It was new bike day for our friend Bart this weekend. Having ridden The Metal Bike for some time, Bart decided to go for a custom build of his own.
Besides being one of the friendliest guys around, Bart is a serial entrepreneur investing in projects all over the world, including renewable energy in Durban, South Africa, among others. Closer to home (The Netherlands), Bart is also the owner of Dutch Outdoors , encouraging businesses to take their brainstorms outside, and his latest rather big project: De Zeeuwse Oase, a multifunctional outdoor space in one of The Netherlands’ remarkable rose gardens.
Using David Mercer’s signature Grubby Grivet all-terrain frame with the Columbus Tubi and the Futura gravel fork as the strong base, we projected the swirly brand design of the Zeeuwse Oase onto the bike. Ashley over at Shamrock Paintworks did a more than perfect job; it’s in the details.
The team at South Industries hooked us up with two wheelsets: one GX-700 gravel for all terrains and the RX R4 rims on his road wheelset, allowing him to take this build pretty much anywhere. In line with his gravel needs, we equipped him with the brand-new Shimano GRX-800 13-speed. The Comp Skyline Saddle, VentureMax 31.8 Handlebars, and Cinturato Gravel Hard Terrain 42mm tires make it a comfy yet aggressive all-terrain machine under 10 kilograms. Valdis over at Bikes & Records in Rotterdam helped us out with the build. Keep an eye out on the tracks around Zeeland for this one!
If you cycle or drive around the Cape Peninsula, you know Scarborough’s The Village Hub and its small coffee stop outside. Whether you’ve visited once or come there regularly, you know the guys and girls who serve you with a smile and attentiveness, never too busy for a short chat.
One of these guys is Rodney, who, like so many people in South Africa, came to the country at 17 looking for a job and landed one. When you visit The Hub, chances are great he’ll be around working the coffee machine. Since coming to Cape Town, Rodney has been gaining knowledge about what it takes to run a small business and saving money to start his own.
Malawi is best known for its agriculture, exporting goods like sugarcane, tea, potatoes, and tobacco to the rest of the world. The country is also home to several distinct coffee-growing regions. According to CoffeeWDY, “Malawi primarily cultivates Arabica coffee, known for its superior quality and distinct flavor profiles. Arabica coffee plants thrive in the high-altitude regions of Malawi, benefiting from the cool temperatures and adequate rainfall that contribute to the development of nuanced flavors in the beans. While other varieties, such as Robusta, are grown in the country, Arabica remains the dominant and sought-after variety for its exceptional cup quality.”
Maloto
2023 has been a tough year. As Rodney is from Blantyre, his family was heavily affected by Hurricane Freddy in the beginning of 2023. An uncle and three of his nephews died in the disaster and the storm wiped out his livestock, meaning seven caws. Additionally, he lost his brother, who was staying with him in Cape Town, in a fatal accident.
Rodney’s hometown Salima is near Lake Malawi National Park. Located at the southern end of the great expanse of Lake Malawi, with its deep, clear waters and mountain backdrop, the national park is home to many hundreds of fish species, nearly all endemic. Its importance for the study of evolution is comparable to that of the finches of the Galapagos Islands (source: Unesco).
Next July, Rodney is planning on going back to make Maloto (The Dream) a reality: a coffee shop of his own. You can show your support by donating any amount to his fundraiser campaign. In the meantime we dream about riding to Malawi from South Africa to end up at Lake Malawi shores.
Referring to early discussions with Paul Senyol on a collaboration identified a common opinion. Bicycles should move away from a consumer product, rather an object that spans multiple generations. Something to be loved and cherished by the owner but also has potential to have a second life with family, friends or even a collector. To achieve this potential endless life, the object itself should firstly be of high physical quality.
Capable of being repaired or updated over time, David Mercer made this possible by building the skeleton on which we can start this collab, sturdy, endless and importantly fun. Paul steps in to add another layer of value, emotional value. The outward appearance that inspires feelings towards the otherwise practical vehicle. The layer that causes the second look, inspires conversion and perhaps even inspire people to think differently about the two wheels we all love.
A great adventure took place between Jonathan Pinkhard and Wandile Msomi on the roads of Johannesburg to Durban through Lesotho. They cycled 936km and climbed an elevatian of 15km over an 11 day journey.
“It was an amazing experience, an experience of overcoming so many obstacles, from getting caught in a blizzard, to sleeping in an open corn field watching the most beautiful sun set. I would love to thank all the great advice and hospitality we found along the road, South Africans are a diverse group and Lesotho’s people are a sum of the bravest.”
Jonathan rode a custom Killat x Mercer frame, while Wandile used a Rook for this journey.
