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WHAT’S THIS: WLD LFE Frames

Our next check in with independent UK BMX manufacturing

Recently we caught up with the guys over at HARD ENDS about their independent UK manufacturing setup which led us to reach out to some more like minded individuals. Roscoe Siebers is a name you might know, but there’s a good chance you would have seen some of his work at the local park at some point. We caught up with Roscoe to learn about WLDLFE, the UK based frame company…

RIDE: For anyone who might not know already, how would you describe what WLDLFE is all about?

Roscoe: WLDLFE is a true custom/ bespoke hand crafted BMX frame brand that specialises in custom built Titanium frames, forks and bars based near Hastings in East Sussex ,UK . All WLDLFE frames are carefully fabricated in house by myself ( Roscoe Siebers) to ensure top quality and precision is achieved, building bikes is what I’m passionate about and WLDLFE is a product of that love for fabrication and BMX .

R: WLDLFE has a pretty distinct identity, where did the idea for WLDLFE originally come from? Was it always meant to become a frame brand? Was this all natural or did it take a while to figure out what you wanted it to be?

RS: WLDLFE was always going to be a Cromoly BMX frame brand but due to a sequence of perfectly timed moves ended up specialising in titanium Frames. From the day I saw my first well made BMX frame my mind was set to do that. But in the beginning I had a lot to learn and figure out, I’m originally from Port Elizabeth in South Africa and there was not much info on frame building or TIG welding then or people to learn from, it was not until I moved to the UK in 2015 when the doors started opening. The name WLDLFE comes from the wild care free lives we lived as BMXers in the mid 2000’s, as well as my roots of growing up in Africa can be a pretty wild place.

R: You’ve made a fair few frames now, any people the readers might know?

RS: Yea I’ve had the honour of building frames for Greg Illingworth , up and comers like Oliver Baker ( who is on flow with WLDLFE) and Harley Becket ( Rockstar Harley) aswell as some of the talented girls out there like Kitty Joseph and Holly Pipe and the flatlander Matti Hemmings . These are only a few of the many amazing riders I’ve had the pleasure of working with.

R: What made you want to start making frames specifically? That’s definitely jumping in at the deep end compared to starting with smaller parts.

RS: Frames where always the plan , I’m just fascinated by the entire process of building frames, from fabricating, welding and building the tooling all of it is pretty exciting to me. Seeing what S&M where doing in the states made me think it’s possible to do something similar here. Some of my biggest influences to me have been Deathpack BMX ( Mike Hill) and Ted James, both really good committed frame builders in the UK all with distinct styles. Finding my own style was another big motivator to build the best frames I can. As for parts I am planning on releasing a few parts in the future, so keep an eye out for that.

R: Before the first frame was finished, how many different ideas, geometries, or designs got scrapped along the way? How did it feel when you had the first one completed?

RS: Too many, I had to first learn how the material behaves and how to get the welding right, I was pretty strict on myself to learn as much about TIG welding as possible so that I could weld like the pros. I spent about 10 years perfecting those skills before I even attempted my first frame. Worked in many steel work industries with that goal in mind always, took opportunities where I could to get closer to world of frame building. But once I built my first custom frame it was the most amazing feeling , it really felt like I had accomplished something. I had gotten the geometry spot on for that frame and it rode great. I still have that frame as a reminder of all the effort it took.

R: Can you tell us a bit about your riding background and how you first got into BMX?

RS: Growing up in South Africa in my hometown of P.E we didn’t have many place to ride ready built so we got heavily into building trails and our own ramps as well as a lot of street riding, only park we had was massive 80s style 10 foot deep bowl where we spent a lot of time riding with an amazing crew of friends like Stuart Laing, Rudi Erasmus, Justin Enslin, James Plumridge, Matt McLeod ,Matt and Vinnie Silo , David Rigby and Ross Brown just to name a few. From there we became a big part of the up and coming scene ( golden age) of BMX in SA, riding demos, comps all over the country meeting other riders from all walks of life. Became like a big family. It was only once the Terrible One team came on tour to SA and the film maker Fraser Byrne came over to document some of the riding scenes that opened the world to us. SA produced so many great riders in that time and I’m stoked to have been a part of it, later I went on to ride the masters in Cologne Germany ,by this time I was riding for Mongoose and Vonzipper( GSM) wher I got to meet so many of my idols . But that’s a whole other story. Street and dirt jumping eventually became a big part of my identity. Wild times

R: What kind of riding influenced the way you wanted the WLDLFE frame to feel?

RS: To me all styles of riding have influenced my frames, park, street, dirt, flat land, race. They all have unique characteristics to add to my frame building styles, when designing a frame I like to take advantage of that. But I would say the biggest influence has been park/ trail frame geometry. I’ve always liked the stance and feel of an all rounder. The way a bike looks is just as important to me as how it rides.

R: Were there certain frames or riders growing up that shaped what you wanted out of your own setup?

RS: There were so many frames along the way that influenced and still influences me to this day, I’m constantly evolving and trying new techniques as I learn. But I would say FBM and S&M were always the biggest. As for riders , hands down Ruben Alcantara , Joe Rich , Taj Mahelich and Mike Aitken where my inspiration for style and what bikes should be like if that makes sense. I wanted something that rode well and looked sick at the same time. Sometimes that’s harder to achieve than it sounds. I’m constantly building myself new frames and tweaking them think I’m on my 4th or 5th frame now since I started making them.

R: Do you think your approach to BMX differs from a lot of brands out there at the moment?

RS: I would like to think so, I try to accommodate each customers needs individually, get to know what they like and what they want from a BMX. Most customers know exactly what they want and others I’m happy to guide them in the right direction. I think what makes my approach different is the individual interactions , it’s definitely one of the parts of this job I enjoy the most. I’ve made so many new friends this way and it gives me that sense of community that BMX has always brought.

R: When you’re working on a frame are there things you try and opt people to have/avoid?

RS: BMX is a high impact activity, so I do like to beef up the tubing and parts where I can without affecting weight too much. Whether it’s a 14” , 16” , 18” or 20” frame I do not compromise on strength any where, I make all my frames the same way and materials. Kids these days are getting really good and they deserve bikes that can stand up to their riding. I do avoid any cut outs or drilled holes in main structural points, they are unnecessary and could jeopardise the integrity of a frame. But I am pretty flexible if someone has a crazy idea for a design.

R: I’ve seen a pretty looking piece of 3D work on your Instagram, can you tell me more about that? (the wishbone)

RS: 3D printing in titanium is something I’ve wanted to use on my Ti frames since I discovered it. The yoke I designed was actually made to accommodate a 2.4” tyre for a 12.3” chainstay length frame . So designed it be able to be used with multiple chain stay length. 3D is relatively new to BMX but has so much potential to get pretty creative with frame designs. It has the advantage of being light and strong as it’s made from 6al 4v titanium and also looks rad as hell. I am currently working on a few more designs that I will slowly be introducing into the next generation of frames and forks.

R: How much detail goes into making a frame feel “right” beyond just the numbers on paper?

RS: Apart from design and geometry I would say material choice , tube thickness and weld techniques all play a major role in making a frame feel right , and look good.

R: Was there anything during production that turned out way harder than you expected?

RS: Definitely bending titanium tubing, that was a big challenge to overcome but I’ve managed to work that out. Titanium has some pretty hectic spring back so getting the right combo of grade and angles was critical. Welding was the part I though was going to be the hardest , but since I made that into my career that ended becoming the part I’m most comfortable with now.

R: What’s day-to-day life with WLDLFE actually like? Is it something you’re balancing alongside work, or has it become your main focus?

RS: WLDLFE currently is still a sideline business for me as I do work full time for another well known titanium bike company called Enigma where I am the frame builder and welder, we build some of the best road and gravel bikes on the planet there. So WLDLFE is limited to weekends and after hours for now. Hopefully one day i could do it full time and become my main focus. I am fortunate to be able to do what i love for a living.

R: What’s been the biggest challenge with running an independent BMX brand so far?

RS: Balancing my time has definitely been the biggest challenge , also getting the brand name out there is still a bit of challenge.

R: And what’s been the most rewarding moment? Seeing people ride the frames? Support from the scene?

RS: 100 percent seeing people enjoying the bikes and receiving such amazing feedback from customers. Supporting the scene where I can is also very rewarding. Watching people progress on my bikes I like to think the frames had a little to do with that.

R: Do you feel pressure making frames compared to smaller BMX products, knowing people are putting so much trust into them?

RS: Not really, I’m very confident in my frames and workmanship and I do understand that BMX can be rough on frames and parts alike, I would not release something I wouldn’t ride myself.

R: WLDLFE feels very rooted in BMX culture rather than just being another bike company. How important is that side of things to you?

RS: That is everything WLDLFE stands for , BMX and BMX culture is in its DNA and will always remain that way. BMX shaped the brand and its identity.

R: How do you feel about BMX right now? It seems like there is a few more independent rider-owned brands appearing

RS: I feel pretty positive about BMX now and its future, all these new independent brands popping up shows BMX is alive and well, Brant Moores inter bike series really showed that and introduced brands we had not heard of before including WLDLFE . BMX is not a trend it’s a lifestyle. And lifestyles live on.

R: Do you think social media changed the way brands have to exist in BMX now, for better or worse?

RS: Definitely both. Better in a way that more people around the world can connect and learn from others and worse as it can become pretty obsessive and competitive in a bad way. can’t have good without the bad though.

R: Do you want WLDLFE to grow into something much bigger, or are you happy keeping it more underground and controlled?

RS: I would like to see WLDLFE grow into something more self sustainable so that I could spend more time on it and experiment more . But it will always be a mainly bespoke brand focused on what customers want. We all want our dream bike just need someone to create it.

R: Are there plans to expand beyond frames, or do you like focusing heavily on doing one thing properly?

RS: Oh yes absolutely. Frames are just the beginning , ofcourse it will predominantly be a frame brand I am already doing bars and forks and will be doing apparel and other parts too, everything WLDLFE does will be done professionally. I will be launching 2 production set geo cromoly frames too in the near future made in the UK. Titanium will always be custom geometry . I will be collaborating with other brands soon aswell(more details later). So much to look forward too.

R: If you could make your dream WLDLFE project with no limitations, what would it be?

RS: With no limits? I recon I would build a frame building studio and BMX shop with its own fully equipped bike park with endless trails. A WLDLFE park so to say. A place where people could hang out , ride , see the building process and pic up a custom bike too while they at it. Haha would be sick af!

R: Where’s the best place for people to keep up with WLDLFE and everything you’ve got going on?

RS: My Instagram account is the best place to see what WLDLFE is up to and to chat @wldlfe_bikes or you can check out my website WLDLFE.com

R: And where can people pick up a frame and support the brand?

RS: WLDLFE.com has a shop on there and a neat frame geometry feature where you can input your own custom geometry. Alternatively you can DM me directly on Instagram or email wldlfe4@gmail.com in the future I’m hoping to work with BMX shops or distributors too so if anyone is interested please feel free to reach out.

R: Anyone you’d like to thank or shout out before we wrap this up?

RS: Yes, I’d like to say a big thank you to the following people:

All my old riding bros from back home in P.E , Cape Town , JHB, Bloemfontein and Durban we had a great time together on trips and plenty of priceless memories.

Greg Illingworth for supporting my brand and giving me good advice ,Josh Newell for helping with my website, Toby Groenewald from fittees for doing my T-shirts, Brant Moore for taking the time to have me on his podcast, Billy Becket and Lou Baker( Rockstar Harley and Oliver Bakers dads ) for believing in the brand and spreading the word. My mom and dad (RIP) for driving our asses all over SA to any event we wanted to go to and being the best support. Thank you Chris Sherwood for being a top guy to work with. To all my customers who have been absolutely amazing and coming up with some rad ideas for me to make! Thanks Ride UK for doing this interview with WLDLFE And a massive thank you to my wife Tamaryn De Zitter for being by my side all the way and the greatest mom to my newborn son Kaiya. Love you both.

If there is anyone I missed I apologise but do know I appreciate you all.!

R: Last question – what’s one thing in BMX you wish would make a comeback?

RS: Independent full length BMX videos with a lot of metal! Especially on VHS or dvd where we all only had one copy we shared amongst each other and watched it till the tape stretched out or the disk skipped. It is more of a nostalgia than anything els, but that would be rad!