the uk handmade bicycle show

Issue 01 Spring 2015
the uk handmade bicycle show
free
bespoked
times
bespoked 2015 preview / handmade cycling goods and design /
the constructors’ challenge / why buy bespoke? / meet the maker:
saffron frameworks / camille mcmillan / the bicycle academy
bespoked times
ev er y thing bicycle
Bespoked - The UK Handmade Bicycle Show returns to its Bristol roots next month to showcase the
world’s best frame builders and hand made cycling goods. So what can we expect to see at
Europe’s leading handmade bike show?
For those who have never been before, Bespoked
- The UK Handmade Bicycle Show is a celebration
of handmade bikes and those who make them.
Unlike most bike shows, at Bespoked you can
actually talk to the man or woman whose very
hands lovingly and painstakingly crafted the bike
you are feasting your eyes on. You can discuss
in minute detail the engineering, the materials,
the lug work, the geometry, the paint job – heck,
even the braze-ons. They can tell you where each
part of the bike you are standing before came
from and how and where it was made. They can
talk to you about your dream bike and start to
turn it into a reality. Got goose bumps yet?
This year over 90 framebuilders from around the
world will be bringing their newest creations
to Brunel’s Old Station. From legends like
Curtis Bikes, Shand, Longstaff and Woodrup
Cycles to the younger generation of builders
already making a name for themselves: Donhou
Bicycles, Sven Cycles, Saffron Frameworks and
Ted James Design, to name a few. With so many
new framebuilders, Bespoked will have an area
specially dedicated to future legends, so get your
orders in before the waiting list gets too long!
30 new exhibitors are featuring this year, crafting
in a variety of different materials. Amongst them
is Jaegher from Belguim with their ultra light
steel frames, Keim with their sculptural laminated
wood frames, Ti Cycles bringing their titanium
frames all the way from Portland, Oregon, and
bamboo frames by Virk Designs.
As well as the builders, companies like Brooks
England - makers of the iconic leather saddles,
Reynolds Technology - tubing manufacturers,
Chris King - manufacturers of drool-worthy
bicycle components will be at Brunel’s Old
Station. If you fancy having a go at making your
own bike framebuilding schools Downlands,
Swallow Bespoked and The Bicycle Academy will
also be there.
With such a diverse range of exhibitors this year,
Bespoked now spans two venues with three
new events making the show more accessible
than ever. The Arnolifini – one of Europe’s
leading centres for contemporary arts at Bristol’s
harbourside, a two-minute cycle from Brunel’s
Old Station - will host the Bespoked Handmade
Cycling Goods and Design Show, a showcase for
the best cycling accessories, design and apparel.
So if a handmade bicycle is not quite within your
budget for 2015, shop for stylish cycling apparel
from Vulpine, custom frame bags for bikepacking
and touring from Wildcat Gear, organic T shirts
and mugs by Middle of Nowhere, or just one
perfectly bound and ad-free Boneshaker Mag
- celebrating the wonderful things that happen
when people and bicycles come together.
Also at the Arnolfini is another highlight of the
show, a retrospective of cycling photographer
Camille McMillan’s work from the last ten years
(read his interview on page 10).
And (drum roll please) 2015 heralds the arrival of
a brand new Bespoked event that aims to elevate
the bicycle art form into new realms. The ground
floor of Arnolifini will host The Constructors’
Challenge. The new event invites teams of
builders, designers and end users to exhibit a
custom-built bicycle created for a specific and
real task. From a pedal-powered coffee trike to a
cargo bike for a painter, there will be inspiration
for whatever bicycle-brained project you may
be dreaming up yourself. (See more on The
Constructors’ Challenge on p.5)
Something for the
weekend?
Bristol is the first ever UK city to win the
2015 European Green Capital award,
having seen off stiff competition from
cities across Europe. The award recognises
Bristol’s environmental performance
and ambitious goals for sustainable
development, including having the
highest cycling rates of any major UK
city, three and a half times the national
average! So if you’re planning on visiting
Bespoked, why not make a weekend of it
with our mini Bristol guide:
Take your bicycle on a wonderful
ride over the Clifton Suspension Bridge,
which spans the picturesque Avon Gorge.
For almost 150 years this Grade 1 listed
structure has attracted visitors from all over
the world and been the symbol of the city
of Bristol. On the south side is Leigh Woods,
a beautiful and diverse broadleaf woodland
on the plateau above the gorge, with
superb views across the city to downland
beyond, a mountain bike trail and natural
play area.
Take the children along to At-Bristol,
Bristol’s interactive science centre, to
explore hundreds of hands-on exhibits,
live shows and a Planetarium. Get making
and tasting in the seasonal spring kitchen
or plant and investigate seeds and shoots
in the greenhouse, investigate specialist
medical equipment in the live lab or just
relax in the café with the children’s soft play
area.
Paulus Quiros
Meanwhile, on Friday and Saturday
evening at the Victoria Rooms in Clifton is
the BANFF Mountain film festival, featuring
the latest and best films from the world’s
most prestigious mountain film festival.
Mountain skiing, biking and climbing, stuntriding, surfing, speedriding, slacklining,
kayaking down concrete drainage
ditches… it’s all here guaranteeing you an
inspiring rush of adrenalin to finish the day.
Keim
bristol2015.co.uk / visitbristol.co.uk
at-bristol.org.uk / banff-uk.com
Bespoked opens to the public on Friday 17th April
from 2pm to 7pm, Saturday 18th 9.30am to 6pm,
Sunday 19th April 10am to 4.30pm. Advance tickets
cost £10 from bespoked.cc or £15 on the door. Entry
into the Arnolfini is free of charge.
Cover image - Sven Cycles
www.bespoked.cc
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bespoked times
It ’ s A ll In The Deta il
Fill your panniers, baskets, musettes, messengers and saddle bags with cycling’s most beautiful
and desirable accessories, design and apparel at The Bespoked Handmade Cycling Goods and Design
Show. Here’s a sneak preview to whet your appetite for the delights that will be on offer.
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1. Boneshaker Magazine boneshakermag.com 2. Cycling shoes by Quoc Pham quocpham.com 3. T shirt by Middle of Nowhere middleofnowhere.cc 4. Beanie by Middle of Nowhere
middleofnowhere.cc 5. Stanforth Kibo stanforthbikes.co.uk (photo Kaytie Peschke) 6. Vulpine womens waterproof Gill jacket vulpine.cc 7. Barragan Jacket Vulpine collaboration with Oliver Spencer vulpine.cc
8. Milltag Stripes Jersey milltag.cc 9. Custom Frame Bags by Wildcat Gear wildcatgear.co.uk 10. Patch by Middle of Nowhere middleofnowhere.cc 11. Restrap Unite bag restrap.co.uk
Bespoked Handmade Cycling Goods and Design Show opens to the public on Friday 17th April from 2pm to 7pm, Saturday 18th 9.30am to 6pm, Sunday 19th April 10am to 4.30pm. Entry into the Arnolfini is free of charge.
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www.bespoked.cc
bespoked times
Ta k e The Ch a llenge
Photo: Velopresso
design, make, build, ride: the bespoked constructors’ challenge is elevating the bicycle art form to new heights
The brainchild of Bespoked founder Phil Taylor,
The Bespoked Constructors’ Challenge is a new
event that aims to demonstrate the diversity
of possible uses for the bicycle and that they
form a viable alternative to the car for regular
work and daily life.
In today’s traffic choked cities, with cars
crawling along slower than when horse
and carts were king, the bicycle can slice
through traffic delivering you and your cargo
more efficiently and stylishly than any other
means. Take, for example, a florist delivering
flowers by bicycle - specially designed to
keep the flowers protected and fresh - can
cut swiftly through traffic jams, allowing for
more predictable delivery times and saving
huge amounts of money on fuel.
Five teams of builders, designers and end
users have been chosen to exhibit a custombuilt bicycle created for a specific and real
task at Arnolfini Centre for Contemporary
Arts in Bristol as part of Bespoked - The UK
Handmade Bicycle Show. We meet the teams
who are up for The Challenge.
Passenger Lift Services
Who: Based in the West Midlands, Passenger Lift
Services are the UK’s largest manufacturer of
wheelchair lifts for passenger accessible vehicles.
The Concept: “We were looking for something
different to focus the skills our engineering
apprentices learn through their three years
of training. As many sections of the bike as
possible will be designed and manufactured
using our in-house processes. Current parts and
material sections will be re-invented into bike
components. The finished bike will show all of our
manufacturing processes, from traditional milling
and lathe machine work, TIG & MIG welding, to
3D printing (our newest machine). The materials
will be coated in our lift-finishing processes
including powder coating, zinc bleaches and
polished materials.
At the end of the project, when the bike is fully
constructed, we will extend the project further
to help demonstrate our assembly techniques on
the production line. Using a new non-lift product
will help deliver the importance of lean and well
thought out assembly principles using a product
they are not familiar with and make them think
outside the box. We would like to think that future
apprentices will be able to re-design the product
each time with subtle updates, whilst still keeping
the main focus on using all in-house techniques,
materials and processes where possible.”
passengerliftservices.co.uk
Rodford
Who: Steve Bodiley and Rob Bushill, united by
a love of old world transport, build cargo bikes
in their workshop in a hamlet of Rodford near
Westerleigh Bristol.
The Concept: “Our show bike is a one-off special
designed as a commission for Marks Bread, the
Bristol baker. He is passionate about delivering his
bread using a bike, and this box bike will replace
his current bicycle and trailer setup. This Marks
Bread Boxbike has been designed to increase
his delivery range, speed his deliveries up and
increase his carrying capacity a triple whammy.
Mark hand-crafts some very nice bread in Bristol’s
Southville. It is great that in this Green Capital year
for Bristol, a local business is investing in green
transport to provide a cost effective, efficient and
environmentally friendly service to his customers.
The frame is made from T45 chromolly steel, an
aircraft grade steel. Our cargo boxes will be a mix
of wood and aluminium. The frameset currently
weighs in at a kilo under the class leaders,
whilst being build from material specs that have
strength at the core.”
rodfordbuilt.co.uk marksbread.co.uk
Moss Bikes, L!fe Bikes and RedShift Radio
Who: Andrew Jones is Head of Design and
Technology at Adams’ Grammar School in
Cheshire, and a bicycle framebuilder. Under
the name Moss Bikes, he builds traditionally
lugged steel framed bikes using British-made
components. In 2013 he launched the project
L!fe Bikes, a course that teaches GCSE and A-Level
students at Adams’ how to design and build their
own bike from scratch. Last year the students
exhibited the bikes they built at Bespoked.
Redshift Radio is their local community radio
station.
The Concept: “It’s a bit of a crazy one,” says
Andrew. “The brief is for myself and the students
of L!fe Bike to design and manufacture a steel
framed Redshift Radio utility cargo bike. The bike
will carry a range of lightweight broadcasting
equipment and be a focal point for the radio
station at events, but, when you take off the cargo
bits, it will still be a nice bike for the employees
of Redshift to ride. By putting it on rollers, it will
also be used as a training bike to promote cycling
and health. The students who designed and built
bikes for GCSE are now at A-Level stage and are
chomping at the bit for the next project, so I’ve
got a ready made team for the Constructors’
Challenge, and this project is more complicated
and challenging for them.”
mossbikes.co.uk redshiftradio.co.uk
Velopresso
Who: London based Velopresso was founded in
2012 by industrial design partners Lasse Oiva
and Amos Field Reid. Their research into this
project began in spring 2011, drawing on several
decades of cycling experience, their industrial
design and communication backgrounds, and a
shared love of bicycles, fine coffee and the beauty
and pleasure to be found in efficient mechanical
machinery – particularly of the human-powered
rotary nature.
Concept: “A fully integrated coffee tricycle that
combines great mobility and espresso machinery
with ultra low-carbon, pedal-powered operation
that requires no electricity. Designed from the
ground up, our rear-steer modular tricycle,
pedal-driven grinder and robust gas-fired lever
espresso machine is a fusion of human power,
www.bespoked.cc
sensory pleasures and technology – old tech with
hi-tech, bicycles and coffee, their engineering
and aesthetics. A hightly efficient, robust and
humanised machine with a compact footprint no motors, no noise.”
Velopresso.cc
Workhaus Bikes
Who: Based in Brighton and Hove, Workhaus
Bikes is a new venture founded by Duncan
Henderson. The aim is to encourage the return
and use of utility bikes in the UK and reduce the
reliance on the combustion engine.
Concept: “Our project is to produce a cargo bike
for a painter. The artist, Sam Hewitt, whilst a keen
commuting cyclist historically, either drives his
equipment to any chosen location or works from
photographs back in his studio. The equipment
required for painting in the field, whilst being a
little unwieldy in the case of canvases, is by no
means heavy and so can be transported by bike
with ease.
Apart from the obvious benefits: health and
wellbeing, reduced pollution and costs, Sam feels
that the pleasure of this self-contained vehicle
coupled with the physical nature of getting to a
chosen site will provide further liberation for his
work. The bike needs to securely transport wet
canvases and palate, brushes, paint, turps, rags,
easel, a large umbrella plus the usual luggage for
a day out on a bike.”
workhausbikes.co.uk
The Bespoked Constructors’ Challenge takes place
from 17th to 19th April 2015 at Arnolfini Bristol, as
part of Bespoked – The UK Handmade Bicycle Show.
Entry is free. For more info go to bespoked.cc
Velopresso and other bicycles from the
Constructors’ Challenge will be on display at the
Engine Shed, Temple Meads Station from 1st April
until 13th May 2015 engine-shed.co.uk
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W h y B u y B esp ok e ?
The advantages of riding a custom bicycle - by phil taylor
Have you ever thought how your bicycle fits
you and suits the way you ride? A bicycle
made especially for you, when every detail is a
considered choice, is a pure joy to own, ride and
will last you a lifetime.
In the same way one might visit a tailor to
get the perfectly fitted suit, a visit to a bicycle
framebuilder will lead to your perfectly fitting
bicycle. But in the same way the tailor-made suit
not only fits perfectly, the cloth and the cut say
much more about both the wearer and the tailor
than the sum of those parts. It is designed and
made to suit the wearer and the environment
while instilling an inner confidence no off the
peg number ever could. Those in the know will
recognise the quality mark of the tailor, others
will see a stylish well fitting suit.
Richmond Denton, a custom bicycle owner, sums
it up, “The suit makes me walk a foot taller, I feel
like a better, more confident man in it. When a
bike fits you perfectly and enhances your athletic
attributes, it’s hard not to be a better cyclist.
I swing my leg over her top tube, I cycle a foot
taller, brimming with confidence”.
Tony Corke, Bicycle Fit and Design Instructor at
The Bicycle Academy explains, “The reason that
the custom bicycle is such a wonderful cycling
experience is because of the time and detail
spent designing and making it. It is the marginal
gains accrued through the assessment of details
within the fitting, design and manufacture
processes that result in significant improvements
to the function of the bicycle for its rider.” There
are those measurable advantages and then there
are those that just feel right.
Not so long ago, when people still bought locally
grown veg with mud on from the green grocers
and milk was delivered to your door, most large
towns had at least one bicycle framebuilder.
Skilled in measuring the cyclist and joining
the tubes in the correct fashion, this is where
the serious cyclist would acquire their ride.
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The majority of these bikes would sport drop
handlebars with frames made from Reynolds
steel tubing, and would be seen on club runs or
laden with panniers heading off into the sunset.
But then times changed. Veg was imported,
cleaned and sold in the supermarket and bikes
became cheaper to make overseas, and, while
a few framebuilders still carried on - Mercian,
Condor, Roberts, Rourke and Woodrup’s to name
a few - to meet the needs of the discerning cyclist,
many framebuilders retired or closed when their
orders dried up.
But today locally grown, muddy veg comes
delivered to your door, and closer than you think
there is a small workshop with measurements
being taken, designs being drawn up, welding
torches joining tubes and people riding off into
the sunset with a smile from ear to ear. The time
of the framebuilder is back! The advantages these
skilled artisans can deliver are there for everyone
to enjoy. But what are the advantages of buying
a custom bicycle?
“It feels like it’s part of me”
“It goes where I want it to go, it reads my mind”
“I forget that it’s there”
“It feels like an extension of my own body”
“It just feels….right”
The obvious advantage of a made to measure
bicycle is that it fits you perfectly. In the same
way a tailor takes measurements to ensure the
perfect fit, the bicycle fitter does the same. A
bicycle that fits correctly for the purpose it’s
intended will make the rider more comfortable,
and a comfortable rider can ride faster for longer.
THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOU
A whole industry is dedicated to ensuring that
bicycles are fitted correctly to the rider. Andy
Morgan of Kinetic-One in Gloucestershire, who
has been fitting bicycles since 1999, says. “Poorly
fitting bikes and poor riding positions always
lead to loss of performance and speed, reduced
motivation and ultimately, to injury. Riding a
bike is about so much more than just having a
decent bit of kit, it is about freedom, space and
even about mastery over our environment and
of our own will, so whether you race, or you ride
purely for pleasure, it’s supposed to feel good. It’s
such a shame then that so many people are so
uncomfortable and hence underperforming on
their bikes. Often this is simply because they may
not be aware just how unique their body is, and
that their riding strengths and weaknesses - limb
length, muscle strength, spine shape, weight and
flexibility - are unique to them too. Chances are
that if they don’t know this then they won’t know
that a bike can be designed, built and configured
to support their unique strengths and to work
against their unique weaknesses. Put simply, it
can catapult performance into a new dimension,
improving body position and comfort, pedal
stroke efficiency, muscle usage and energy
consumption, and reduce wind resistance. In
short, you’ll get faster and it’ll feel easier.”
One of the largest benefits of owning a bicycle
made for you is down to the material selection.
The iconic bicycle tubing maker Reynolds have
around 500 different tubes for a frame builder to
choose from when tailoring the frame to meet
the requirements of the rider. Robert Wade of
Swallow Bespoke Bicycles explains, “A bespoke
frames material and tubing will be chosen to
suit your weight, riding style and the type of
riding you are planning to do. It will be perfectly
balanced and will feel a pleasure to ride. A massproduced 56cm frame will be made to cope with
the maximum weight rider expected to ride a
56cm frame, that could be as much as 16 stone
(224Ibs, 101kg), so will be totally over built, too
stiff and heavy if you are a 10 stone (140Ilb, 63kg)
rider.”
FLEX MATTERS
The selection of the tubing is crucial in
determining the feel of the ride. The larger the
diameter of a tube the stiffer it is. Read any review
www.bespoked.cc
of a bike designed to go fast and you will notice
how the words ‘speed’ and ‘stiffness’ are never far
apart. Modern race bikes are very stiff laterally,
they resist the twisting forces caused during
pedaling, efficiently propelling the bike forwards.
Framebuilder Tom Sturdy, who has a racing
background and various national titles as well as
degrees in engineering and sports biomechanics,
has ridden lots of bikes while racing and questions
whether ‘stiff equals fast’ is always correct. “When
I raced at elite level it was an assumption that I
whole-heatedly agreed with. I was lucky enough
to ride a vast array of top-end bikes, all of which
had excellent lateral rigidity. I used to ride these
bikes all year round, putting very high mileage
on them. I became quite adept at identifying the
subtle differences between the frames. It was
not until I got myself an old steel winter bike
that I began to question the industry drive for
lateral stiffness. My winter bike was heavy and,
by the standards that I had grown used to, it was
mushy. It didn’t rocket away when I got up out
of the saddle, and I didn’t feel amazed every time
I picked it up. The problem was that is was fast,
damn fast. I found myself riding my regular routes
faster on my winter bike than on my top-of-therange racer, I could sprint almost as fast and it
was nicer to ride. I could average the same power
output and not have the same dead feeling in my
legs. This got me thinking.”
What Tom identified is what Newton noted in
his Third Law – action & reaction - “As the tube
bends away from the weighted pedal the axle
of the chainset also lowers slightly (the tubes do
not lengthen and as the weighted side of the axle
is not in the central plane of the frame it must
lower). This movement is of benefit to pedal
rotation because as you begin to unweight the
pedal at the bottom of the pedal stroke the frame
returns to its original starting position which
raises the axle again and in turn actually rotates
the cranks for you. “ The skill is in the framebuilder
to get that flex perfectly tailored to meet the
bespoked times
“A bespoke frame will fit you perfectly, be balanced to suit
your weight and riding style, and ride just how you want it to
ride” - Robert Wade, Swallow Bespoke
rider’s requirements.
“This is a phenomenon dubbed ‘planing’ by
a series of great articles in Bicycle Quarterly
magazine, who conducted double blind
experiments to confirm its existence,” says Tom.
“Imagine running up a flight of concrete stairs.
Each step is solid, it does not move as you push
down on it and this is immediately perceptible.
What is happening is that as your foot strikes the
ground the instantaneous equal and opposite
reaction force travels up through your leg and is
carried by your skeleton and muscles (which must
then produce a positive force differential to move
you upwards). Now imagine running up a flight of
old wooden stairs, they are soft and springy. This
too is immediately perceptible as the reaction
force in your body is completely different,
building up and decaying more gradually, over a
longer period of time. Notice too how you would
actually run up these stairs differently, you would
try and use the spring in the steps. You would
have a different feeling in your legs at the top of
the stairs because on one flight your muscles had
to overcome a very short sharp spike of force and
on the other, although the absolute value of the
force was the same because you still got up the
stairs, it was delivered differently.”
WHICH FRAMEBUILDER?
If you want a bicycle that’s fast, stylish,
comfortable, tough, light and, most importantly,
conceived by you, then you need to pay a visit
to a framebuilder. But with all the framebuilders
being able to provide you with a superbly fitting
and handling bicycle, how to choose which one
to go with?
Bespoked – The UK Handmade Bicycle Show,
happening from 17th to 19th of April in Bristol, is
a good place to start your research. Framebuilders
from around the world will be exhibiting their
bikes and available to discuss your future
custom bicycle, or just give you some advice
and a jumping off point for your dream build.
The majority of the bicycles on show have been
commissioned, rather than being built just for
display. They are the results of the partnerships
between customer and maker. Walking round
the show you will soon see the different styles
of each framebuilder and the different materials
that they use.
MATERIALS
The chances are, when deciding to go bespoke,
you will have an idea of what material you would
like the frame to made of. You will be able to
choose from steel, titanium, aluminum, carbon
fiber, wood, bamboo or maybe a mix of two or
three. Each has its pros and cons and different
ride characteristics, but by far the most popular
would be steel. It’s the material that has stood
the test of time and is the material to which all
others are compared. New lightweight steel
tubes (Reynolds 953 and Columbus XCR) are
comparable in weight to titanium and only
400grams or so heaver than an average carbon
frame.
The way the tubes are joined by the artisan is of
primary importance for some people, and is their
main reason to choose that framebuilder. The
traditional method of lugs (a socket into which
a tube is brazed) can be hand carved, polished,
chromed and outlined into the most exquisite
shapes. Or there is the perfectly smooth transition
of the fillet braze, while some prefer the clinical
beads of efficiency that tig welding provides.
Once the seed has been sown about having a
bicycle made, it’s amazing how soon you realise
that, while there are elements of off-the-peg
bikes that you like, there is nothing in existence
that’s got it all. This is where the magic happens
and you start to create your dream bicycle, a
bicycle that does not yet exist.
“I ride a Donhou and it was worth every penny
and every minute of my life that it absorbed
during its gestation,” says proud owner Ian
Vincent. “Each time I ride it I am reminded of
From left to right: a bike fit with Andy Sexton of Bike Science, lug detail from Swallow
Bespoke, Ricky Feather at work, Ted James (R) with customer Matthew Watkins , paint at
Rourke Cycles, Reynolds tubing, titanium head tubes at Legend, Craddock Cycles
what everyone else is missing out on: the ride,
the handling, the perfect riding position, the kids
shouting “nice bike mate”, the folks at the coffee
stop staring like they had just seen a celebrity. It
has heart, it has soul. Most importantly it has my
heart and soul.”
YOU DECIDE
The amount of input you want to have is down
to you, but undoubtedly the more you put in, the
greater that first ride will be. A couple of hours
on the Internet can get you so deep into how
geometry affects handling you could become an
expert, or realise a lifetime of research awaits.
Robert Wade says, “Ordering a bespoke frame
is a process that should be fully involving, a
consultation between you and the builder, after
all it is a frame that will be lovingly crafted for
you. A bespoke frame is a considered decision
that is invested with emotion and passion and
an experience that should be savoured and
enjoyed. You actually have input and control
over how your bike should look and feel. At the
beginning of the journey you start with a blank
piece of paper and will be guided through the
correct fit and geometry that suits you, your body
and riding style. This will take into account any
injuries or physical considerations your body may
have so that you can be comfortable and efficient
on the bike. A bespoke frame doesn’t come in set
sizes and angles, it’s built around you. You then
decide how it will look and the components that
will be fitted. It becomes your bike and then the
journey continues as you take the first ride and
then lasts a lifetime.”
THE COST
All well and good you may say, but what about
the cost? Well, yes, a custom handmade bicycle
may cost anywhere between £1000 - £3000 just
for the frame, and then you could spend the
same again on wheels, saddle and components.
But this is something that will last a lifetime and,
because of the time and financial investment, it
www.bespoked.cc
will be cherished forever. Those that have made
the leap of faith speak nothing but praise of how
going bespoke has been the best decision they
ever made.
“My car is old, my furniture is flat pack but my bike
is perfect. My Roberts is the best thing I have ever
owned, the only thing that is not a compromise.
Beautiful to look at, beautiful to ride, and it has
given me so much pleasure it was worth its
price many times over,” writes Hilary Searle on
Bespoked’s Facebook page.
Brad Flynn, proud owner of a Curtis Bikes off road
bicycle says, “Having a custom built frame for
me was about ironing out anything unnecessary
and getting something that suited me and what
I wanted to ride the bike for, as well as supporting
a small brand that has kept true to what they
believe in, regardless as to what has changed
around them. Owning a custom bike should give
you that feeling of needing to get out on it every
time you see it.”
Andy at Kinetic-One perfectly sums up the reason
to have a custom made bicycle: “For most riders
we come across, cycling is their only sport, their
only hobby and their single abiding passion. It’s
often the only part of their life where they get to
do exactly what they want to do, even if only for a
few hours, unencumbered by all the complicated
stuff that life demands. When you think of it like
that, doesn’t everyone deserve a custom built
bike? A part of life where everything connects,
where the whole is so much more than the
sum of it’s parts, and where we can simply and
organically realize our potential.”
Phil Taylor is the founder of Bespoked and
framebuilder at Libertine Bicycles
libertinebicycles.co.uk
Tony Corke - torkecycling.com
Swallow Bespoke bicycle - bicycles-by-design.co.uk/
swallow-bespoke
Kinetic-One - shop.kinetic-two.co.uk
Tom Sturdy - sturdycycles.co.uk
7
bespoked
THEUKHANDMADE
BICYCLESHOW
17th - 19th A pr il 2015
Arnolfini & brunel’s old station
b r i s to l
2015 Exhibitors
Daccordi S.R.L
DeAnima
Dear Susan
Donhou Bicycles
Downland Cycles Ltd
BRUNEL’S OLD STATION
UK HANDMADE BICYCLE SHOW Exigo Bikes Ltd
Evolution Imports
14 Bike Co
Faggin
Advanced Velo Design Farrer
Windcheetah
Festka
AOI.CYCLE
Field Cycles
Alchemy Bicycle Company
Gerald Gilbert
(Mosquito)
Hallett Handbuilt Cycles
Atomic 22
Hartley Cycles
August
Hatfield Cycles
Automatic Cycles
Helavna Cycles
Baum (Prestige Cycles)
Hevans Custom Cycles
Bear Bikes
Hilton Cycles
Bike Science
Independent Fabrication
Blacksmith Bikes
(Mosquito)
Bowers Kustom
Jaegher Airlight Steel
Brooks England
Race Cycles
Campagnolo
Just Riding Along
Chris King
Keim
Cielo
Constructors’
Legend
Cloud 9 Cycles
Challenge
Libertine Bicycles
Moss Bikes, L!fe Bikes, COFA Engineering
Longstaff
Columbus
Redshift Radio
Malcolm Custom Bicycles
Passenger Lift Serivces Comtat Cycling
Mawis-Bikes
Condor Cycles
R&D Team
Merényi Bicycles
Craddock Cycles
Rodford
Middleburn Cycle
Curtis Bikes
Velopresso
Components
Workhaus
ARNOLFINI
Handmade Cycling
Goods & Design SHOW
Boneshaker Magazine
Brooks England
Campagnolo
Cinelli
Chicken Cycle Kit
ColourBolt
Mack Workshop
Massifcentral
Middle of Nowhere
Milltag
Pedal Ed
Quoc Pham
Restrap
Sapim
Shutt Velo Rapide
Stanforth Cycles
Swrve
Vulpine
Wildcat Gear
Photogr aphy
Retrospective
Camille McMillan
Mike Hickman Designs
Moots (Mosquito)
Mosaic (Prestige Cycles)
Mosquito Bikes
Moss Bikes
Moulton Bicycles
Mustard (Prestige Cycles)
Nappolini Cycles
Nerve
Nevi
Olsen Belt-Drive Bicycles
Ogre
Pacenti
Paulus Quiros
Pegoretti (Mosquito)
Petersbike
Phoenix Hotworks
Post
Prestige Cycles
Revanche Bikes
Reynolds Technology
Robin Mather Cycles
Rohloff
Rowan Frameworks
Royce UK
Rusby Cycles
Saffron Frameworks
Satoma Cycles
Seren Bicycles
Shand
Shed 6 Cycles
Slate Cycles
Son
Sparrow Cycles
Sputnik Tool
Strada Wheels
Strawberry Bicycles
Sturdy Cycles
Sven Cycles
Swallow Bespoke
Swarf Cycles
Sword Cycles
Talbot Frameworks
Teague Bicycles
Ted James Design
The Bicycle Academy
Ti Cycles
Titchmarsh Cycles
Toad Custom Cycles
Tsubasa
Virk Designs
Wheeldan
Winter Bicycles
Wittson Custom Ti
Cycles
Woodrup Cycles
Zullo (Mosquito)
Bespoked opens to the public on Friday 17th April from 2pm to 7pm, Saturday 18th 9.30am to 6pm, Sunday 19th April 10am to
4.30pm. Advance tickets cost £10 from bespoked.cc or £15 on the door. Entry into the Arnolfini is free of charge.
Bespoked 2015 is supported by Scan to buy
your tickets
All information correct at time of printing. Exhibitor list may be subject to change prior to the
show. Any changes will be posted on www.bespoked.cc
Scan to visit
bespoked.cc
bespoked times
a dv ertisment fe at ur e
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Photo: Ben Winder
A n INter v iew w ith A ndr ew Denh a m fo under of the bicycle a c a dem y
Every year we see more new builders
exhibiting at Bespoked. With so many coming
from frame building schools we decided to
catch up with Andrew Denham, founder of
The Bicycle Academy to learn more.
What is The Bicycle Academy and what does
it do?
Fundamentally, The Bicycle Academy (TBA) is
about helping people to build bicycles. We are
starting to sell frame building supplies and are
developing our own range of tools too, but we
are best known for frame building courses and
skills masterclasses.
Can anyone learn at The Bicycle Academy?
Absolutely. Since we opened we have trained
over 400 people and had students visit us from all
over the world: USA, China, Russia, New Zealand,
Singapore, Japan, Norway, even Peru. We run
courses that suit complete beginners right up to
the established professional builder looking to
brush up on skills or develop new ones. Our seven
and ten day Bespoke Framebuilding Courses are
very popular with people who want to learn
whilst making a unique bicycle for themselves.
What’s the hardest part of learning a new skill?
Performing a new physical skill can feel a bit
like rubbing your tummy, patting your head
and hopping on one leg, whilst answering trivia
questions. It can be mentally exhausting and
it’s easy to get something wrong that can cause
everything else to unravel. Our job is to help
people to learn how to do each thing well, then
how to bring everything together in the right way,
at the right time. The biggest challenge when
teaching experienced builders is helping them to
break habits and re-engage with a process that
has long since become automatic. In each case
we work to make sure that the student really
understands the process before undertaking
exercises that enable the whole process to be
learnt bit by bit, layer by layer.
Is it really possible to master something in
a day, or a week?
The skills involved in frame building are complex
and intricate but by breaking each of them down
it is possible to train people to an incredibly high
standard in a relatively short period of time. No
matter how little prior experience our students
have we ensure that they all produce work to be
proud of. Of course, to become a true master at
something takes more time, but with the right
approach it is possible to speed up the process.
We don’t just show people and then let them
get on with it parrot fashion, all of our courses
are designed to teach the practical skills and
understanding that people need to be able to
engage in meaningful practice, and that makes
the big difference.
What advice would you give to someone
starting out?
I give the same advice to all of our students: relax,
take care and take your time, ask when you’re not
sure, it’s not finished until you’re proud of it and
most importantly, enjoy yourself. It is important
not to get hung up on the size of the task as a
whole, as it can be intimidating. Mitre by mitre,
tube by tube - if you work carefully you’ll end up
with something brilliant.
Do many of your novice students build more
frames after the course?
Yes, after making themselves a bike on one of our
courses most of our students continue to build
more. Some do so just for fun and others work
towards making it their profession. We are really
proud of the number of our students who have
gone on to exhibit and even win awards and we
are very excited to see that over 20 past students
will be exhibiting at Bespoked this year. We have
also just found out that one of our students, Casey
Sussman of Mars Cycles has won the People’s
Choice Award at NAHBS this year, so that is
great news!
How many people work at TBA?
There are nine of us in total. The core teaching
and development team is Robin Mather, Ted
James, Paul Burford (BTR), Tony Corke (Torke
Cycling), Tom Macphail (Academy Tools) and me.
It is like a big family. Everyone brings something
different to the mix, be it their experiences,
interests or skills and we all work closely together
on everything that we do here at TBA. Each day
brings something new and we are constantly
learning from each other.
development of our new range of frame building
tools. Academy Tools is something we have
worked towards for 2 years. We want to provide
people with a range of high quality well-made
tools that allow them focus on the building and
won’t break the bank. Our first batch of frame
building jigs sold out before they were even
made so we have been thrilled with the response.
You can expect to see lots of new Academy Tools
products at Bespoked this year and over the
coming months.
What are you looking forward to at Bespoked
2015?
Seeing all the wonderful work on display. The UK
scene is thriving thanks to a great community
of builders all pushing each other on. It is also
really exciting to see new builders like Satoma
Cycles, Sturdy Cycles, Hartley Cycles and Rowan
Frameworks, exhibiting for the first time and it
makes us very proud to be a part of that.
thebicycleacademy.org
@thebicycleacademy
01373 473767
What plans do you have for the future?
We are always developing our range of courses
and adding to our workshop. Most recently
we have been putting a lot of time into the
www.bespoked.cc
9
meet the m a k er
Bike photo: Matthew Townsend Portrait photos: Phil Gale
bespoked times
we talk to London based award winning framebuilder, Matthew Sowter of Saffron Frameworks
How long have you been framebuilding and
how did you get into it?
I’ve been building bikes since 2009. Initially
I worked at Enigma before founding Saffron
Frameworks in 2011. I’ve always loved riding,
when I was younger I raced in South Africa. I
started my working life as a chef, which is where
the Saffron name comes from. I did that for a few
years, but after a while I wanted to really focus
on something close to my heart. The answer was
to combine my passion for bikes with a way of
earning my keep.
What defines your style as a framebuilder?
That’s quite a tough question to answer. I’m
known for a few things, for example using
stainless steel, and frames that incorporate
materials such as carbon fibre and even wood.
If you wanted me to sum it up in a single word
then I’d say I’m versatile. What you see in a Saffron
bike is the answer to a specific customer’s need,
expressed through a combination of the design
and the aesthetic.
Who, or what, has inspired you?
I’m inspired by things that resonate with my
approach to bike building, so I’m drawn to the
elegant and the practical. That means my sources
are really broad, it could be anything from a piece
of architecture, the natural world or a fantastic
piece of graphic design.
Are you preparing anything special for
Bespoked 2015?
Where is your favourite place to ride?
Yes. I really can’t say anything ahead of the show
because it’ll spoil the surprise, but I’m hoping
people will respond really positively to it.
I don’t really mind where I ride, my perspective is
that it’s more about enjoying how it feels when
you’re out on a bike.
Have you had any unusual requests?
If you weren’t a framebuilder, what would you
be?
I do get approached to do some very unusual
projects. One of my favourites from the last
twelve months was my collaboration with a
Japanese Katagami artist. Katamagi is a style
based on stencils. I built a bike that had a steel
frame that was clad in CNC machined wood. The
wooden elements and the wheel rims featured
Katagami work. A matching saddle and saddle
bag finished it off.
Unemployed! I think frame building is something
you tend not to drift into, it’s quite a conscious
decision. If I couldn’t build frames then I’d have to
spend a lot of time figuring out what I did want to
do. Maybe I’d jack it all in, live on a tropical island
and be a sponge diver.
saffronframeworks.com
For more Meet The Makers visit bespoked.cc
big daddy and my puch
The background of my bicycle love - By Camille McMillan
ones I would see in the Sixes: Patrick Sercu, Didi
Thurau. Didi was it for me, the ace. He looked so
good on a bicycle, he was fast, he was a six day
man and roadie, he had it all and, listening into
the adult conversations, he was dodgy. I loved
dodgy, he was what a pro bike rider should be, he
was my new Big Daddy.
As the 80s dawned, Lycra arrived and the Austrian
bicycle manufacture Puch was on the scene.
Puch-Sem-Campagnolo: great jersey, great bike,
great kit, great riders. They were the underdogs
to Ti Raleigh (Ti Raleigh was a kind of SKY of its
day, but won everything with maximum gains).
The director of Puch-Sem-Campagnolo was Jean
de Gribaldy (which is a whole big story). Its stars
were Joaquim Agostinho - a tough hard as nails
40 year old, and the German Didi Thurau.
Today kids are into wrestling but it’s World
Wrestling, it’s big business. In the 70s, after a big
bout, you knew Big Daddy would go back to his
dressing room and have a cup of tea and a slice of
sponge cake. Now you have a feeling that on the
way back to the dressing room they will sell some
evil energy drink to the kids, slap on a massive
testosterone patch and shag a porn star. Granted,
it’s appealing, but it hasn’t got the same warmth.
When I was a kid in the 70s wrestling was big.
Saturday afternoon TV was wrestling and the
biggest star was Big Daddy. Big Daddy and
wrestling back then was as British as Tizer and
Birds Custard. It was warm and real, almost from
the musical hall tradition of Britain pre-cinema.
Many a rainy Saturday afternoon was spent
watching the safety of British wrestling.
At that time the school playground was full of
kids pretending to be on strike, playing British
Bulldog, chanting football names. Liverpool,
Ipswich, Kenny Dalglish… “What team do you
10
support?” was the general ice-breaker on meeting
a new kid. My answer of “Ti Raleigh” was normally
met with a bemused face or a punch in the chops.
Luckily I was good at scrapping, I liked it. Like Big
Daddy (real name Shirley Crabtree) and Johnny
Cash’s ‘A Boy Named Sue’ I had a girls name, and
kids being kids…
Where I did not have a girls name was Benelux.
Benelux just across the sea via hovercraft, it was
cool. The bike races in Benelux had that feel of
Saturday afternoon TV in Britain: traditional,
a bit crap, sort of cold and a bit damp but with
a warmth - just wonderful. In the UK kids were
wearing football scarves around their wrists, in
Benelux it was wool cycling hats with loft. Big
blokes with friendly faces smelling of fags and
beer with names like Brik, Jann or Camille. At 10,
I was sold.
Everything was under the umbrella of Eddy
Merckx. It was like Merckx was a given, the racing
was underneath his rulership. Merckx was never
really of interest to me. With names like Walter
Godefroot, Freddy Maertens and Hennie Kuiper
who needed Merckx? I liked the fast ones, the
www.bespoked.cc
My Puch is Saturday afternoon TV in the late 70’s
- the world is cool, the world is simple.
camillejohnmcmillan.com
A retrospective of Camille’s cycling photography
will be at Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol from 17th to 19th
April as part of Bespoked The UK Handmade Bicycle
Show. Entry is free. For more info go to bespoked.cc
LESS POLITICS
MORE PEDALLING.
THE SORTING
OFFICE, WC1
8TH
10TH
MAY, 2015.
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