Since leaving Shand Cycles in 2018 I’ve missed the physical enjoyment and creativity of making bikes so decided to get my hands dirty and explore the fabrication of aluminium frames as a personal project, satisfying an itch I need to scratch.

Why aluminium? Well, why not. I personally think it’s an overlooked material and easier to work with than steel, lighter and more resistant to corrosion. It’s also more cost-effective to machine or CNC small parts without resorting to 3D printing or other processes in steel. Don’t get me wrong, I love steel bicycles, but there’s a place for aluminium and I’d like to personally try something new. I like the feel of the material, the welding process and the different aesthetic. It’s something to explore and have fun with.

Aluminum is at once as white as silver, as incorrodible as gold, as tenacious as iron, as fusible as copper, and as light as glass. It is easily worked; it is widely spread in nature, alumina forming the bases of most rocks; it is three times lighter than iron; in short, it seems to have been created expressly to furnish material for our projectile!

Jules Verne

Not many frame builders offer aluminium, especially in the UK, so it will be interesting to compare the process to fabricating in steel and get some feedback. At Shand in 2008 we were ahead of the curve with our designs (29ers, disc brake drop bar bikes and all-road/gravel bikes) that are all now mainstream, whether handbuilt or mass produced. I kinda feel that aluminium has the same potential to have a renaissance and certainly didn’t see any welded aluminium frames at Bespoked in 2022.

So, what am I looking to build? Well, I’m interested in lightweight road and cyclocross race bikes, but also off-road trail and touring bikes where my heart lies and spend most of my time riding these days.

This is not yet a commercial project but a creative outlet to develop my aluminium skills and to see where things go. This website won’t be updated very often, so probably best to visit Instagram.com/stout_cycles for updates on progress and I’d love to hear any feedback – both positive and negative.