Phil, before we talk about bikes, who are you outside of Cradle of Bikes? What do you do in everyday life, and how would your friends describe you?
I’m a pretty simple guy really. I’m 44, I love music, I love being outside, and I love working with my hands. Im at my happiest when I’m out on my bike or out in the workshop with my two dogs hanging around and my pigeon Milo keeping an eye on things. My friends would probably describe me as laid back, loves a challenge, stubborn, loves to ride.
Do you remember the exact moment when bicycles stopped being just objects and became
part of your everyday life? What was your first bike that really meant something to you?
Yeah, I think there’s always that one bike that changes things.
The first bike that really meant something to me was an old bike I rebuilt myself. It wasn’t fancy, but it was mine. I bought it for $10 off of an older man who was fixing junk bikes up to make them rideable. The bike still needed work but I saw it as something i could give new life too. That bike tough me a lot and that’s where my journey began. I bought new tools, pulled it all apart cleaned up all the components, learnt about rusts treatments. I meet some other bike people and learned more. I was hooked
Did you grow up around bikes, mechanics, or DIY culture, or did you discover all of this on your own? Who influenced your taste and style the most in the beginning?
I grew up riding BMX, as a kid and a teenager. I’ve always been drawn to DIY culture and making things work with what you’ve got. I’ve always wondered how things worked. A lot of it came from figuring things out myself, making mistakes, and learning as I went. I’ve always preferred things with character over things that are perfect. The classic styling and simplicity of old bikes, they just work and look amazing.
How was Cradle of Bikes born? Was it a sudden project or something that grew slowly over time?
It grew naturally over time. It started with fixing and building bikes because I genuinely loved doing it. I wanted to share ideas, the problems that came up and how I resolved or worked around them. Then people started noticing the builds, asking questions, wanting help with their own bikes. Before I knew it, Cradle of Bikes became this extension of who I am. It never felt forced or planned out like a business strategy — it grew from passion first.
“A build feels complete when it has personality and character.”
When you build a bike, what matters most to you: performance, aesthetics, storytelling, or emotion? What makes a build feel complete in your eyes?
Honestly, it’s all connected. A bike can look amazing, but if it doesn’t feel right when you ride it, then something’s missing. I love giving old bikes a second life and letting their history stay part of the build instead of hiding it.
A build feels complete when it has personality and character.
Your builds have a soul. How would you describe your aesthetic in your own words?
Raw, honest, and lived-in. I’m not chasing perfection. I like bikes that look like they’ve got stories behind them. I love mixing old and new, keeping character marks, letting the bike wear its history proudly. Iike to build something with soul and personality.
“Freedom and peace. It clears my head in a way nothing else really can.”
Is there one build that lives closer to your heart than the others? What makes it special, the ride, the story, the process, or the moment in your life when you built it?
There’s always one or two that stay with you. Usually it’s the builds that came together during a certain time in life. One in particular was the bike I built for my first local shop ride. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but it was the start of something special. Meeting new people, discovering new local routes, exploring and discovering parts of the my town I wouldn’t have otherwise. Its all tied into that build which will always be special to me. Those kinds of bikes, those builds become memories ill have with me forever.
Where do you love riding near home? Describe your perfect day on a bike from start to finish.
I love riding near home, My perfect day would probably start with coffee in the workshop, then heading out for a long ride I like to call the Lancefield loop. It’s about a 70k gravel loop with some challenging climbs, a cafe stop half way and a white knuckle decent towards the end. All the while being surrounded by beautiful scenery. Come home and be greeted by my dogs, I’ll be tired, and happy, then spend the evening back in the shed tinkering or working on the next project.
Many of your bikes feel like they carry history. What attracts you to older frames and components?
Older bikes have a lot of character. The wear marks, the old paint, the little imperfections all tell a story. I love the silhouette of the older bikes, the thinner tubes and classic look of the components. Modern bikes are incredible machines with new technologies and I like them too, but older frames remind me of the more simpler times. Saving them and bringing them back to life feels meaningful.
Are you a planner or do your builds evolve instinctively while you work? Do you sketch ideas or let the bike “talk back” to you?
I like to start with a purpose for the build, a gravel bike, town/commuter or ATB. I usually start with a rough vision, but most builds evolve naturally. I like letting the bike guide the process. I’ll stare at it for a bit, try some different parts and suddenly the whole direction changes. That’s the fun part. I don’t want every build to feel over planned.
What was the hardest build you ever completed? And what did it teach you?
The hardest builds are usually the ones where nothing fits the way it should and every step fights you. Ones were parts are stuck, or the components you want to use don’t work together. But those are also the builds that teach you patience and how to improvise and maybe try something you wouldn’t have though of doing otherwise. They remind you that good things take time and that frustration is part of creating something worthwhile.
How important is the bike community to you? Has Cradle of Bikes connected you with people you wouldn’t have met otherwise?
Massively important. Bikes bring together people from completely different backgrounds who all understand the same feeling. Cradle of Bikes has connected me with incredible people I never would’ve crossed paths with otherwise. That’s one of the best parts, hearing stories, sharing ideas, and seeing how much bikes mean to other people too.
