Member Article

Regional Talents create a Unique Bike

A graphic designer and a bespoke bike manufacturer from the North East have come together to create a one-off bike, reinventing the bike frame as a canvas for branding, advertising and art.

Paul Robson, also known as Muro Buro, was invited to design a brand for a bespoke Azione Custom Cycles racing bike being built for racer Nick Spencer. Paul, the Newcastle-based typographer and graphic designer, designed a ‘Get A Grip’ graphic which was then reproduced on Nick’s new Azione CC racing bike.

Paul commented: “Normally to customise your bike you would choose your components, and frames would be identical. With Azione, the frame is a blank canvas, and Nick invited me to transform it. It’s an exciting and clever idea, and the result is a bike that really attracts attention, makes you think. People want to know more about it.

“Bikes are ever-popular, and transforming the appearance of the frame in a way that attracts such attention is a real opportunity for branding. I’m pretty sure art hasn’t made its way onto a bike frame in this way before.”

Nick Spencer races with North East team Blumilk Racing. After approaching Azione CC to join their ‘Supported Rider Programme’, he handed over the design of his bike to Muro Buro, whose Get A Grip typography was transferred to the bike frame by specialist airbrush artist Steve Mortlock of Shelby Airbrush Art in Stokesley.

About his new bike, an Azione CC Questo II, he said: “It rides brilliantly, and that’s what I expected, it’s sharp, lively and quick. However, it’s the process I’ve gone through in creating this bike that excites me. It’s a work of art, it’s my personal project that in turn reflects the artisan skills of people from across the North East. And it’s completely unique.

“The highlight of the project has been working with Muro Buro.”

He added: “It really does attract attention with comments coming my way such as ‘I wish I’d done that’, ‘You can do this with a bike’, and ‘Never seen anything like it before’.”

David Anderson, of Azione CC, added: “This is what the Azione ‘Ride Unique’ proposition is all about. It’s about creating a bike that is absolutely as you want it. Paul from Muro Buro took it step further than anyone has before and he’s opened up a whole load of potential for customised frames.”

Azione Custom Cycles is based in Newcastle. Azione CC has brought together a team of experts in their fields, all based between North Yorkshire and Northumberland, to create custom built cycles to meet the rider’s requirements. Within the team there is expertise in engineering, frame building, painting, bike fitting, and design.

Muro Buro (Paul Robson) is a freelance artist, graphic designer, illustrator and typographer from Newcastle upon Tyne with over 20yrs experience as a graphic artist and creative director in London and Newcastle.

Nick Spencer, from Throckley near Newcastle, runs the Masters Programme ‘Multidisciplinary Innovation’ at the School of Design at Northumbria University. He is a member of the Blumilk race team.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Azione Custom Cycles .