{"id":4713,"date":"2019-11-24T20:36:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T20:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/budweiserbudvar.com\/uk\/?post_type=story&p=4713"},"modified":"2019-12-02T12:27:43","modified_gmt":"2019-12-02T12:27:43","slug":"true-bohemians-budvar-bolt","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/budweiserbudvar.com\/uk\/blog\/story\/true-bohemians-budvar-bolt\/","title":{"rendered":"TRUE BOHEMIANS: BUDVAR & BOLT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Budvar and BOLT motorcycles are teaming up to create the ‘Budvar Bike’.<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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I<\/span>t\u2019s a cold day in a backstreet in Stoke Newington, London. I\u2019m stamping my feet to keep warm outside an old stables beside a line of handsome custom motorcycles \u2013 Harley Davidson, Indian, Enfield, Buell and Norton. From around the corner comes a tall, bearded figure in a leather jacket and jeans pushing another motorcycle into the yard, a boxy 1980s JAWA CZ. Despite some nice art deco touches around its engine, even a novice like me can see it is decidedly un-glamorous against the classic models slouching coolly on their stands.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWell.\u201d He says. \u201cThis is definitely going to be a challenge.\u201d Then swinging a leg over and easing onto the saddle, he flashes a grin. \u201cBut nothing great ever comes easy, does it?\u201d<\/p>\n

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Nothing great ever comes easy.<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0That\u2019s a universal truth right there. And it\u2019s an ethos that founder and curator of\u00a0BOLT motorcycles<\/a>, Andrew Almond, certainly lives by. A few minutes among the shelves of amazing clothing he painstakingly designs himself or watching him and his head mechanic \u2013 Simone \u2013 putting their heart and soul into bike designs, and the dedication to detail and quality shines through. Individuality, respecting heritage, not cutting corners, putting in the hours, using great craftsmen, such things are non-negotiable in this workshop, garage, apparel store and gallery. It\u2019s why BOLT has become the beating heart of the UK motorcycle and counter-culture scene.<\/p>\n

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As any self-respecting beer lover will tell you, it\u2019s the same ethos at Budvar. Fiercely independent, still conditioning lager in the tank for 90 days, only brewing beer in the same town we have for centuries and using quality local ingredients that have earned us Protected Geographical Origin status \u2013 we know all about devotion, tradition, passion and doing things the right way. The perfection in the glass has always been the reward for going the extra mile.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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“Nothing great ever comes easy. That\u2019s a universal truth right there. And it\u2019s an ethos that BOLT motorcycles\u2019 founder and curator, Andrew Almond, certainly lives by.”<\/span><\/h3>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Now to celebrate these shared values and vision Budvar and BOLT are teaming up on a new project called TRUE BOHEMIANS. The name is both a nod to South Bohemia in the Czech Republic \u2013 home of Budweiser Budvar \u2013 and a salute to that other well-known definition of \u2018Bohemian\u2019: original, nonconformist, outside the norm, creative and flying in the face of mediocrity to do things your own way.<\/p>\n

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Over the next three months Andrew and BOLT\u2019s network of experts and craftsmen will take that boxy, black and non-too-beautiful Czech motorcycle and transform it into something extraordinary: a cool, stylish custom Budvar bike that echoes the shape and design of the classic Czech rides of the 1940s-60s. Inspired by Budvar\u2019s brewing story and heritage, vintage bottle artwork and branding, the Budvar Bike will feature stunning design details: a fabricated frame; hand-painted tank artwork by one of the UK\u2019s leading sign-writers; bespoke, hand-tooled leatherwork and even a copper \u2018beer\u2019 tank that echoes the iconic brew kettles and conditioning tanks from the brewery.<\/p>\n

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Once complete, the bike will debut at Bike Shed in London on the 25th<\/sup>\u00a0May before Andrew undertakes another challenge: riding the custom Budvar Bike across Europe to the Budvar brewery in Budweis, Czech Republic.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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C<\/span>alled\u00a0Budweis or Bust<\/em>, this promises to be a motorcycle road trip like no other. Along with a select group of riders and Simone the mechanic, Andrew will be plotting a course through the major European beer cities of Amsterdam, Bruges and the Czech capital Prague, before cutting down into South Bohemia. Along the way he will be stopping off for a Budvar in legendary motorcycle and counter-culture hotspots, such as Rusty Gold caf\u00e9 in Amsterdam, where he\u2019ll pick up riders who\u2019ll join him all the way to Budweis.<\/p>\n

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Estimates have it at 6 days from London to Budweis, but Andrew warns that anything could happen along the way. One thing the riders can be sure of though is the warm welcome they\u2019ll receive in Budweis. Glasses of fresh, unpasteurised lager tapped straight from the tanks will be raised in triumph in the Budweiser Budvar brewery cellars \u2013 an experience that aficionados and experts count among the greatest beer moments on the planet.<\/p>\n

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So as Simone wheels the JAWA CZ into the workshop and up onto the hydraulic platform to give it a once over, I catch up with Andrew, crack open a couple of beers and get the lowdown.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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ANDREW ALMOND<\/span><\/h2>\n

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BOLT MOTORCYCLES<\/span><\/h3>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Q: SO HOW DID YOU GET STARTED?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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A:<\/span><\/strong><\/span> Motorcycling is an ever-evolving culture and I wanted to create a new type of store that resonated with the current scene of motorcyclists emerging in London. At the time there was a new wave of custom culture taking shape using relatively affordable vintage motorcycles and along with it came new types of riders. What appealed to me was the accessibility and creativity it inspired. The scene grew globally and at that time there was not a place for it in London. Traditional motorcycle stores held little interest for me; they essentially stocked practical garments that lacked the style and quality. I wanted to curate a store that brought together items that reflect the styles of clothing I wanted to wear, proper leather jackets, vintage inspired helmets and independent motorcycle owned brands. There was also a need for a social space as riding bikes is as much about hanging out with friends and building communities. I wanted to create a space the progressed the scene, to host events and exhibitions and champion the scene as well as the rich cultural heritage that preceded it.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Q: WHAT ABOUT THE SPACE HERE?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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A:<\/span><\/strong><\/span> The building had always been on my radar – a Victorian stables that had somehow avoided being developed, standing alone like a lost piece of history, in contrast to the development around it. From the 50s to the 70s the space was home to the Duguid Borthers, who built caf\u00e9 racers and made motorcycle fairings as well as running a garage. It was great to situate BOLT in a building that had such heritage and to build upon its legacy. The cobbled yard allows us to host events and the building has the space for the store and garage. And that’s still the heart and soul of the business, it keeps our hands greasy.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Q: WHERE DID YOUR PASSION FOR MOTORCYCLES COME FROM?<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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A:<\/span><\/strong><\/span> I had ridden motorcycles initially for practical purposes in my early twenties when I was working in rural Mozambique. I would use a little Honda to travel around the villages, covering hundreds of miles a week along dirt tracks. These journeys were filled with adventure; breaking down and fixing the bike was a daily occurrence and always led to meeting new people. I loved the freedom it gave and the experiences it led to. Since then I have ridden motorcycles around India, Asia, Mauritius and it is always my preferred means. You see the world differently from a motorcycle. They take you places that you might usually miss and inevitably get you into situations that you never expect.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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