How things should be made

In an age of mass-produced products, having something that was made just for you is special. There is no question that production lines in far-flung lands make high-quality products, but seeing how something is made, and knowing it was made for you really creates a connection between you and that item. I worry that things are becoming more disposable as we lose our understanding of how they are made. Objects that are made to measure are not disposable. A new model is not necessary. It’s special and unique because it is yours.

My uncle was a blacksmith, and he taught me a lot about the joy of making things with your hands. I saw his passion and skill in forging new objects from shapeless lumps. Each piece he made was unique. It was the antithesis of mass produced. Things took time, skill, and sweat. He once made me a fire poker and, despite me not having a fireplace, it is one of my most prized possessions.

The fire poker also illustrates something else important to me – it will sound harsh maybe but, despite being beautiful, for me, it is an object without a particularly meaningful function. And function is important!

Pretty much all bikes are functional, but sometimes it is the small details of an object that will define its use: If you have a bike that doesn’t fit, you won’t want to ride it. If your bike doesn’t have lights, you’ll rightly be reluctant to use it after dark. If your bike doesn’t have a rack (or a cargo bay), you won’t throw in your shopping and ride home. Narrow tyres – no gravel. Uncomfortable position – short rides. Hard saddle – sore arse (OK, that’s maybe not fair).

I guess I want to convey that the bikes we ride decide where and how we ride them. And moreover, the bikes that people in society ride shape the society itself. Nice, functional bikes are freedom. Practical, beautiful, everyday bikes free us from the emissions of cars, they put us into contact with nature, they improve our physical and mental health, they shape us for the better.

Now I make things for other people, things with more use than that beloved fire poker. And I hope the bikes I make, with both functionality and personalisation, will change the way people live (a little bit).

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