We reported on Friday how the Bicycle Academy, a crowd-funded frame building enterprise aiming to equip people the skills to build bikes, was close to reaching its target just three days after taking its first pledge.
Well, they smashed through their £40,000 goal over the weekend – just six days in. By pre-selling four-day courses, at £500 and £1,000, on top of smaller sized pledges starting from £20, they can now use the profits to set about getting their workshop fitted out with the machines and tools they need. On Friday, they were still £5,200 shy, but with ten more £500 courses made available over the weekend, it didn’t take long to reach.
Founder Andrew Denham told BikeRadar of his his delight at the response. "Brian (Curtis, TBA's frame builder) and I couldn't be happier," he said. "We've been working towards this for some time, so its a great feeling knowing that we'll definitely be setting it all up as planned. The response has been overwhelming, not only did we sell all the available course places but we've generated a healthy waiting list too. We can't thank everyone who backed us, or spread the word, enough - it's thanks to that support that we're in this position, and in only six days!"
He added that the funding will continue as planned for the full six weeks and will again use the profits to buy additional equipment for the workshop.
The courses will see students taught the art of building lugless steel frames by expert builder Brian Curtis. They'll provide students with all the tools and facilities they need to make their first bike, which will be then sent to Africa-based bike aid charity Re-cycle for people who rely on them for their everyday lives. While the bike they make on the course is destined for charity, the skills they learn will set them up to build frames for life. Graduates of the academy will also get access to the workshop to work on their own bikes.
For more information, visit The Bicycle Academy website.
