Discarded Potential
Over 11,000 bicycles are thrown away in London each year. Many could be repaired or reused, yet often end up in landfill because dismantling them is difficult and time consuming. In contrast, community garages and informal workshops show what is possible when people understand how bikes come apart and go back together. Making or restoring a bike turns it from an object into something personally earned.
A Missing Space for Making
Since 2010, youth services in England have lost 73% of their funding, shutting down nearly two thirds of youth centres. In these areas, youth violence has risen sharply. Many young people no longer have access to practical, hands-on environments where they can build confidence, try things out, and make something real.
Why the Bicycle Matters
The bicycle is familiar, approachable and highly modular. It is part of a circular economy of reuse, yet for many young people, building one still feels out of reach. During research visits to recycling centres, charity workshops and repair spaces, I observed how a bike becomes meaningful when someone takes part in its assembly. This gap between familiarity and capability suggested a powerful entry point for learning.
Making Authors, Not Just Riders
The project asks: What if building a bicycle could help young people develop confidence, problem-solving skills, and a sense of authorship over what they can make?
The Concept: Big Bike Build
Big Bike Build is a low-cost plywood bicycle frame that young people can assemble themselves using salvaged components. The frame is CNC-cut, visually clear, and adaptable to different parts. The aim is not only to design a frame, but to design a making journey that transforms scrap parts into a working machine.
Partnership in Practice
Working with UpCYCLE LDN, a Brixton-based charity, shaped the project. Their workshops repair donated bikes and give them back to young people. However, supply unpredictability and difficulty sourcing the right frame sizes made this challenging. A frame that can be built to fit and adapted to available parts directly supports their mission.
Development and Prototyping
I built scale models, cardboard mock-ups and full-size prototypes to refine the geometry and construction method. The frame uses simple fixings and exposes structural logic, helping the builder understand how the bike works. Workshops with young participants tested how the assembly process could become collaborative, social and confidence-building.
Impact
Big Bike Build reframes the bicycle as a tool for learning, agency and identity. It offers young people not just a bike to ride, but a bike they made. The project supports community repair ecosystems, reduces waste, and creates a practical pathway into mechanical literacy and self-belief.