Inside Wildwood Cycles: Handmade in Victoria

I wasn’t familiar with Wildwood Cycles until my friend Dave spotted their booth at this year’s BC Bike Show in Vancouver. However, and this comes as a compliment, I’m not that surprised that Jesse Hildebrandt’s custom-made steel bicycles hadn’t come to my attention sooner. The thing is, Jesse is a Red Seal Welder / fabricator by trade, and this experience shows in the products he makes—he’s just much more concerned about overall aesthetics and quality than keeping up with marketing and promotion. I respect his no-frills approach to the operation, especially since he fits it in around his schedule as a full-time welder in Victoria, BC.

On my way to Victoria to attend a Black Lives Matter peace rally last week, I popped by Jesse’s backyard workshop to learn more about the business, his plans, and to check out one of his West Coast-worthy steel hardtails. Scroll down for a Q&A with Jesse, including photos from my visit.

• 
• 
• 

• 
• 

Tell us about your cycling background and what kind of riding you’re into today.

My background of riding started as a kid. I grew up racing BMX and then rode a lot of skateparks through my teens. These days I mostly just ride MTB around the South Island with the occasional bikepark trip. I still go for the BMX every now and again but my back doesn’t always appreciate it.

You’re a welder by trade, right? How’d you start making bicycles?

Yeah I’m a welder / fabricator, and working with metal was a natural interest when I was younger that led to going to school for welding. I think being passionate about bikes and riding is ultimately what led to wanting to make bikes myself. There’s something about creating a bike of your own and sharing it that feels pretty special.

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

You’ve been designing and manufacturing more than just bikes recently. Care to tell us a bit about those products?

I’ve been making several different products over the last year and selling them online. A cargo cage for packing gear on fork legs or on downtubes, a trail building tool, a gear deck for holding tubes on bottle bosses, a Micro Bong, and gear hangers.

How would you describe your design philosophy?

I just to not overthink anything too much. Keep things simple and effective and clean.

• 
• 
• 

• 
• 

Your pink hardtail is quite unique. What’s the story behind it?

Thanks! The pink bike does get a lot of comments. I wanted to make a hardtail for the BC Bike Show this year, which ended up being that project. The seat angle is 77° and the head angle is 66°. I just thought I would try it out. The front triangle has fully internal cabling, so no fear of water getting into the tubes. I also put a triple boss on the downtube for fun.

You’ve been working on a new hardtail design, right? What can we expect?

The V2 hardtail is going to be super slack and maybe have some nice bends in the tubes. I will probably do some more stainless details on it as well. Stay tuned for more on that…

• 
• 
• 

• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

If someone wants to order a custom Wildwood Cycles, what does that process look like?

All custom work starts just with an email to wildwoodcycles@gmail.com! We can discuss geometry and needs, paint and parts, or even just repairs. All custom frames start with a 50% deposit.

Any big plans for 2020 / 2021?

I do have big plans, but they take time and effort. I hope to have a new work space soon, and maybe even a door that you could walk through. I’m also working on design for a full-suspension but right now I’m just going day by day and building bikes one at a time.

You can learn more about Wildwood Cycles online at WildwoodCycles.ca and on Instagram @wildwoodcycles.