The streets of Pittsburgh are becoming more bikeable by the day. Which is great news for bicycle builder Michael Brown – the owner of, and chief bike builder at, Maestro Frameworks in Pittsburgh.
In a recent episode of Made in Pittsburgh, a video series showcasing people making great things in the Pittsburgh, Dylan Priest profiled Brown and Maestro Frameworks – a custom, built-by-hand, bike shop. Combining masterful craftsmanship with a firsthand knowledge of the streets and trails around Pittsburgh, Brown builds bikes with the clients needs and the elements he knows they will encounter in mind.
It’s his passion for building and bicycles that led Brown to open Maestro Frameworks. Although, in his case, starting his own shop was a long time coming.
Like many of us, Brown heard his called to make things at a young age. “My love of building goes back to my childhood when I always like being around tools and machinery,” Brown said. However, as many of us also tend to do, Brown initially ignored his calling – opting not to pursue bike building as a career. Even still, the idea of making things stuck with him. As he puts it, “It’s something I always wanted to go back to. So at the age of 54 I decided, yeah, I can do this.”
The pursuit of happiness
Now, with his bike building business in full swing, Brown is able to find happiness in dirty hands and satisfied clients. In his words,
[join]Are you ignoring your calling? What do you do, or make, that brings you happiness? Tell us with a comment here on Twitter.[/join] This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.Just to go home with dirty hands and the smell of the oil and the running of the machines, just to see tube sets get fabricated into a bike that somebody is going to ride and enjoy, brings happiness.
