FUNCTIONAL ART: Rudy Zuidema makes beautiful wooden indoor rollers

Lockdown and no trainer! Not one to be put off by a challenge,

Rudolf Zuidema, passionate cyclist and master joiner, set about making his own set of rollers that turned out to be functional art! ’N BOER MAAK ’N PLAN!

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SUS RUDY IN ACTION

1. Frame. 2. Inner tube frive belt. 3. Drive pulleys. 4. Axles with sealed cartridge bearings. 5. Solid Oak rollers for abot of added resistance.

he whole thing started with pending lockdown and the tale of a missing indoor trainer that hadn’t been used since our return from the UK 11 years ago! With it being a day to go to lockdown, jobs to finish in order to soften the pending financial blow and not having time or inclination to buy a new trainer - that will probably end up in the same mystical location as the last one, the missus sent me a link to Global Cycling Network with the question: “Is this viable?” T

SUS OUT RUDY’S INSPIRATION (GCN)

Of course it was viable, but as a craftsman and an ex Bike Industry guy I knew it needed some upgrades and having some experience of rollers as a product guy (although never using them) I knew I could make something pretty cool and include some features of the mass produced product.

1. Definitely needed bearings! 2. Being a roller noob I decided to make them wider and add some flanges to the rollers to prevent slipping off. 3. No pine would be used.

SUS OUT THE PLANS.

I had quite a bit of oak in the workshop from a current project and knew it would work being a hard timber. After machining, I laminated the three rollers and then set to making the other components that required some accurate machining. I needed to get most of the components and rollers done before lockdown as I could only take some hand power tools home for the final assembly etc.

IN THE WORKSHOP I MACHINED: Mounts for the rollers which needed to be drilled to take the double cartridge bearing axles. Pulley wheels for the inner tube drive belt. Anti slip off discs for the roller ends. Turn the cylinders for the rollers.

At home I did the assembly and finishing. Deciding along the way to treat it like any other project and finish it like a piece of furniture.

Now I just have to get the hang of riding on rollers …

If you like what you see head over to my website or give me a shout. We can look at making you a set for your man cave or showroom.

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Leaving the bike industry after 12 years in 2016, I decided to go back to my roots and took up woodworking as a profession again. Having done an apprenticeship, qualified as an artisan and representing South Africa at World Skills in 1997 as a joiner, I knew I had the credentials to start up a new business doing custom woodwork and so R.A.Woodcraft was born. Four years on and I have a fully equipped workshop in Diep River and we are producing quality pieces with an eye on detail and a focus on using modern, sustainable materials.

rudolf@rawoodcraft.com | www.rawoodcraft.com or follow him on Instagram: @r.a.woodcraft