Reynolds Technology

Monday 18th November 2024

The Story of Reynolds & BMX: TDJ Bikes

Continuing on with our series, the next skilled framebuilder we have on our list is Ted James from Ted James Design ltd (TJD Bikes). Ted started out riding mountain bikes and racing from a young age and transitioned into BMX at the age of 14, although he never stopped riding mountain bikes as well.

Fixed-Gear Bike

He was always tinkering with his bikes, trying to create little parts here and there, including BMX pegs and even got started on making a bicycle fork by hand during an apprenticeship when he was 19. Although he never managed to finish the fork, years later he built his first frame with Dave Yates; a lugged Audax bike with Reynolds 631 tubing.

At this time Ted also worked as a bike mechanic in London, hanging out with the couriers and riding fixed-gear bikes. His housemate at the time was Andy Ellis, who worked for Fixed Gear London and Fixed Magazine and was able to connect Ted with Vans shoes on a collaborative project to make a bike. It was an opportunity that was too good to pass up. Built in 2009, this was Ted’s first frame that he had built fully on his own and his hunger for frame building continued to fiercely grow.

Photo – Greg Falski – Collaboration with Vans

Around the same time, Ted was sponsored by Charge Bikes for trick riding on a fixed-gear bike and although it was a brilliant opportunity, his passion for both building frames and needing to develop trick bikes led him to collaborate with 14 Bike Co on the ESB (extra strong beast). Ted James Design Ltd was created shortly after, in 2010.

ESB – Collaboration with 14 Bike Co

With the ESB project in full swing, Ted was busy making prototypes and custom frames alongside Lee Cooper who built a good chunk of the frames as well. Together they worked with a UK factory, that had never made bikes before, to create a production tig welded version of the ESB. The first batch had 70 frames which sold quickly.

During this time, Ted also worked with Reynolds to develop some custom tubes, including the EX772 853 fork leg, which is still in production today for 29er bikes. Since these frames were being ridden like BMX bikes, it made sense to build them in a similar way. Ted designed the headtubes, steerers, BB’s etc, which were all made as part of his true love of BMX.

In 2014, Ted had his childhood dream come true when he was asked to feature in an article for Ride BMX Magazine. Below he is pictured impressively climbing the side of a wall on his trusted BMX steed.

Photo: Dunk – Ride BMX

In 2015, TJD Bikes worked with Reynolds to create the stunning Copper plated Dirt/Street/Park BMX bike, built with double butted Reynolds 631 top and down tubes, Reynolds 525 seat tube, custom 3/4” tapered stays and Reynolds 853 fork legs (EX772). Ted built the bike up himself, fitting the bends in the stays with single up top and double bend chain stays for extra clearance with an ‘old-school’ size chainring. He also machined the headtubes and BB shells himself and sourced laser-cut dropouts, a stainless steel cutlass bridge, gussets and headbade.

To finish it off, the frame was copper-plated, with the stainless parts keeping their natural finish, adding extra depth of colour to the design. Although Ted has taken to riding other frames too, he still shreds on the stunning Copper BMX to this day, nearly 8 years later.