At 14, Wade Beauchamp started mountain biking in Nevada. As he got older, he started working in bike shops and doing mechanic work.

Beauchamp said he took what he thought was the next logical step and began experimenting at building bike frames. He said he would build them wherever he could and sell them to friends for a good price.

Beauchamp moved to Bend in 1998. But after he was laid off from his job last February, he decided to turn his hobby into a business.

After taking frame building classes at the United Bicycle Institute in Ashland and some business courses at Central Oregon Community College, he started Vulture Cycles out of his garage.

Beauchamp said he will build about 50 custom, single-speed mountain bikes at his shop just south of Sunriver.

Beauchamp said he has relied primarily on word of mouth and his Web site to sell his bikes.