2014 Bike Shed Motorcycle Club: BSMC III

We’ve documented the rise of the new wave of custom culture from the early days.

And in the UK the Bike Shed Motorcycle Club is emerging at the creative centre of the community.

According to the Bike Shed’s founding collective the BSMC’s web traffic has increased fivefold since last October’s exhibition – and rumour has it they are looking for a permanent venue to form a creative motorcycling hub in the English capital.

No surprise, then, that for their next event in May the club has had to uproot to a bigger venue having outgrown the space at Shoreditch Studios that supported the first two editions of their event.

On May 26th BSMC III will be taking over the 200 year old Tobacco Dock just off The Highway in Wapping, East London where there will be more room for both the mechanical stars of the show and a host of other entertainments.

Bike Shed’s web explosion and real world space issues exemplify a sea change in the once niche world of the custom bike enthusiast.

Formerly the preserve of a grease covered bloke in his shed or garage, peeking overground only through tumblrs and blogspots – the scene and has now reached a pivotal point, with mainstream bike culture and media beginning to ride pillion on its bespoke wheels.

J.G. Ballard, a great ruminator on the automobile, once suggested that there was a correlation between automotive styling and levels of national confidence.

So perhaps seven years of austerity, and a rise in the culture of creative commons, have emboldened us enough to eschew the homogeneity of big brand culture and is seeing us confidently emerge into a newfound era of individual self expression.

In which case why not stick on your snakeskin jacket and head down to Wapping this May to symbolise your individuality and belief in personal freedom?

While you’re there you’ll witness some jaw dropping bikes.

Pay homage to those who have sweated grease to bring them into being.