Feb 03, 2025
Andy at Stooge cycles seems to have a blatant disregard for what other people think of his bikes, his motivations for designing seem to come from within, he dreams it and he makes it happen without a 2nd thought for how it sits in the range, or whether it'll sell, he really doesn’t care! It seems to be working for him, his frames are some of the most desirable in the world right now!
This is one of the reasons I think I was drawn to him and his bikes from day one.
He’s always been a mysterious character in my mind. Our connection started when I would see his name pop up on an order for plus tires from our webshop.
My curiosity got the better of me and I had to go and see where Andy‘s Stooge's were born.
Having just built myself and Cass Gilbert a Stooge Rambler and my friend Ben a Dirt Tracker the timing seemed perfect for the 3 of us to head north near the border of Wales to meet the man himself.
Andy's setup is exactly how I had dreamed it would be, a rustic barn deep in the countryside, full of character, good taste and piles of bikes.
Andy has a particularly good eye for a build, his parts choices align with my own perfectly!
His ever developing lineup of personal bikes are a sight to behold, all begging to be taken out for a local rip!
Andy confirmed my suspicions that he too came from a BMX background, it’s so obvious looking at the designs of the bikes in hindsight.
We tinkered with our bikes in Andy's barn workshop, Cass fitted a bigger rear cog, more appropriate for the steep gradients of this part of the world, having just come from a stint in the gentle rolling hills of the New Forest.
We all had a pedal on Andy's bikes while sipping on coffee, Ben tried to sell him a garage door, hinting at a bike swap deal to no avail.
After poking around Andy's barn I was getting the feeling that we had more in common than just bike taste.
His house is full of vintage furniture, flicking through his record collection I came across multiple obscure garage bands that I had thought I was the only person in the world still listening to!
I wondered whether the 'Stooge' brand name had something to do with Iggy Pop, the framed 'Stooges' picture hung on his wall confirmed my suspicions.
Andy Took us out on a favourite loop of his, just accross the border into Wales.
Starting at Llangollen we heading off on the canal tow path and across the viaduct, where long boats gently float along, suspended 100 feet in the air by the old bridge.
Andy was the perfect tour guide. Researching and planning routes is fun, but jeez its nice for me to just follow someone who knows an area like the back of their hand!
Day 2 was onto the 'Wayfarers pass' Cass's idea, as he thought it fitting to ride over the pass which was made famous by 'The Rough Stuff Fellowship'
The ride started off on a brutal rocky climb, Cass and I were having to really think about our line choice, trying to maintain speed as smoothly as possible without the luxery of being able to shift into an easier gear.
I had only just built my Scrambler before the trip, I felt like I was growing into it with every pedal stroke. I kept thinking about how Stooge bikes were so much a product of the environment that Andy had grown up in.
A full suspension bike would be overkill, but big tyres essential, I wouldn't have wanted to be on anything else!
We stopped for the obligatory shot in front of the plaque.
Ready to rip down the otherside, and what a rip it was!
Chunky double track is where the Stooge's really shine, a place where suspension can be overkill. The slack front end with loads of fork offset make them stable, sure footed, but nimble when changing direction quickly to thread the bike between chunky boulders and sharp edges.
We threw together Cass's 'Custard Tart' Rambler at the shop a couple of weeks before the trip, he provided some of the parts from his parts bin, we added some Magic Components Moth bars
some Hope 27.5 wheels, Nitto stem and and a few litte bits to make it all work.
Questioning his gear ratio choices, or embracing a rest mid climb?
Cass is a 29+diehard, to even entertain the idea of a gravel bike, it would need to have big tyres, so the Rambler was the perfect choice for a bike that he could use while in the U.K, slightly less tyre needed than that of the Oaxacan backcountry, but enough to stay comfy while bridleway bashing in the U.K.
Finishing it off back at the Pub,
I think we all made a new friend in Andy, he's a great guy, humble, kind, and a bloody great bike designer!
His bikes are completely unique, he has created a genre all of his own as all the best designers do.
Drawing on inspiration from the Klunkers of 70's America and Trackers of post war Britain he redesigned the rigid mountain bike to compete with the shrediness of the modern full suspension mountain bike. Its a genre that is seeming to tickle the fancy of so many people.
Stooge bikes bring back the fun of the early days of mountain biking, before it was all made too easy with suspension, and their simplicity and capability just so happens to make them extremely good bikepacking bikes!
He doesn't do much marketing, and it seems like he doesnt need to, his bikes speak for themsleves. Many very influential people in the bike industry have chosen to purchase a Stooge out of their own pocket, which says a lot!
We'll be getting Andy down this way for a ride soon, hopefully with some demo bikes in tow, when we have a date firmed in, we'll let you know!
We have a few Stooge framesets in stock, Scramblers, Ramblers, 1 Dirt Tracker (as I type this)
We keep them for custom builds only, next on the Schedule is Mk7's, and boy oh boy do they look good! Holla if you want one!
