Say Hello: Northern Metal Bicycles

Freestone studios has proven a popular choice for bike builders. Earlier in the year we welcomed Geoff, a.k.a. Northern Metal Bicycles, to the building. We thought it was about time we popped by to hear his story.

Geoff grew up in Bradford, Yorkshire. There are a number of engineers in Geoff’s family, so his childhood interests in Physics and Maths made perfect sense.

In 2003, Geoff came to Bristol to study engineering. After graduating in 2007, he never looked back.

“I travelled around a bit with work, but always came back to Bristol.”

With Leigh Woods at his doorstep during his degree, Geoff discovered a love for cycling that would stay with him.

Seven years later Geoff had the opportunity to travel to Canada, where he was inspired to learn the art of bike building. During a visit to the Gulf Islands, Geoff got to know a strong biking community.

“There was a guy there who had been building frames for over twenty years. After meeting him, I felt inspired to make a living doing the same.”

Freestone Studios opened its doors soon after Geoff returned to Bristol. In no time at all he had found a studio to launch Northern Metal Bicycles from.

Geoff has found a solid bike-building community in Bristol, and recently completed (and raced) his first bike.

We look forward to seeing more of Geoff’s builds. Make sure you keep up to date with Northern Metal Bicycles on Instagram! You can also keep up to date with the latest Meanwhile Creative news and interviews on our Facebook page.