Vann Powell & Left Foot Cycles
Greetings! Vann Powell here. Some of you may know me and have ridden with me back in Raleigh. I grew up in Raleigh, I had been riding those streets for some time when I decided to leave for a different flavor of air elsewhere. Now I’ve been living outside of the U.S.A. for about five years. Over these past years I've traveled to many places and I always seem to find my way into the local bike scene, meeting rad and inspiring people along the way.
When I started this project I had just heard of The Overlap and the community that they are building in Raleigh. So I reached out to Garret and Nathan to see if they were interested in this story and spreading the good word of hand built, steel bicycles. So big ups and shout outs to the guys at the Overlap, Garret and Nathan for taking up this story! Im stoked they were amped as much as I was to share with you guys the rad stuff my friends and I have been getting up to out here in the orient!
Until recently I’ve been riding fixed but Ive been off the mend from a hip injury I got last year while cycling. At the time I was riding a road bike, a bit of a change from what I usually ride. Normally, I ride fixed gear, which does my arthritic hip no favors. I know what you’re probably thinking… get a freewheel or get some gears you idiot, for christ sake. That’s where my friend Brad comes in.
Brad’s been building steel frames for a little over a year now and is currently an apprentice under Jung Hoon at Rookey Bike Works here in Seoul, ROK. I’ve known Brad for a bit over three years now. He is an old friend from when we both lived in Prague, CZ. So when my conscience finally caught up with me about getting off the hip grinding fixed gear and onto some newer steel I asked brad if he wouldn’t mind building a frame for me.
Rookey Bike Works is run by Jung Hoon, who has been building bicycles for over three years. All of Jung Hoon’s bicycles are hand built from columbus steel tubing. Anything from a true tourer to a track bike, he's got you. Rookey Bike Works is located in south Seoul right off one of the various bike trails that loop around the city and hug it’s various water ways.
Brad was stoked to get started building this new frame. He had just finished building himself an all road bike he had been stewing on for some time. Having just finished something to grind gravel with, Brad talked me into a bigger clearance on the frame to throw on some tires that can chew stone. Im running 28s now with clearance for 32s incase I wanna get off road a bit more. Gotta say, I’m enjoying the versatility.
The original idea for the frame was to develop and build a proper all steel road frame. Though I changed my mind pretty quickly. Instead I opted for a single speed, I wasn’t ready to end my masochism just yet. Besides, now I've got breaks to take the stress and grinding off my hips and knees, right?! So, I settled on the idea of a city/light gravel grinder with more aggressive geometry for sharper and quicker maneuvering (check those angels in the photos!)
Though Brad has only been building bicycle frames for one year, he has had the unique experience of hands on learning with a professional for an extended period of time. Brad plans to take and build on this experience. Brad has already turned this experience into the first phase of a true frame building business under the Left Foot Cycles name. Who knows where and what country Brad will be living in over the next coming year (though I’d say watch out for Left Foot Cycles popping up in the US sometime in the future).
I hope you guys enjoy these photos as much as I’ve been enjoying riding this bike.
Enjoy and keep shredding
-Stay rad Raleigh!
If you have any questions about photography, bikes, or life abroad hit me up on my Instagram account: vannnotvan
Images by Vann Thomas Powell and Brad Hammonds IG: Bradhammondsphoto