Eddie splices together wire for our outdoor sign while our IT guru, Mauricio, chills.

Since opening our doors at our new location on Figueroa on August 13, there has been a massive flurry of activity at the Bike Oven.

We’ve had parties, rides, meetings, and all sorts of improvements to the space.

The photo above was taken on September 9, 2007 - and since then our shop looks a lot more inviting at night. Take a look for yourself!

This blurry photo was taken a few minutes after the lights were turned on for the first time.

From the first day we opened the doors, we’ve had all sorts of suggested uses for the exterior light. Once Eddie repaired the wiring, those suggestions felt all the more urgent - something had to be done to give the Oven a proper exterior light.

After the September Spoke(n) Art ride, one of the participants (a Hollywood prop master) mentioned that he had an 4′ x 8′ sheet of clear plexi glass - just the size for the light box outside! The next morning a van pulled up, and out popped Mr. Blase, plexi glass sheet and all.

With a large sheet of plexi in the bag, the design of the sign was next. Fortunately, an Oven regular named Matt had an idea that pleased everyone: make the light look like a giant oven with a bicycle baking inside of it.

First step: prepare the bike. Matt spent an evening sawing bike components in half and attaching them to an old Scwhwinn frame that I found bent and disused a year ago against a telephone pole at Sunset Junction.

After getting the bike ready, Matt set to work on making the light bulbs look like elements in an oven, and making the plexi glass cover look like an oven door.

In a week or so, the whole thing ought to be done - and if you don’t have a chance to visit in person, I’ll post some pictures.