The Bicycle Academy

The Bicycle Academy The Bicycle Academy Limited went into liquidation on 10th November 2022 We specialise in teaching and are renowned for our un-filed fillet brazing.

The Uk's most popular bicycle frame building school, The Bicycle Academy provides frame building courses and skills masterclasses for novices, enthusiasts and pro’s, and fully equipped workshop hire for those who don’t have their own.

On the 10th November The Bicycle Academy went into liquidation, after over 10 years in operation.  Ultimately, the combi...
30/11/2022

On the 10th November The Bicycle Academy went into liquidation, after over 10 years in operation.  

Ultimately, the combined impact of the COVID, unplanned relocation of the workshop, Brexit, supply chain issues, commodities & energy prices, cost of living increases and inflation created a perfect storm. Having dedicated years of our lives to building The Bicycle Academy, we were determined to secure its future, however in the end we couldn’t make it add up. 

Fundamentally TBA was about making frame building more accessible. It’s not easy to build bicycles, but with the right information, education, tools and support, doing it to a high standard is absolutely achievable. We tried to help out wherever we could. Encouraging, supporting and celebrating those who are eager to try, with optimism. Making distinction between ‘fit for purpose’ and ‘probably fine’, whilst imploring everyone to be respectful of their responsibilities as the maker. It’s at the core of what TBA always tried to do, and I hope it’s where we’ve made the biggest impact.

Beyond delivering a syllabus, consulting, or selling a thing, TBA made fun things happen like the ‘Hack Bike Derby’ and ‘Old Skool x New School’. Fun for the sake of fun. I think that life is too short not to do things like that.

Fundamentally TBA was about people, from everyone who worked at TBA, the students that we taught, to the people that backed the crowdfunding campaign that got it all started, and everyone else who we met along the way. TBA wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for you. Tom, John and Jack, the core team who fought until the last (pictured above), your dedication has been beyond anything I could ever have hoped for. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

The TBA workshop has closed its doors for the last time, and we’re all moving on. Things will never be the same, but TBA will always have been what it was. I’m really proud of that. Create space in your life to do good things that matter to you. It’s not always easy, but it’s where the magic happens and memories are made.

Sincerely

Andrew



P.s. I’m starting a little business in the new year. Look out for info in the coming weeks.

There’s no such thing as perfect. Despite the posters we don’t think it’s real, and we don’t try to find it. We believe ...
07/10/2022

There’s no such thing as perfect.

Despite the posters we don’t think it’s real, and we don’t try to find it.

We believe in better.

Better is better because it celebrates where you’ve got to, no matter where that is, or where you were.

Better is better because it’s always within reach.

Better is better because no one can or redefine it, or take it away from you.

Better is so much better than perfect.






📸 by

There’s no such thing as perfect. Despite the posters we don’t think it’s real, and we don’t try to find it. We believe ...
07/10/2022

There’s no such thing as perfect.

Despite the posters we don’t think it’s real, and we don’t try to find it.

We believe in better.

Better is better because it celebrates where you’ve got to, no matter where that is or where you were.

Better is better because it’s always within reach.

Better is better because no one can or redefine it, or take it away from you.

Better is so much better than perfect.






📸 by

FOR SALE!We’re selling two of our favourite bikes. We don’t want to, but we’re gonna…“SPLAT GRAV is a better gravel bike...
06/10/2022

FOR SALE!

We’re selling two of our favourite bikes. We don’t want to, but we’re gonna…

“SPLAT GRAV is a better gravel bike than the best gravel bikes. Only even better.”

“GXC is so good that there’s no point bothering with other bikes. In fact you may as well not bother if you don’t end up owning it.”

*We can’t confirm whether or not these reviews are impartial

So, click on the link in bio to find out more about these rad rolling machines. You know you need at least one of them. Yeah that’s right, I said need.


A few months ago visited TBA to hang out, chat and take photos. It was fun. He was nice. And we ate cake. He wrote an ...
04/10/2022

A few months ago visited TBA to hang out, chat and take photos. It was fun. He was nice. And we ate cake.

He wrote an article for which said lots of nice things…

“Apart from the dream team of teachers and staff, the secret sauce of the bicycle academy’s success in having produced so many world class and often pioneering builders, is basically treating the wide variety of students that come through their doors to spend a week or two learning something new, with kindness, humility and empathy. Aside from the frame building aspect of the school, the world would be a better place if everyone took a leaf out of the book of TBA.”

… that definitely convey what we’re all about. Apparently the full article was 5,000 words, but even at the edited down 3,000 it’s a long form look into who we are and why we do what we do.





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Link in bio

Will () made this for himself in November last year. He’s ridden it everywhere since, and loves it more than he loves hi...
29/09/2022

Will () made this for himself in November last year. He’s ridden it everywhere since, and loves it more than he loves his dog (prob, I didn’t ask him).

“I’ve never been comfortable saying this bike is inspired by a certain landscape. However, this bike feels very much at home on these classic Cornish lanes. A road bike would be uncomfortable, but 40mm rubber and a full steel construction is bliss. Mudguards mean you can ford the many streams with ease and ride across a beach without thinking too much. The low gearing is perfect for all but the steepest ramps that exist all over the county, and while the shifting might seem archaic it does mean you can dump it into the lowest gear with the swipe of a hand; across the whole cassette in one sweep when another savage incline presents itself around a blind corner.”

Since doing the course Will has started building solo, something that always gives us so much pride. Head over to to read how this came to be and why it’s been so important to him.



This is Casey, from Utah. She’s super happy because she has just ridden the urban roadster she made, for the very first ...
23/09/2022

This is Casey, from Utah. She’s super happy because she has just ridden the urban roadster she made, for the very first time.

Casey and a cohort of 8 other BYU students completed a special make a bike’ experience in May. 5 days, tubes and lugs to .bike painted fully assembled bike.

We all had a great time, and to make the whole thing even better… they took the bikes and rode around Ireland the week after!




Omar made this frame on a 5 day course about 9 months ago and built it up recently. It’s exactly how he imagined it. Exc...
19/09/2022

Omar made this frame on a 5 day course about 9 months ago and built it up recently. It’s exactly how he imagined it. Except better.





Book onto one of our courses now. We’ve got a few places left before the end of the year, and 2023 dates are up too.

You’ll make something even better than the awesome thing in your head.

Excuse the mess, but we live here.
17/09/2022

Excuse the mess, but we live here.




“Did I really just do that?!?!!Yes. Yes you did. “How?Because you’re awesome Book onto one of our frame building cours...
16/09/2022

“Did I really just do that?!?!!

Yes. Yes you did.

“How?

Because you’re awesome





Book onto one of our frame building courses so that you can high-five yourself for being fiya.

Link in bio.



… and we probably know less than you think we do. But in the end it’s not really about knowledge at all. It’s about the ...
09/09/2022

… and we probably know less than you think we do.

But in the end it’s not really about knowledge at all. It’s about the way we think, work and learn together. How we go about the things we do, and hope to do. Not facts. The approach we take, rather than what we think we do, will, or should know.

The best teaching is not about teaching at all. It’s about helping people to learn. Guided discovery. Developing understanding, and understanding that if things go well we’ll continue develop. There is no final test. It doesn’t stop. We are never not learning.

So please book onto one of our courses; we’ll tell you everything you need to know about mitering, insist that you denounce anything to do with non-round tube profiles, and make you recite your Shimamo 2x chainring spacing tables. You probably won’t pass so we’ll patronise you, but you will get a certificate of attendance, so you should be grateful.

(Seriously though, please book onto one of our courses. They’re ace)

Current 2022 availability;

5 Day
21st November - 3 spaces
28th November - 4 spaces
19th December - 4 spaces

10 Day
12th September - 1 space (50% off!)
5th December - 4 spaces

2023 dates online now!

Thanks

Andrew and the team




Over the past 8 months the workshop has been bustling with over 100 people spending time at the bench, each making their...
02/09/2022

Over the past 8 months the workshop has been bustling with over 100 people spending time at the bench, each making their own bespoke steel frame. Files and fire, good (and bad) music, and loads of biscuits. Zero to hero in 5-10 days. It’s an exhilarating experience.

We’ve got lots more people booken in before the end of the year, but we still have some spaces available for the following dates:

5 Day
21st November - 3 spaces
28th November - 4 spaces
19th December - 4 spaces

10 Day
12th September - 1 space (25% off!)
7th November - 1 space (10% off!)
5th December - 4 spaces

That’s 17 more people (in addition to those already booked) who could be holding a freshly built frame in one hand whilst high fiving everyone they can find with the other.

We love what we do, and our students do too. So whether you want to make one frame, or go on to make more, you’ll learn loads and have a great time. You won’t build something that’s just “ok for your first go”. It'll be wonderful, fit you like a bike should and last longer than you do. Something to be proud of, that will give you miles of smiles and plenty of memories, starting from the moment you step foot in the workshop.

If you have any questions, then send us an email and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Go on… you know you want to!

Thanks

Andrew and the team





Address

Unit 7 Longacre, Marston Estate
Frome
BA114BG

Website

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