We’ve launched a new video series called The Stayer Workshop, created to give a clearer picture of what actually goes on behind the scenes of our frame and component manufacturing.
This first episode focuses on the Stayer CarryON, our cargo bike conversion kit, and takes place in our East London workshop.
The episode is hosted by Craig — better known as 2nd Life Bikes — who splits his time between building retro bikes, making videos, and working day-to-day at Stayer Cycles. As Craig explains early on, the workshop is where everything comes together:
“I spend a lot of time in the workshop and I find it fascinating watching these products and frames and bikes coming together.”
Rather than a polished factory tour, The Stayer Workshop is about showing the reality of small-scale frame building.
In Episode One, we follow Sam as he prepares a Carry-On front end for brazing. The conversation quickly moves beyond what he’s doing and into why it matters.
Heating the metal evenly before brazing is critical — especially when joining thick tubing to thinner sections. As Sam puts it:
“We need to get a bit of temperature into the piece, especially because this is thick to thin.”
Controlling heat isn’t just about making the brass flow. It’s about managing how the metal moves as it expands and contracts. Too much heat in one place, or moving too quickly in another, can introduce distortion.
“When you’re heating metal, it’s expanding, contracting when it’s cooling. It’s always moving.”
The goal is simple, but not easy: finish the process with as little warp as possible.
“That’s what we’re after — as little distortion as possible.”
One of the recurring themes in the episode is consistency. Moving the torch evenly doesn’t just result in a cleaner-looking braze — it also tells a story about how the heat has been applied.
“That consistency gives you information about how your heat distribution has occurred.”
Lingering too long, or rushing through a joint, leaves evidence behind. That evidence often shows up later when parts need to be aligned or corrected.
The Stayer Workshop exists to show the decisions, skills, and compromises that go into making our products.
Not everything is perfect. Not everything is automated. And that’s the point.
These videos are about transparency, craft, and giving proper context to the bikes and parts we put out into the world.
As Craig explains at the end of the episode, the series won’t start out on a strict schedule — but the intention is there:
“If you really enjoy them, let us know and maybe we’ll try harder and do more of them.”
If you’d like to learn more about the Stayer CarryON or Cargo Fest — where we’ll be modifying bikes later in the year — you can find full details elsewhere on the site.
This is just the beginning.
Tell us what you’d like to build or repair, or simply let us know you’re interested in a future Project Week. We’ll recommend how many days you’ll need, discuss your project, and confirm suitable dates before you book.
News from Stayer:
new ideas, small-batch releases,
framebuilding courses,
and what we’re working on next.
