Home Stories: Myles Chandler

Posted on 1 September, 2017

Well it’s about time I came out the workshop closet …yes, it’s true; I have a thing for bikes.

My love doesn’t extend to all bikes though; my loves are those with a more classic or vintage look, which I’ve saved from somewhere, fixed up and now feel as though they’re a part of me.

I’ve kept this fun fact about me hidden in fear that people will point and laugh while saying, ‘you’re such a stereotypical hipster Ash—do you tie your iPad and latte cup holder to the handlebars of your Penny-farthing too?’. But when I met Myles from Goodspeed in New Acton, I overcame my schoolboy fear and simply had to share his story with you. Plus, we needed our third bike fixed, so why not kill two birds with one stone?

So, you have to admit that Myles’ space looks somewhat like a hybrid between a mini lounge room and a timber workshop. Well, there’s a good reason for this; he designed and built the whole space himself. In fact, Myles is an industrial designer by qualification and previously designed yachts in Monaco (talk about multi-talented!).

Now, I might make up things about my photographer Victor occasionally (like that time I said he likes to take photos of the full moon only in the nude), but here I tell no lie. Myles has a very interesting background that has seen him running a liquor shop, working in day care services, managing storage solutions, building joinery for galleries, painting ceilings, drafting architectural solutions, setting up NewActon café Mocan & Green Grout with a partner and, of course, setting up his bike workshop and custom bike store Goodspeed.

Among the attractive industrial lamps, wooden joinery, intriguing tools and bike parts (all organised in some kind of logical chaos), we got lost in conversation. Originally, I intended to geek out with Myles on an in-depth banter about the finer points of Brooks leather seats and single-speed racers, but instead, I found that we had something else very much in common—we both enjoy the pleasure derived from keeping busy and succeeding even when you throw yourself into the deep end. This is part of the reason why Myles calls this workshop home.

Despite the cosy atmosphere and the stimulating conversation, the Canberra cold set in and my nose started going all Rudolf. So, we departed and left the bike in Myles’ capable hands (which conveniently just gave me an excuse to return and try that leather seat conversation again). On the way home, I figured that since my passion is now out in the open, I think I’ll move the bikes out of the garage into the living room …I might even try to find a way to strap the iPad to the handlebars too.