‘Would it take pannier?’ A simple question that may well have opened a can of worms or perhaps a door of opportunity, we will have to see with that one.
You know when you have an idea that just keeps coming back and you just can’t shake it.
Well, this one was sparked by a small piece of wood given to me after a conversation at the Southampton sporterium last year with Nick, the designer of wooden bikes that are built here in Southampton.
The small wooden ‘business card’ worked exactly how it was designed for.
While tidying a drawer a couple of weekends ago, it once more found its way into my hand. Its sheer tactile nature just cried out for some attention I sat down to look once again at their website. The bikes displayed seemed somewhere between workhorse and art instillation and they definitely had appeal.
It was then that the question popped into my head. ‘I wonder if it will take a pannier or two?’ Actually, if I wanted to tour on it, it would need to be able to take a significant amount of weight. On my last trip, each pannier weighed 6Kg with another 3 on the top rack. Then 1.5kg in each of the tiny bags at the front. And let’s not even think about my weight on top of all that.
So I found the ‘Contact us’ and asked the question. Absolutely, came the confident response from Nick the founder, designer, and brain behind BEAMZ.
We arranged to have a proper chat on the last
Friday of Easter. Nick currently builds his bikes in his workshop/office attached to his house and very kindly invited me round to see his process in operation.
I have to admit that my mind was blown from the moment I arrived, so much so, that I had to return later to take photos having forgotten the first time.
There were piles of wood wherever you looked. Most stripped and straightened ready to be put to work. Nick's long-term aim is to use wood specially coppiced for the process, but for now, he salvages the wood when trees are managed or cleared by local tree surgeons.
On the main workbench was ‘The twig’ one of the early bikes built here. It was back for an ‘update’ as various methods had been improved since it was first made and Nick was keen to ensure it was kept to the best standard.
Wilf, the owner, used it daily for his 20-mile commute to Hamble. It has obviously been well used, yet doesn’t seem to have aged at all.
(Photo used with permission - Nick Coates)
(Photo used with permission - Nick Coates)
By the time I returned for photos, It was back with its rightful owner, but there are photos of the new improved ‘Twig’ here on the BEAMZ Instagram page. You can see the upgraded binding on the head tube compared to those on the forks in this photo.
Nick explained that any Beamz bike practically comes with a lifetime warranty and any improvements he made to his design process would be offered as an upgrade. He sees it all as a learning process. ‘It’s like it’s a ‘beta’ bike that you are permanently testing for me’ he said.
In the garden was the Bug bike - decorated initially by bugs under the bark, but then by Nick’s highly talented daughter using pyrography to burn in the images of the bugs permanently.
Just as with Wilf’s, these aren’t showpieces, this bike is used regularly by Nick himself.
A second bike belonging to Sarah (Nick’s wife) was beside the first. Both just looked stunning in the sunshine. I couldn’t wait to find out more.
Sarah’s was designed with comfort in mind. A less rigid frame that worked as a shock absorber as she rides. I asked how many BEAMZ bikes there were at the moment. Just 7 so far, but the fleet is increasing all the time.
The attention to detail on these bikes is just phenomenal, Nick and Sarah spend hours working out the best way to tie the hemp in such a way that it is pleasing to look at, yet very very strong.
As Nick explained, He hasn’t just been designing bicycles, He’s had to design a whole method of bicycle production and in most cases, designing and developing the tools needed to complete each step too. From the wood steamer that recirculates the water used, to a tool to make tapered pins of the right diameter, he has designed and built them all, while remaining true to the companies values of
sustainability.
I could hear the frustration in his voice as Nick explained that they haven’t yet worked out a way to make Wooden wheels (I noted the word yet!)
Once stripped and steamed, the wood used to make the mudguards, needs to be bent to shape, this again involves purpose-built tools - the first to bend it into shape over an arch of wood, the second, an oven to dry it in a way that will keep its shape. Even these tools are made as sustainably as possible (there was a wheel-less wheelbarrow sat somewhere in the garden)
Once bent, they are held taught using strong rope, then placed in a large purpose-built oven to completely dry.
Of course, as with everything about this process, the oven is designed to use the least electricity possible so has a heat exchanger built in to maximize efficiency and numerous meters to ensure it is working most efficiently.
On this, my second visit (the one to take the photos) Nick was redesigning the jig used to make the frame the correct dimensions.
The mechanisms are a work of art in their own right and you can see the ingenuity of this designer oozing out.
Most of the tubes are hollowed out to prevent splitting and minimize weight. This again required the design of a specific tool to ensure the resultant tube has the correct thickness throughout it. Everything is designed and engineered to perfection.
So what makes this a bike for life. Well using wood for the bike saves 42kg of Carbon dioxide as refining the metal produces a lot of this gas. On top of that, 6Kg is stored in the bike itself. So before even giving up a car, you are already reducing your carbon footprint. The wood itself is mostly taken from coppiced woodland, which when managed correctly, greatly improves the biodiversity of the area. And to top it all, in seven years' time it will have regrown sufficiently to be used again. Perfectly sustainable.
So will I be ordering one? Watch this space to find out…
Thank you Nick and Sarah for opening up your home and allowing me to see the process in action. Thank you also for allowing me the use of the two photos of the Twig. The other photos are my own.
Check out the BEAMZ website https://www.beamz.org.uk/
for more details.
Exciting!
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