When Rosendo Quezada was only 15 years old, he built himself just about the coolest bicycle you can imagine. He modified your average Schwinn bike to look like a lowrider motorcycle cruising through the neighborhood. Rosendo raised the handlebars and put rearview mirrors on the ends. He put whitewalls on the tires. He spring-loaded the front wheel so it would bounce down the street. He put shocks in the seat. He even used chicken wire and putty to create a fake engine in the back.
So it should come as no surprise that Rosendo has made a career of fabricating and assembling heavy duty vehicles.
Rosendo was born and raised in East Los Angeles, then joined the Army where he served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. During his seven years in the military, Rosendo trained and worked as a truck mechanic, which provided skills that he took into the civilian workforce.
Since then, Rosendo has worked on semi-trucks for construction projects throughout Southern California, including freeways and new homes. Now, Rosendo is an Operator Engineer on the Project, which is actually his first tunneling opportunity. He is responsible for maintaining vehicles like cranes and forklifts, as well as building equipment like the train system that is used to haul soil away from the TBMs and onto ground level.
Rosendo was fortunate to find a mentor after he left the Army and was looking for a career, so he believes that anyone who is interested in joining the construction trades should be willing to learn and listen to those who have more experience. Still, there are always new challenges and interesting work, Rosendo explains, even for a veteran like himself. "I'm an old guy learning new things," he jokes.
And if you're interested in a customized bike, Rosendo might be able to help.
