upCYCLE LDN × Brixton Wings × Imperial College London
Project Type: Youth Design & Engineering Workshop
My Role: Project Lead / Impact & Operations Manager
Collaborators: upCYCLE LDN, Brixton Wings, Imperial College London
Timeline: April–September 2025
About the Project
The Wooden Bike started as a simple question: What if young people could build a real, rideable bicycle from scratch one that teaches design, sustainability, and teamwork along the way?
What began as a conversation in a shared workspace became a collaboration between community organisations, designers, and engineers.Together, we created a functioning wooden bicycle now a centrepiece for workshops and exhibitions that blend creativity, sustainability, and STEM education.
How It Started
In April 2024, a neighbour introduced me to Alex Clark, a Design Engineering master’s student at Imperial College London. After a few conversations, I connected Alex with Ben Dolman-Bowles, a designer and craftsman from db_mx who shared our studio.
Within weeks, Alex had designed the first prototype, and Ben, using a CNC machine and sustainably sourced timber cut the initial frame Mike, our mechanic at upCYCLE LDN, then fitted salvaged bike components to make it rideable.
Alex also designed miniature wooden frame kits, allowing young people to explore engineering principles in a hands-on, accessible way.
Workshop 1 — Evelyn Grace Academy: Futures Festival May 2025
Location: Evelyn Grace Academy, Brixton
Our first workshop took The Wooden Bike and the mini-frame kits to Evelyn Grace Academy’s Futures Festival, an event encouraging students to think about their next steps.
Having Alex a current Imperial College student there created inspiring conversations around university, design, and engineering. The mini-frame kits proved to be perfect conversation starters for future aspirations and creative confidence.
Workshop 2 — Great Exhibition Road Festival
June 2025
Location: Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London
Participants: 12 students (ages 10–15) from Brixton Wings’ Saturday STEM School
This workshop, part of the Great Exhibition Road Festival, invited participants to step into a university-level makerspace and become engineers for the day.
We started with mini builds and team discussions about “what makes a great bike,” before moving into lab coats and safety gear to assemble a full-scale wooden frame.
By the end of the session, the group had decorated, named, and presented their finished bike which was later showcased at Imperial College.
“Seeing young people in lab coats, using tools for the first time, laughing, collaborating that’s the energy this project was built on.”
Workshop Highlights
- 12 participants aged 10–15
- 90-minute session with 5 key activities: mini-build, assembly, decoration, parts selection, final presentation
- 100% engagement and completion
- 1 full-size wooden bike completed and displayed
Learning Outcomes:
- Confidence from working in a professional environment
- Collaboration and problem-solving under real conditions
- Exposure to STEM concepts (mechanics, materials, design)
- Creative ownership and pride through naming and decorating the bike
- Real-world insight into university spaces and design careers
Workshop 3 — Herne Hill Velodrome: Anti-Knife Crime Event
In August 2024, The Wooden Bike hit the track at Herne Hill Velodrome as part of an anti-knife crime cycling and skating event.
The team completed three laps to demonstrate the bike’s performance, sparking conversations about creativity, design, and community safety.
Exhibition — London Design Festival
By September 2024, The Wooden Bike was exhibited at the London Design Festival, where it represented more than craftsmanship it stood for collaboration, youth empowerment, and sustainability in motion.
Why It Matters
Since 2010, funding for youth services in England has fallen by more than 70% closing spaces that once supported creativity, learning, and belonging.
The Wooden Bike is our small but powerful response.By bringing together design, craft, and cycling, we’re creating new spaces where young people can build skills, confidence, and community.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to everyone who made The Wooden Bike possible:
- Alex Clark – Design Engineering, Imperial College London
- Ben Dolman-Bowles & Phil Dolman (db_mx) – Design & Fabrication
- Mike & the upCYCLE LDN team – Mechanics & Logistics
- Medg & Brixton Wings Saturday STEM School – Young participants & facilitators
- Jack Day – Photography
Looking Ahead — The Big Bike Build
The Wooden Bike has grown into the foundation for a new program: The Big Bike Build where young people collaborate to design and build bicycles using reclaimed materials from the 11,000 bikes discarded in London each year.
Youth Engagement · Design Thinking · Sustainability · Collaboration · Engineering Education
London, UK
2025