Gervase's Bamboo Cargo Trike: When the Bike Is the Business

Gervase designs and manufactures a unique chisel sharpener. He demonstrates it at fairs, markets, and craft events. He needed a vehicle that could carry his mobile workbench, his equipment, and his pop-up display — and get there under his own power.

The Build

He built a bamboo cargo trike. The frame was entirely custom: a three-wheeled bamboo structure with an 11-speed Alfine gear hub, a modular pop-up workbench integrated into the load platform, and everything needed to set up a demonstration on-site. It was designed by Gervase, engineered by BBC as a custom home build, and built by Gervase. Nothing about it could be ordered from a catalogue, because nothing like it exists in any catalogue.

The Livelihood Case

The economic story is direct and measurable. The trike enables Gervase's business to operate in a way that would otherwise require a van — eliminating vehicle hire costs, removing the emissions of every journey, and making him visible in a way a van never could.

A craftsperson arriving at a trade fair on a hand-built bamboo cargo trike is, before saying a word, already telling a story about who they are and what they make. Every conversation that starts with "what is that thing you arrived on?" is a conversation that would not otherwise have happened. The trike is not just transport. It is the first demonstration of craft before any demonstration begins.

"Gervase designs and manufactures a unique chisel sharpener and showcases it through demos at fairs. The trike features a mobile pop-up workbench equipped with everything needed for on-the-go craftsmanship."
— BBC Facebook, April 2024

Outcomes

• Custom bamboo cargo trike completed — unique geometry, no catalogue equivalent
• 11-speed Alfine gear hub: commercial reliability for regular multi-load use
• Pop-up workbench integrated directly into the frame design
• Livelihood-enabling: trike is a direct operating tool of Gervase's income
• Brand storytelling: creates conversation and awareness at every event
• Zero-emission business transport: van journeys replaced entirely

BBC's custom build programme exists for exactly this: the idea that cannot be bought off the shelf because it has never been made before. If you know what you need and it doesn't exist yet, BBC can help you build it.