Among the several people exhibiting their bikes at the New Builder area of the 2013 North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Denver will be Ken Stolpmann of Charlevoix, Michigan. You can find him and his mad scientist creations at Table 8 as “Owen Bikes.”
Stolpmann builds wooden boats. He has always liked beam bikes. After a handful of wood prototypes to refine the design, he combined a beam bike design with his woodworking skills to create the the fixed gear wooden beam bike shown above.
“I have ridden about 2000 miles on this bike with no frame failures at all,” Stolpmann tells me. “A lot of those miles have been over curbs and rough road at speed. This is a fun bike to ride!”
Stolpmann names his bikes for Owen Woolley, whom he apprenticed under as a wooden boatbuilder in New Zealand.
Wood isn’t the only material the craftsman works with. His latest bike is this carbon fiber front wheel drive recumbent.
If you’d like to contact Ken to ask about his bikes, email him at woodenfixie@gmail.com. While he builds these as a hobby, he says these bikes are very labor intensive to build so you can expect prices “around the $6500 mark” if you’re interested in one for yourself.
You can find Stolpmann and his bikes at NAHBS 2013, which begins Friday, February 22 2013 at the Colorado Convention Center. BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE IN ADVANCE to avoid the lines and save a few dollars.
Photos provided by Ken Stolpmann and used with his permission.