Wooden Bicycles: Bertie Bikes

WORDS Lindi Brownell Meiring PHOTOS Casey Bertie

Boat builder Richard Bertie decided to take a break from his high-tech profession to build a wooden bicycle from scratch.

The idea for the Bertie Bike came about after Richard’s son, an interior designer, asked his dad to help him build a carbon fibre bicycle, a material that Richard specialises in. “Well, I had to say yes!” says Richard, who thought he’d try to build a wooden bike at the same time. “I would do it old school and he would build using new technology.”

It was important for Richard that his wooden bike be made by hand using sustainable materials. “It takes me back to my roots,” he says, referring to his building in wood with his father. “The timber comes from the earth and the off-cuts and waste go back to the earth, into the garden. I also like the idea of not using too many electrical and mechanical tools, trying instead to use hand tools as much as possible.”

It took Richard about a month to build the Bertie Bike. It involved steaming, boiling and shaping of the timber: ash for the frame and handle bar, white beech for the wheels and oak for the seat post. The biggest thrill for Richard is seeing the result, a beautiful wooden bike that actually works. It’s this that has inspired him to keep building. Having recently finished a standup paddleboard, he plans to make an electric scooter with a timber frame next.

Fancy your very own custom-built bike? Richard is taking orders here.