FRANKENBIKING

After the credits rolled at our first screening at Kendal Mountain Festival, we stepped out into the rain to watch a small crowd gather around Jon and his tall bike - a striking contraption welded together from discarded frames that had once been destined for the scrap pile. One by one, curious festival-goers clambered on. A young man pedalled loops around the car park, six feet in the air, raindrops bouncing off the car roofs below, his friends cheering as he beamed down at them.
 

“This is so fun!” he yelled. “Okay… now how do I get off?!”
 

Frankenbiking is a short documentary passion project about the joy of tall bikes and the fascinating people who build and ride them. Created by filmmakers Joel Porter and Alex Moore, the film follows two key characters: Jon Thompson of TOMO Bikes and Petor Georgallou, a former frame builder known as ‘Dear Susan’ and now the director of Bespoked, Europe’s largest handmade bike show. The film delves into the world of those taking cycling to new heights - celebrating fun, silliness and creativity, whilst exploring how people react to the new and unusual. 
 

Although Jon and Petor share the same unusual interest, their approaches differ. Jon largely sees tall bikes as a social tool - a way to break the ice, spark curiosity, and escape the everyday. Having trained as a sculptor, Petor views his work as artistic expression, creating absurd machines that challenge expectations and elevate the bicycle from object to idea. While they each have their own reasons for crafting their tall bike contraptions, both are united by the belief that bikes should bring joy - usually, the sillier the better.
 

One of our favourite quotes in the film comes from Petor:

“As long as you’ve got enough to eat and drink, fun is basically the most important thing. It can change your perspective on the world for the better. It’s like a breeding ground for optimism.”
 

Peppered with quirky animations, this documentary is a comedy at heart, touching on themes of individuality, DIY culture, and joyful rebellion. At its core, the film celebrates people who do things differently and the unexpected communities that form around them. The animations, created by Joel Porter and illustrator Lydia Wonham, add depth to the storytelling, turning words and ideas into visual metaphors. Built mostly from vintage postcards, newspapers, posters and books, the collages mirror the ethos of the tall bikes themselves - made from reused materials and full of character, they offer a playful and creative way to look at the world. 
 

The idea for the film started small with co-directors Alex and Joel discussing the idea of creating a brief two-minute piece about a unique subculture. But as we met more people, the project grew into something richer. At the heart of it were Jon and Petor: two incredibly generous, charismatic collaborators who opened the door into a niche scene and helped us tell its story with honesty and humour. 

At one of our final shoots - a group ride organised by Jon - a rider named Ash turned up after a chance encounter on the street earlier that week. He’d had a taste of the tall bikes and wanted in. Having been glued to it all afternoon, Ash decided he couldn’t go home without purchasing Jon’s tall BMX. Not long after, he texted us: "Every time I look at this bike, it brings a smile to my face.”
 

That meet-up, and Ash’s reaction, felt like the perfect encapsulation of the spirit behind Frankenbiking. Tall bikes are magnets - they draw people in, spark conversations, and invite anyone and everyone to try something new. This is part of the unfiltered magic - they dwarf traffic, attract attention and ignite a child-like urge within us to get involved. Throughout the film, these spontaneous moments of connection reveal something bigger: that joy is contagious, and the things that make us stand out can also bring us together.
 

Frankenbiking recently completed its film festival run, with 15 official selections and 5 award wins: this included Best Short Documentary at the Wales International Film Festival & Manchester Lift-Off Festival, Audience Choice Award on the Cyclist Film Festival UK Tour and Best Editor at the Emerging Talent Film Festival. From its premiere at Kendal Mountain Festival to screenings at Sheffield Adventure Film Festival and Bicycle Film Festival, we’ve been blown away by the warm reception.
 

Now that the film is publicly available online, we hope it continues to inspire riders, builders, and curious onlookers to climb a little higher - and maybe see things from a new perspective.

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Film Credits:

A SWAMP films production.

Produced, Directed and Shot by Joel Porter & Alex Moore

Written & Edited by Joel Porter

Illustration - Lydia Wonham

Animation - Joel Porter & Lydia Wonham

Sound Recordist - Tom Nott

Sound Mastering - Ben Porter

 

Links:

SWAMP Films, Creative Outdoor Film Studio - www.swampfilms.com

Jon Tompson (TOMO Bikes) - https://tomobikes.co.uk/

Bespoked The Handmade Bike Show - https://www.bespoked.cc/