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Still Building America—From Legos to bicycles

Clyde James and his bicycles.

If you haven’t yet seen “A Lego® Brickumentory,” make a point to. It’s a fascinating story of not only the determination it takes to build a company, but also how so many contemporary engineers, designers, and artists first created with Legos.

Add Clyde James to that list, as he credits the little modular blocks as his introduction to building. From Fort Worth, Texas, James owns and operates Clyde James Cycle, where he builds upsized Radio Flyers, drift trikes, and custom bicycles.

As a youngster, he and his brother were into BMX bikes. After hitting the Cowtown BMX track, they were hooked, racing and jumping their bikes on dirt every day. An accident that broke his ankle in three places put a damper on those activities, but the passion for bikes never left.

After some time in construction, James went to work building custom hot rod frames, and also doing restoration work for Cadistrophic Sled Factory. During that two-year period, he built his ’69 Cadillac Coupe de Villes, which he promptly sold to fund his own company.

“I was sad to see it go, but it really helped me start a new chapter in my life; seems like the Lord has placed me right were he wants me and I am blessed for it.”

James always had an eye towards building custom bicycles, and with the money he received from the Caddy sale, the means to make it happen appeared.

Back when my business, Brown Dog Welding, was in its infancy, I did a thing called “The Year of the Chopper” in which I built a motorcycle sculpture each week for a year and sold it for charity. It helped me progress as an artist. It gave my company some publicity, and I was able to raise money for two charities I care about, Home Fur-Ever and LifeBuilders Detroit. James took a similar approach to building his brand, as he’s created many bikes to raise money and awareness for charities like the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

James noted the encouragement that came when renowned motorcycle builder Rick Fairless scooped up one of the bicycles he donated. James has shown his work at Rick’s Strokers Dallas shop and is very appreciative of him and his family.

“That moment was amazing—to have the man, the legend in the custom motorcycle world buy one of my bicycles! I will always be very thankful to Rick, his daughter Lena, and the rest of the Strokers family.”

James has also set up his bikes at the Gas Monkey Bar and Grill, where the crew encouraged him to keep at it hard, telling him that the work he was putting in would pay off.

Creme Soda.

“I never forget that advice, and I put in 70 to 80 hours every week to prove it. Owning your own business is not easy, especially when you start it from the ground up. You must be dedicated and passionate about what you are doing or else the flame will burn out.

“The best part of my job is seeing how happy these bicycles and custom builds make others feel! When I donate them to kids or to charities, it’s amazing to see that a bicycle can bring so much joy to someone. I love to give back to the community and area that I live in; over the past three years I have donated more than $10,000 in custom bicycles. This is just the beginning. I hope to soon have a charity set up to help give back even more and to help get more kids out riding bicycles.”

For the future, James is looking toward a facility where he can have a larger showroom, a stockroom, and a fab shop all in one location. He’s taking no time off to rest.

“This is my goal, and I am currently working very hard to achieve it. There is no such thing as a vacation at the beginning of building a business. I have not had one in over three years and probably will not take one until after my five-year mark.

“Dedication to what you are doing is key to the growth of your company, especially when you don’t have disposable income to waste. If you are looking to start your own business, the hardest part is getting started. If you listen to someone that tells you ‘it’s not possible,’ you will never achieve anything. But if you get in there and get your hands dirty, you will be surprised at what you can accomplish.

“Work hard, enjoy life, give thanks to the man up above, and you will do just fine!”

All images courtesy of Clyde James Cycle.