Welsh cycle manufacturer to ride 1000km across Europe on wooden bike

A Welsh cycle manufacturer who builds bikes out of wood is riding over 1000km across Europe to raise awareness of sustainable travel.

Andy Dix of Twmpa Cycles, based in Hay-on-Wye, set off from Dunkirk on Tuesday (October 8) and plans to arrive in Dresden, Germany, to show his custom-built frames at the Bespoked bike exhibition within a week.

He said: “Sustainability is a key driver of the Twmpa brand and the idea of flying to Dresden and then talking up wood’s carbon-capturing qualities didn’t sit right with me.

“I was lucky enough to have a gap in my diary, my bikes are engineered in wood for comfort over long, hard miles – what better way to prove their mettle than in the saddle.

“Flying often isn’t the only option or even the best. There’s a lot to be said for taking it slow, and I’m enjoying spending quality time in corners of Europe I’ve never explored before.”

Off-road

Dix’s 1200km bike-packing odyssey is predominantly off-road and takes in Ghent, Maastricht, Siegen and Chemnitz.

“The terrain through Belgium has barely a ripple but it gets more interesting as I travel across Germany,” he explained.

“There aren’t any major mountains but it becomes progressively more rural going east, following forested river valleys and climbing rolling hills.”

Anticipating a dearth of campsites and other suitable accommodation, Dix will be relying on the kindness of strangers for some of his overnight stays, and found willing hosts through slow travel apps Welcometomygarden.org and 1nitetent.com.

Ash timber

He said: “Knowing I’ll have use of a hot shower after a couple of long legs is going to be a godsend.

“I’m looking forward to meeting some like-minded souls and sharing some slow-travel stories with my hosts.”

Twmpa Cycles make frames from sustainably-managed, British-grown ash timber.

Dix says that ash locks away planet-warming CO2 to the tune of -457kg per tonne, whilst an equivalent quantity of aluminium – the most commonly-used material in bicycle mass manufacturing – comes with a carbon toll of 4523kg.

He said: “Our use of wood is far more than green virtue signalling, though. Wood is an amazing engineering material that has largely been forgotten, and ash in particular has unique shock absorbing properties. The ride quality has to be experienced to be believed.”

Dix has been a Bespoked regular since founding the business in 2018 and will be showing his wooden-framed gravel, road and city bikes as the show returns to Dresden for a second year.

Bespoked runs from 18-20 October with over 100 exhibitors from across Europe, alongside factory visits and rideouts.