Maker Reporter #33 - Ian’s Bike Project

Hi, my name is Ian, originally from the UK, just outside Cambridge, I have been living and working here in the Netherlands for almost 20 years and have always enjoyed using my Engineering training to innovate and make things. I find inventing and making things relaxing and a break from my normal work.

Last year a good friend of mine moved back to the UK after living in The Netherlands for 14 years and I made him a leaving gift from various materials, a gift inspired by the comedy greats “The Two Ronnie’s” and involved 4 candles made from wooden fork handles. Watching the sketch at the above link will add some context :) and a laugh.

After showing a colleague the “ForKandles” he challenged me to make a bicycle from wood as I also enjoy cycling, I believe he may have been joking but I like a challenge so that is exactly what I did, I made a bicycle, from wood and have now ridden more than 2,000 km on the bike and even recently converted it to an eBike, just for fun.

It was a great deal of fun making the bicycle, re-learning some skills I had not used for many years and new skills around bicycle manufacturing and assembly. Telling friends and colleagues the story over a beer has generated a lot of interest and even requests for me to make bicycles for them.

Since making this first bicycle for my own pleasure, I have decided to make more for sale, it’s a low Co2 footprint, sustainable product to introduce which I believe would get some strong interest in the market.

For now the plan is to make a couple of bicycles, market them and see if I can really make a business out of it. This is where Microlab comes in, from having great equipment to utilize to enable me to make a more professional version of the bicycle, I also hope to meet more of the Microlab members and utilize the skills and expertise of the various businesses to help get my own business off the ground.

I hope to meet more of the Microlab members as the COVID-19 restriction lift and within a few weeks the finished bicycles will be ready to market and enjoy as the weather gets warmer.

I look forward to meeting you all soon!

Ian Aspland