Huckberry

August 8, 2011 | Category: HB Interviews | By: Alex

We recently had the opportunity to interview Bradford Riedell of Wheelmen & Co, a brand that bleeds its ‘Classic Tailoring: Modern Function’ mantra.

Wheelmen draws its inspiration from Bradford’s great grandfather, Thomas Smith, who was one of Ireland’s first bike mechanics, and maintained a successful bike shop back in the late 1800s. Bradford carries on his great grandfather’s tradition of creating classically tailored, lifestyle products, and does so with a level of craftsmanship reminiscent of a bygone era.

Prior to founding Wheelmen, you designed for ‘streetwear’ inspired clothing lines such as Zoo York and most recently The Hundreds. What did you take away from these experiences, and how have they shaped Wheelmen?

I loved many moments at those jobs. Zoo York was a long time ago and when the company was much smaller. At Zoo York, I truly learned how the apparel industry functions from the inside. We used to have random people visit the office daily. Larry Clark accompanied with interesting females, Harold Hunter always going nuts and making me laugh like I have never laughed again. It was great times and the sky was the limit. One day I stopped and asked myself “do I really believe in what I am making and designing”? I realized after years of helping to create a market called streetwear, the true connection I once had was no longer there. Or perhaps I just needed to express who I truly was; classic, timeless, gentleman like, all in all, respectable. Wheelmen & Co. it was who I have always been.

As a bike commuter yourself, what wheels are you spinning these days?

I currently ride a bunch of different bikes. Some new, some old. The one I have keep for over 10 years is a Trek Bruiser that had a lot of work done. I used to ride it from Brooklyn to Manhattan everyday for years. I flew out for Bike Film Festival in NYC last year and had it with me. It’s been through more then I can tell here.

All bikers have near-death encounters. Have any worth sharing?

Of course, I’ve had a few. The one I can’t remember, but I was told about happened in Vermont. The medical team carried me out. I was clocked at 45mph before going down and walked away. I’ve toned it done some, after 12 broken bones and insurance drops.