We design and build bicycles in the South West of England, just outside Bristol.
Every bike is individual, each steel frame fashioned by hand, each weld unique and good function guaranteed
we are challenging the established notions of what’s possible by bike.
Nice people building good bikes.
The Rodford Built Transport cycles story began in 2010, when Rob inspired by Metrofiets, Cetma Cargo and Tom Labonty in the USA bought an inexpensive Steel mountain bike, some mild steel tube and a sheet of cardboard and fashioned a cargobike in the style of a Kemper filibus or Belinky. It was MIG welded together and was solely for his own use, for shopping and just really to prove it could be done. He wanted to create a cargobike that was stylish, fresh, somehow he managed to make it happen, it rode well and the first bike was a good looking thing.
Early in 2011, the first UK Handbuilt bicycle show was being organised and was conveniently to occur in Bristol. Rob being being an avid follower of the North American Handbuilt bike show and the now defunked Oregon Manifest ,this was an opportunity not to be missed. so for that show he built two bikes, another cargo bicycle in the same style as the first but being slightly more ambitious..using Shimano Roller brakes, a Nuvinci N360 hub gear and a rather brave (lurid) colour scheme, all component choices rather at odds with the trends. The bike paint was still wet when it rocked up to the show at paintworks, Bristol, something that has become rather a feature of Rodford Built Show bikes..He also took a Ladies bike that he had built for his wife to be, which was perhaps lacking in one or two utility elements such as fenders and a chaincase but was on point and unique to the show, the first ladies and the first cargobike shown at UKHBBS. Rob and Rodford Velo as it was then, were awarded a commendation that year, (which TBH was kind of the judges).
Since 2011 there has been a lot of work behind the scenes, Rob was still running Really Useful Bikes, retailer and modifier of cargobikes but there was not much actual progress on self built bikes. There were lots of beery chats with his friend and cargobike advovate Mark Forster but not much building. until.......Rob met with Steve Bodiley. Steve was making sidecars for BMX's , these were called sidehacks and were used in a form of BMX racing in America, Steve was producing these in reasonable numbers from his own workshop. they were a clever design but cleverer still was the jig that Steve had made to produce them. This was noted...They got on well and made a few little things together, drank tea and to keep a short ish story shorter began to share some workshop space.
It turned out Rob and Steve skills were complementary and this union of minds has brought Rodford Built the missing link it needed to think about producing in volumes, the fabrication of components and frames.
We use local suppliers and engineers where possible and even use the Bristol pound where we can, in fact local cycle engineering firm Cofa Engineering built us our first extra long frame building jig in return for us building him a rather nice set of wheels for his NOAH bike in 2014.
Its not all been talk and good intentions. they have made award winning bikes that are being thrashed around Bristol daily, delivering bread and other items, ferrying kids and dogs and become part of the family for a growing number.
Along the way they have redesigned, tweeked, headscratched and blagged and had their fair share of challenges, the market is new, the technology’s are changing quickly and they now produce small numbers of reasonably priced, handbuilt, functional transport cycles.
Designing bicycles takes a long time....if we are honest we didn't think that it would take this long....we have our bicycles rolling around Bristol and South Glos for a few years, being testing and 'developed'.. Our design philosophy is that the bikes are simple, manufacturer able on a small to medium scale and be as affordable as they can be. Their build method is modular so design elements can be carried over to each model, that how they get their style... this means tubing of certain sizes needs to be found, techniques have to be invented and jigs designed and redesigned...
Its a big job..bigger than they thought, but they have have won awards on the way, and more importantly facilitated businesses to grow and families to get more mobile. The story is still unfolding…the world is changing, Rodford Built Transport Cycles could be just what you need to get you moving..
