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The Bicycle Academy All-Star Lineup

The Bicycle Academy All-Star Lineup

From the press release:

This year, The Bicycle Academy’s Somerset-based frame building school is on course for even better grades, thanks to the addition of two British bicycle building masters. Andrew Denham, founder and head teacher of the bike-building school launched via crowd funding reveals distinguished industry builders Robin Mather and (Super) Ted James as his new fellow workshop teachers.

Builder of the 2012 Best in Show at the UK Hand Made Bicycle Show, Bespoked, Robin brings more than 20 years of frame building expertise; Ted, winner of the show’s 2013 Peer Award brings his distinctive engineering style to The Bicycle Academy (TBA). Andrew says that after opening TBA’s doors 18 months ago, he is honoured to welcome two of his personal heroes to his successful team. “The quality of their workmanship and range of techniques used means we can move up another gear and offer students an even richer experience.”

The Bicycle Academy All-Star Lineup

Commenting on his new role with TBA, Robin says he has always felt it important for practising craftsmen to pass on and share their skills, to encourage the development of new ideas and improve standards. He says his career has benefitted from what he describes as a “culture of openness” in the bicycle building industry.

“The opportunity to work with TBA is really exciting,” Robin says. “I have been very impressed with how much it has achieved in a relatively short time and honoured that they want me to be a part of it. I strongly support Andrew’s approach, in providing students with a framework for meaningful practice and feel that this is more likely to produce a long term interest in the craft.”

The Bicycle Academy All-Star Lineup

Ted says that he had always hoped to join The Bicycle Academy, after deciding to move out of London and head west: “I will now finally be joining the team and teaching frame building courses. “Andrew and I have been discussing ideas for additional courses where I can share some of the different things I do on a daily basis. We have also been working on some similar projects involving frame building tools – something else that we will all be developing together.”

DirtTV: Ted James Designs – Frame Builders a Mountain Biking video by benwinder

Andrew adds that Robin and Ted will continue with their own projects, while their hands on involvement with TBA will mean it can offer tuition covering a broad range of frame building techniques, using the layered teaching style on which its founder has built its reputation.

For more information, head the The Bicycle Academy website, and follow TBA on Facebook and Instagram.