Hosted in Bristol, a city steeped in engineering history, the 5th annual
Bespoked Bike Show was teeming with passionate craftsmen, tales of hours of toil in workshops, and numerous weird and wonderful machines. Like
last year's show in London, this year's event - held at Brunel's Old Station - was incredibly busy across its 3 days, and featured 90 exhibitors, from established big names to new and exciting frame builders.
For those more used to the marketing hype around bigger shows, Bespoked has a decidedly low-key approach, with every conversation had with the builders taking you through a world of ingenious creations, each with a unique story behind the why and how of creating a bicycle. Talking to these engineers and designers face-to-face is a unique opportunity to find out what it takes to painstakingly craft a bike, either as a one-off, or a business venture; what thoughts go in to materials selection, the geometry, the parts and the paint job...or lack of it. This show is about dreams being turned into reality.
- Automatic Cycles -
John Ross spent his past life working in the bike industry and racing endurance in North America, that was until he and his wife went on a frame building course at The Bicycle Academy. Since then, John has been busy expanding his home workshop in Bristol and his latest creation for
Automatic Cycles is a rather personal one. Built for his wife who always wanted a fat bike, John designed and built this bike to her exact specifications, including the dazzling pink paintjob.
- BTR Fabrications -
BTR Fabrications was taking centre stage on The Bicycle Academy's stand. Owner/designers Paul Burford and Tam Hamilton have been going from strength to strength over the last few years, with the company now supporting riders in 4X and Enduro. Their latest bike, the Chaser, is a 29" singlespeed XC frame, based on the principles around a BMX race bike. Designed around 80mm forks, the frame on display was the first prototype and will be run by Ryan McKee who will be racing in endurance and single speed events. A geared version will be available soon, using 142 x 12mm rear drop-outs, and will come in four sizes (small to x-large). The large Chaser frame weighs in at approximately 2kg (4.4lbs), and is built from a Reynolds 853, 631 and Columbus Niobium front end, with Columbus Zona and Reynolds 525 stays.
| BTR is going as well as it ever has done really, we've got new models coming through like the Chaser, and other things like new drop-outs on all the bikes. We've got a nice new raw finish coming out too, which means people can have a clear lacquered frame that lasts! - Tam Hamilton, BTR Fabrications |
- The Bicycle Academy -
We're always impressed with what comes out of
The Bicycle Academy, and it's great to see Andrew and his team as busy as ever. Their passion to share the knowledge and love of frame building is world class, and judging by the number of people we interviewed at the show who cited TBA when explaining how they got into frame building, it's safe to say, they're becoming a bedrock institution on the growing UK frame building scene.
The Bicycle Academy provides frame building courses and skills masterclasses for novices, keen amateurs and pros. The workshop, based in Frome, Somerset, is a biker's dream, with tools and machines aplenty, some of which were on show at their stand. This year, the guys were launching their own range of frame building tools and jigs, all to sit alongside their bicycle sizing and fitting courses for frame builders, along with other brand new frame building and skills courses too boot. One of their recent student's creations was this 29+ which is made with a mix of Columbus and Reynolds high tensile double butted main tubing, custom formed Columbus chain and seat stays, Paragon Machine Works 44mm head tube, x-12 x 157mm rear end, chain-stay yoke and post mount brake mount. The bike was designed and made by Mark Hester (the first bike he has ever made) during an 8 day frame building course at The Bicycle Academy under the tuition of the team. Mark, a motorsport and automotive engineer originally from Australia, is soon to set up as a part time frame builder back in Australia under the name Prova Cycles.
- Ted James Designs -
Ted James started his company back in 2010 and has swiftly built a name and reputation for himself building some of the sweetest steel BMX bikes around, as well as road, commuter, touring, street and mountain bike for customers. Ted is a dedicated craftsman who machines everything from his own head tubes and bottom bracket shells to drop-outs and of course his own head tube badges. This year, Ted is teaming up with
Charge Bikes to create a special edition TJD-enhanced Cooker Custom adventure trail bike with some very special features.
| In collaboration with Charge, I'm working on building a limited number of customer titanium 27.5+ models with custom geometry, including 3D printed titanium drop-outs made by Airbus. Price-wise, it's going to be around the £2500 to £3000 mark for the frame. - Ted James, Ted James Designs |
- Cloud 9 Cycles -
Cloud 9 Cycles is a bicycle shop that specialises in hand-built frames in the heart of London. Working with steel or titanium, these guys have an eye for the detail and the bikes on show were stunning, particularly their street racer which is designed to be ridden along city streets as fast as possible. The racer has an extended top tube with a short stem, and features Columbus oversized tubing, which is designed to take the strain when it comes to dropping off kerbs and dealing with potholes. With no bottle cage bolts in sight, and shod with Schwalbe One slick tyres, this bike is clean and simple...and goes like a rocket.
- Curtis Bikes -
Brian
Curtis and his team have been building competition race bikes since the 1970s, with every part of the bike specifically designed around the rider. Their pedigree shows - as does their gorgeous fillet brazing - with their sponsored riders having some incredible results at the first round of the British National 4X season earlier this month.
| Our new AM7 comes with a 142 x 12mm back end and a 66 degree head angle. The front end is Reynolds, and the back end Columbus. It's lower, longer, slacker, wider, faster! - Gary Woodhouse, Curtis Bikes |
- Farrer -
Instead of just riding the trails, North Yorkshire-based Rob Farrer started frame building when he was just 18 years old. With just two years in the industry under his belt, he's made several successful prototypes, and had the brand new LoamRanger on show.
| I started off with a few prototypes, and then sold three bikes to York Cycle Works. This bike - the LoamRanger - is for a mate of mine; number 9. I'm a welder/fabricator by trade and I also used to race mountain bikes, so I thought I might as well have a go at making one. I plan to go full time and try to do a bit of everything, from aluminium to titanium. - Rob Farrer, Farrer |
- Mawis Bicycles -
A one thousand mile journey (even after forgetting his passport) didn't put off Mathias Scherer from exhibiting at the show. With a fine German beer in hand, Mathias explained to us where it all started for him when he had a bike stolen at a training camp, and when he asked for a bespoke replacement, what he got was far from his expectations. With that, he made a bet with his team boss that he would build his own frame and not long after, the bet turned into reality. Mathias's Mawis bikes don't come with a catchy model name but instead, every bike is built around the owner and has its owner's name emblazoned on the top tube. You can't get more personalised than that. Mathias produces around fifty frames per year to order, and he admits, most of the time is spent in the pre-production phase, running through every bit of detail to get the bike just right.
| These bikes are made out of titanium. All the top tubes have the name of the owner on them - one bike one customer - no production models. It starts being your bike when we start talking about it, you're already there when the ideas start following. It's not everyone's cup of tea going into the details, but I prefer doing it together with the customer. - Mathias Scherer, Mawis Bicycles |
- Wooden Bike Co -
In a field of unique bikes, frame builders are experimenting with all sorts of material, including wood. We usually see a few wood-based road bikes from time to time, but Peter Charnaud’s
Wooden Bike really pushed the inventiveness. Based on the Specialized Stumpjumper’s FSR Horst-Link design and geometry, Peter hand crafted the linkages and the main frame, made from of a mix of walnut and London plane. This bike isn't a show bike either. It's ridden on the Sussex Downs by Peter himself, attracting a lot of attention along the way.
| My living is selling woodworking machinery, but I wanted to use traditional techniques and tools to make this bike. In my humble opinion, wood is the best material for bicycle frames, and I think it's been overlooked in favour of metals an inanimate materials. For this bike, I used London plane and walnut, which combined, provide great toughness with flexibility. It's the first wood-made full suspension mountain bike I know of, and after spending many hours in the workshop putting it all together, I now know why! - Peter Charnaud, Wooden Bike Co |
- Weld One -
The Ogre DH,
Weld One's DH bike, was an impressive sight amongst the touring and street bikes in the middle of the Brunel Hall. Framebuilder Eiji Konishi didn't speak much English but his passion for frame-building shone through. Based out of a small workshop in Kyoto, Japan, Eiji-san has been designing and building since he was a teenager, and now has a raft of titanium-based road, mountain trials and commuter bikes under his belt. Eiji-san told us the complete DH bike weighed in at 17kg (37.5lbs) without pedals, which is an impressive number, given the amount of metal involved. Although the design was in his mind of a while, in took Eiji-san two months to design the frame on paper and a further month of solid work to build it. Again, this bike isn't a design-piece but is raced; Eiji-san recently competed at the
2014 Red Bull Holy Bike race in Kyoto.
- Olsen Bicycles -
A New Zealander by birth, Steven Olsen started frame building in his quest to make the perfect all-terrain bicycle for riding in the British weather all year round. Specialising in belt-driven bicycles,
Olsen Bicycles' designs use a lattice construction downtube, which reduces lateral bottom bracket flex and optimises stiffness. Each of Steven's models is named after a Sussex pub along the South Downs Way, a 100 mile long trail in the south of England, where Steve now lives.
- Rowan Frameworks -
Like many other frame builders at the show, Timmy Rowan stumbled upon his passion for frame building by going on a frame building course at The Bicycle Academy. Now running
Rowan Frameworks, Timmy was exhibiting at the show for his very first time and much to his amazement, he was awarded 'Best in Show' as well as a host of other rosettes for what was the fourth bike he has ever made! The award winning bike - though a little way off what you might expect to see on Pinkbike - was designed by Timmy as a 'throw your leg over and travel' weekend tourer, maybe with a pannier strapped to the front or back, or just a lunch hamper stashed in the hand-made front basket. The bike features nods to classical French touring bike design as well as nods to other frame builders Timmy has been inspired by along the way. Aside from the hand-whittled cherry wood bar ends, the bike features a monumental list of other building materials - both metal and organic - resulting in a pretty special machine.
| I've been planning and dreaming about it for the past 7 or 8 years. A few things aligned and the opportunity arose, although it was never the right time. I quit my day job and haven't really looked back. It's hard work, it's graft, it hurts. At the start you're really shit at it and make loads of mistakes. I learned at The Bicycle Academy, and they helped me along the way, they gave me guidance and showed me how to spot mistakes and learn from them. I then locked myself in the workshop and tried to make the best bike I could. There's a bit of a waiting list now. I think, as a designer, you need to look at the bike as a whole with the customer, it's a collaboration. In terms of the show, to get awards is like a dream, I feel almost dizzy but then again I have been working 20 hour days for the past two weeks. I think I'll take Monday off. - Timmy Rowan, Rowan Frameworks |
- Seren Bicycles -
Ollie Downward has been building touring bikes for a while at his workshop above The Bicycle Academy in Frome. Not that long ago, the pump track round the corner from the Academy got him thinking about making a bike he could ride to brush up on his skills and have a bit of fun on, and so designed and built
Seren's first BMX/cruiser frame. Taking a bit longer to complete than his regular builds, Ollie had to learn new techniques like using bending machines on his plain-gauge chrome-alloy tubing. The seat tube is oversized with an aluminium shin, allowing for more stiffness in the bottom bracket, whilst being able to run a lightweight seat post. The all over hydro-dip transfer graphics proved to be icing on the cake.
| It hasn't been ridden yet, and I think its first ride is going to have to be at midnight when there's no one on the pump track because otherwise I'm just going to embarrass myself. The build has allowed me to practice my fillet brazing. I've been frame building for about three to four years on and off and spent over a year working at Enigma near Eastbourne where I learned quite a lot, and then I wanted to control what I was doing on my own, especially working with steel using traditional techniques. It's nice to do your own thing but it's very difficult to make a living from it. I'm now lucky enough to be upstairs from TBA, which is amazing because there's always someone there that can help solve a problem. - Ollie Downward, Seren Bicycles |
- Swarf Cycles -
With over 4 years of making eye-catching frames, including full suspension models like the Curve, shown at last year's show, 2015 saw Adrian from
Swarf Cycles deliver an award-winning 29" to the show; the Spline. With a 120mm fork, the Spline features a 75 degree seat angle, a 67.5 head angle (sagged), a long top tube, Reynolds 853 at the front and Columbus at the rear, with modern aggressive geometry. The Spline featured elegant cable routing which gave the bike an overall clean look. The frameset is available to buy in three sizes, and comes in at £820 with a powdercoat finish or £940 with a wetspray finish. Sadly, the full-sus Curve proved too much work for larger scale manufacture, so for now Adrian's concentrating on the Spline, but who knows what the future might bring!
- 2015 Show Award Winners -
www.sonytv.com/programs/community/cast/shirley-bennett
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I am not on board with a lot of the latest trends and I ride full-suss 90% of the time because I get too beat up on my hardtail (On One 456 EVO) but I am a bit intrigued by the 27.5+ hardtails...that is if they are sub-28 lbs and can still take a beating. I know that is bad form here but I had to come clean.
I did go and have a look round, but to be honest, it was 33% fixies, 33% road bikes, 33% town bikes, 1% mountain bikes. Its not really my target audience?
But yes, hopefully I'll have some bikes to sell this Summer. Keep an eye on my Facebook page for updates Facebook/StarlingCycles
Then we got a "REDUCE CARBON RIDE STEEL" retard at the bottom. Yeah let's do that because steel is sooooo much better than carbon, what with how heavy it is & the way it rusts. :/ WTF you think makes iron into steel anyway? Pixie dust?
And the Tshirt is what is known as a 'joke' - like you, but only funny.