From Obsession to Creation: How One Norwegian Rider Built His Own Dream Hardtail

For more than 30 years, bikes have shaped his life.

Mountain bikes, touring rigs, bikepacking setups — machines that carried him across continents, through deserts, over mountains, and into the kind of journeys that stay under your skin. He even ran his own custom bike shop, building dream bikes for other people on high-end frames from well-known brands.

But one question never stopped nagging him:

“What if I built my own frame?”

This year, he finally stopped dreaming and decided to take the next step.

A lifetime of riding… and the “midlife moment” that sparked something new

He’s from Norway — and as he puts it, “the perfect age for a midlife crisis.”
But in his case, the crisis came with steel tubes, a torch, and a clear vision.

After owning and building over a hundred bikes, he had developed strong preferences for geometry and handling. The frame he designed during the course was a chance to “put his money where his mouth is” — to create the ultimate hardtail for technical terrain and multi-day bikepacking.

A bike that could run 29” or 27.5” in the rear.
A bike with the playful, capable feel he loves from mullet full-suspension setups.
A bike that reflected everything he had learned over a lifetime of riding.

When he mentioned this to me, I suggested using Paragon Machine Works’ adjustable dropouts — and he ran with it. “Invaluable advice,” he later told me.

From woodworker to frame builder — jumping into the unknown

Did he have metalworking experience?
Not really.

“A reasonable woodworker, a reasonable bike mechanic, and an expert in jumping into things with zero experience.”

He laughed when he told me this — especially when he mentioned that his first attempt at aid climbing was the Nose on El Capitan. That says everything about the kind of person he is.

His philosophy?
“Just jump in and try. What can go wrong?”

Why he took the course — and what he found here

When he arrived at the workshop, he wasn’t running from stress or burnout. He had just returned from cycling across the Namib Desert in Namibia — so his head was already in a pretty good place.

But he did notice something:

The calm, relaxed atmosphere of the workshop is its own kind of escape.
Especially for anyone who comes from the corporate world, like he did (he recently quit his job in safety and sustainability to start something new).

He told me one thing that really stuck with him:

“Seeing your idea come to life right in front of you is quite special.”

That moment when the frame transforms from a drawing… into tubes… into miters… into a real structure you can hold in your hands — that moment hits everyone differently. For him, it was profound.

He also admits — with a smile — that he probably annoyed me during lunch by asking every possible question he could think of. (For the record: I love that.)

How it feels to ride a bike you built with your own hands

A few weeks after the course, he sent me photos of the freshly painted frame and the fully built bike.

Then came his first rides.

Local forest trails. Fjords. Steep technical terrain.

And his feedback was crystal clear:

“To be honest, the bike is amazing — but maybe I’m biased?
So far, it’s the most capable hardtail I’ve ever ridden.”

He talked about the frame compliance, the way it performed on steep sections, and how it compared to titanium hardtails he’d owned. He loved how the tubing choices complemented his geometry and riding style.

On rough consecutive hits?
“It’s a hardtail — so that’s par for the course.”

He’s already thinking about the future…

“Maybe a simple single-pivot full suspension next time?”

How he found us — and what comes next

Like many others, he discovered the course online.
“A spontaneous click,” he says.

Sometimes the best decisions start that way.

And when I asked whether he would ever build another frame, his answer came without hesitation:

“Yes.”

A frame is just the beginning

His story is a perfect example of what can happen when you:

• follow a long-held obsession

• give yourself permission to learn something entirely new

• and commit your hands, mind, and imagination to a project that genuinely matters

He walked away not only with a unique hardtail that reflects decades of riding experience — but also with something more powerful:

A sense that this could be the beginning of a new chapter.