Born through total passion and devotion, Burf and Tam Racing (that’s BTR) is the culmination of two mountain bikers who share a vision. In a nutshell, Burf loves making stuff, and Tam loves designing stuff. Together they make a formidable pair in the world of innovative bike design and construction.
BTR started as Burf and Tam wanted to combine their skills into realising their shared dream: to spend their days designing, building and riding their own bikes.
The duo met when they were involved with the innovative bike company K9 Industries while both were studying at the acclaimed Oxford Brookes University. Somewhat of a bromance – albeit a geeky, weldy, bikey one – the pair hit it off straight away.
A love of riding fast bikes and a dream of creating no-BS racing frames right at home in the UK brought them together as friends. It didn’t take too long before a design was drawn up and a frame was in the jig (an adjustable homemade jig in the shed at the end of the garden, naturally). Testing began in August 2011.
Since then things have expanded beyond anything either company owner’s wildest imagination could conjure up: from humble beginnings with small, custom projects and Tam sleeping in a hammock in the welding shed; to frame sales through the roof, a web store, merchandise and worldwide distribution… and Tam sleeping in a hammock on a narrow boat near the company’s new base in Frome, Somerset.
Of course, one thing has never changed, and that’s BTR’s raw passion for what they do and the hard graft that goes into this labour of love.