by dedicated club members working as a team to showcase the club’s talent. In addition, we have implemented a design review process to develop the majority of the components on the bike. To showcase Cal Poly’s “Learn by Doing” motto, we are also designing and manufacturing nearly every component on the bike.
Glenn Petersen
President
Glenn is a 3rd year Mechanical Engineering student from Corvallis, OR and enjoys toast conventions. He is also afraid of water. When Glenn isn't in class he usually takes the edge off with some nice homework. As of now, Glenn's favorite trail lives in Oregon and goes by the name "The Plunge". However, after being bike-less for three years, he looks forward to tearing up the central coast in search for a new favorite!
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Shaw Hawkeye Hughes
Vice President
Shaw is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student. When he isn't studying, he is probably in the machine shop or riding his bike. His hobbies include exploring the outdoors, woodworking, skiing, lutherie, and bikepacking. His favorite trail is Captain Ahab in Moab, UT.
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Jarod Lyles
Workday Coordinator
Jarod is the heart of Cal Poly Bike Builders. A 2nd year Mechanical Engineering student he is dedicating his entire college career to being the best bike builder on the club. He currently has built one bike but is planning something huge for his second. Catch him working on his laptop designing his bikes.
Kevin Pauls (a.k.a. High Fructose Corn Syrup)
Treasurer
Kevin is a 3rd year Mechanical Engineering student from Simi Valley, CA. When Kevin isn't drawing FBD's, he enjoys BMX racing, cooking Velveeta shells at 2am, and selling propane and propane accessories (strangely intriguing...). If it sounds like a AV-8A Harrier is landing in your living room, don't be alarmed, it is probably just Kevin snoring. Kevin's favorite BMX racetrack to rip on is Music City BMX in Nashville.
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Chris Fedor
Senior Adviser
Chris is a 5th year Mechanical Engineering major. When he isn’t in school, he enjoys building bikes, skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, collecting records, luthiery, and playing ukulele. He has built 4 bikes. His favorite trail is Tidal Wave in Park City, UT.
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Patrick Wiseman
Manufacturing Lead
Patrick is a 2nd year Manufacturing Engineering Student from Sacramento, CA. If you're looking for Patrick, you'll most likely find him in one of the machine shops on campus talking to the machine tools. The guy not only builds bikes but can also construct a mean nightstand. He claims he has yet to ride his favorite trail but remains optimistic.
Miles Curtis
Workday Coordinator
Miles is a 4th year General Engineering student with a concentration on manufacturing. He hails from the town of Durham, North Carolina.and comes to build bikes. When he isn't studying or in class, he enjoys some of the finer things of life, such as biking, traveling, and quenching his thirst with the occasional crispy wheat water. If you're ever on Madonna, keep an eye out for Miles flying down Rock Garden and don't blink cause you'll miss him!
Sara Passantino
Sponsorship and Outreach Coordinator
Sara is a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student from Westlake Village, CA. Outside of school, Sara enjoys spending time with rocks, either climbing them or tumbling them and, of course, riding bikes! Her favorite trail she has EVER ridden is "Slim Shady" in Sedona however a close second is "Dogfood Engineer" because who doesn't love that name. However, when she's riding in SLO she loves a nice rip on "Hazards" or "Manzanita".
Dario DiGiulio
Club Mechanic
Dario is a 5th year Architecture student who originally joined the club when it was called frame builders because he thought we designed building frames. Now that we are bike builders he has been trying to leave the club but we will not let him. Being an Architecture student, he is a lover of fine wine and cheese. If you try to hand him a craft beer he will be offended. He also does not know how to ride a bike. He only writes with a quill pen.
Contact Us
1 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA 93410
Contact us at:
Club Meetings:
Mondays, 7-8 PM
Virtual: Zoom Meeting (Link on Slack or email)