Where I Bike Ep. 5: Ryan Builds Wheels

Words and photos by Craig Lambard

Ryan’s workspace is exactly what you’d hope for: stacks of rims, boxes of hubs, tools everywhere, and a drum kit tucked into the corner. It’s equal parts workshop, rehearsal space, and creative lab, where the rhythm of spoke tension and rim truing is punctuated by the occasional drum break. “No self-respecting wheel-building operation is complete without a drum kit,” Ryan laughs.

A former academic and theatre director, Ryan never planned to end up in the cycling world. After studying and working in theatre, he found himself volunteering at the Bristol Bike Project, a community space that helps people learn to fix and ride bikes. That experience changed everything. He moved on to work at some of Bristol’s busiest workshops, sharpening his skills and finding his calling in wheel building. “I thought I was hot stuff,” he jokes, “but I realised I knew nothing. I had to really learn the craft.”

Years later, that craft has become a business built on care, precision, and personality. Ryan and his small team now build custom wheels for riders across the UK and recently became distributors for Velocity USA rims, adding another layer to their independent operation.

Every wheel that leaves the shop carries a bit of Ryan’s philosophy, a belief in doing things properly, supporting local riders, and keeping a sense of play and creativity alive in an industry that can sometimes take itself too seriously. “We need more of that shit in the bike world right now,” he says, and you can’t help but agree.

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