In 2011, The Bicycle Academy was set up, in southwest England, in an attempt to demystify the frame building trade. By 2022, it was forced to close its doors, due to the combined impact of Covid, Brexit and rising energy costs. But its proliferation of talented frame builders into the industry helped to breathe new life into the handmade scene in the UK and beyond. But what was its impact on the cycling industry? And what’s left now it’s gone?
I’ve always found it interesting how acutely you can grasp the measure of a person via voice alone. The Bicycle Academy founder, Andrew Denham is kind - I can hear it down the phone. He’s tired, too. Talking about the Bicycle Academy is a wound still fresh - “I put my entire thirties into it,” he says.
