Who Bevan Whiting, a design engineer for Vestner (a German lift manufacturer) from Christchurch, New Zealand.
Wearing My favourite Seagull Shirt, Academy brand, scored from David Jones when I was on holiday in Melbourne. Spray On stretchy jeans from Factorie and the good ol’ Chuck Taylor high tops.
Your bike? The Plyke is basically a plywood bike. After the earthquakes that devastated Christchurch in 2011 there was a lot of discussion around rebuilding a more “cycle-friendly” city – that got me thinking about building a beautiful, sustainable bicycle for our new, beautiful, more sustainable city. The earliest sketches date back about three years and I started modelling it in 3D about 18 months ago. The build took me about a year. The frame is CNC routed out of 20mm composite bamboo plywood (a material that is sustainably produced by Plantation New Zealand). Most of the hardware – headset, handlebars, bottom bracket, drop-outs, chainring, seat-stem – was hand machined in aluminium. The rest of the parts were sourced secondhand and refurbished, except the wheels, cranks, seat and grips, which came in from the U.S.
Going? I’m cruising around the Christchurch Botanical Gardens. It sounds a bit self-indulgent but I was actually riding for a photo shoot for the Plyke!
Why ride? Firstly, for the exercise – life is super busy so the only way to get exercise is to integrate it into everyday life. Secondly, I like to think that I am one less exhaust pipe! Biking helps ease my social conscience, especially biking bamboo!
Favourite ride? I love the ride to work. It wakes me up and gets the blood pumping, plus there is an awesome section that follows a track round the Heathcote River through an old “English” forest.
While riding you…? Daydream. It’s my space for letting my brain be creative. I tried listening to music for a while but I found that it shut me off from all the sights and sounds of life that stimulate the brain while I am riding.
Photo: Naomi Haussmann
This article originally appeared in issue 18 of Treadlie Magazine.