Originally hailing from Glasgow, Graeme’s path to the Bike Circus is as colourful as his personality. “Before this, I lived on the road,” he shares. It was a lifestyle of free festivals and self-sufficiency. His nomadic roots instilled an appreciation for tools and transport that offer independence and reliability.

To him cycling isn’t just a hobby; it’s a way of life. He shares his admiration for Richard Ballantine, the author of ‘Richard’s Bicycle Book’, an early example of bicycle advocacy. “He said that the bicycle is the ultimate tool of the anarchist, which is something that really resonated with me.” 

Graeme sees bicycles as “mechanical perfection.” To him they represent freedom, independence, and a world where anyone can travel further and carry more with just a little effort.

So Graeme, why you and a Tanglefoot Moonshiner?

I’ve noticed that much of the cycling industry and its marketing seem geared toward what I would call ‘weekend warriors’ – people decked out in ‘condoms’ racing around the countryside. It’s all very ‘Tour de Finance’! But there’s an awful lot of people, like me, who just want a good, capable and solid bike.

I love that with just a wee set of Allen keys and a spanner, you could take this bike apart anywhere – even in the middle of somewhere like Azerbaijan!

James Johnson, the man who designed it and coined the term ‘retrofuturism’, lives in a yurt in Vermont. I like the ethos of his company, it’s not just about making money and profit.

And it’s a gorgeous machine. The geometry is perfect, and it’s made to last a lifetime. Hopefully I’ll still be cycling it to the shops when I’m 90.

Do you have a name for the bike? I call it the shiner.

Do you remember your first bike? I got my first bike when I was 18, living in Kilmarnock, Scotland. I’d just gotten married and was working as a window cleaner. It was a simple one-speed bike, but I loved it. Going downhill was brilliant; uphill, not so much.

I’ve always been drawn to what the bike represents – personal motivation, freedom, and independence. Take the suffragettes, for example – the bike gave them a new sense of independence as women. It even stirred up scandal in Victorian society, with skirts hiking up to reveal ankles while cycling. That’s how bloomers came about!

What I love most is that a bike is entirely self-propelled, self-navigated, and pollution-free.

Oh, don’t get me started! Bikes didn’t just change transportation; they reshaped communities. They shook up the gene pool because suddenly people weren’t stuck within their own little towns. You could pedal 20, 30 miles to the next valley, meet new people, and expand your world. It’s incredible when you think about the impact.

Is it a fast bike?

No. It wouldn’t be a bike for speed. It’s designed more for, as I said, off-road touring, just going anywhere. It will cruise down the road quite happily. It’s got really low gearing, so when you’re loaded up, you just hit it into the bottom gear and crank away. Think of it like a Land Rover. It would be an old series 2, British Racing Green.

It’s not how fast you arrive, it’s the style with which you arrive! That’s where the Shiner comes in, you know.

Are there any special
components? That’s a Brooks saddle I’ve got there. The patent for it dates back to 1880. Over the years, they’ve made some updates, but essentially, it’s still the same saddle – and it’s brilliant.

As for the handlebars, those are Jones H-Bars. They’re designed specifically for touring. They’ve got a wide, swept-back design, though not as tightly curved as the old-style ones you might be thinking of. These have a 45-degree sweep, which makes a huge difference. If you stand naturally and raise your arms, your hands naturally turn into that position – it’s just ergonomically perfect.

When you sit on this setup, it feels like slipping on a perfectly fitted glove. I absolutely love it. It’s incredibly comfortable and gives me such a sense of control.

How many vehicles have you owned and what?

1. 1982-83 Old Raleigh bike

2. 1920s High Nelly

3. 1988 Travelled with Horse and Barrow top wagon

4. 1971 Dodge 100 truck

5. 1973 36-foot long motorway coach

6. 1967 Bedford RL, a 10 tonne ex-army, 4×4

7. 1963 Leyland PD2 double-decker. Bright yellow with no exhaust. “It sounded like Sgt. Panzer was coming to visit.”

8. 1970 Land Rover Series II and a Caravan

9. 1982 Mercedes 508

10. 2000 Concept bike “Found stashed in a hedge!”

11. 1984 Peugeot Orient Spirit (Amelie)

12. 2000 Dahon folding bike

13. 1991 Trek 850

Do you have any future plans for you and the Shiner?

The overthrow of Western democracy!

A few years ago, I cycled from Inverness to Glasgow over the course of about five days. It was a fun trip, and what made it even more interesting was that my mum had done the same journey when she was around 17 or 18, with a friend. That would have been in the late 1940s or early 1950s, so I’d like to do that again. The route we took was all on road.

Now, there’s a trail called the Badger Divide, running between Inverness and Glasgow, but it’s off-road. It follows old tracks, trails, and forestry roads, so it’s a bit of a different challenge. I’d like to do that next spring, once I’m back in shape. I’ve had some trouble with my legs lately, but if all goes well, the next step would be to get a boat to Santander or Bilbao in September and then cycle towards Perpignan. The plan would be to spend five or six weeks just wandering around the Pyrenees, exploring as many backroads as I can find and avoiding the main tarmac roads as much as possible.

What’s your cycling style?

If I had to describe the cycling style for the Shiner, I’d call it ‘explorer style’. It’s not about labels like bikepacking – it’s just about exploring. You know, looking at a track and wondering, where does that go? Or pulling up a map and thinking, that looks fun – let’s try it.

I use an app called Ride GPS, which is brilliant for this kind of thing. It’s based on Open Street Map, which is crowdsourced and more detailed than the Ordnance Survey maps. The great thing is, you can contribute to it. For example, if you find a new track through a forest or discover something unexpected, you can map it and add details, like, ‘this river is easy to cross in spring, but later in the year you might have to wade through it’. It’s dynamic and built by people who are out there exploring, just like me.

There’s this bikepacking race in America that fascinates me. It starts in Banff, Canada, and goes all the way to the Mexican border at Antelope Wells – 2,700 miles, completely self-supported. No help, no trophies, no sponsorship nonsense. When a big company tried to take it over, every single rider refused to participate. It’s all about personal achievement. The current record is 15 days – that’s over 200 miles a day through the Rocky Mountains! You have to source your own food, do your own repairs, and rely entirely on yourself. I love that ethos.

I’m not into racing or the competitive side of cycling, but that spirit of independence and defiance resonates with me. My attitude is more like, I’ll get off the ferry, I know roughly where I’m headed, and we’ll see what happens. There’s a beautiful old English word for it – coddiwomple – which means to travel with intent toward a vague or unknown destination. That’s exactly my style.

Oh, and by the way, mine is the only Moonshiner in Ireland. So if you ever see one, and it’s not me riding it, you’ll know it’s stolen!

Any thoughts on the future of the bicycle?

Well, bikes are evolving rapidly, especially with the rise of electric bikes. At the Bike Circus, we can retrofit bikes with electric motors, so if I ever found I couldn’t ride the way I wanted anymore, it wouldn’t be a problem. I could just add a motor and a battery, and off I’d go. This development is also making cargo bikes much more accessible, which is exciting.

In Ireland, the cycling infrastructure is improving, though we’ve got a long way to go. People often compare us to places like Denmark or the Netherlands, but those countries are flat and densely populated. Ireland’s rural and remote nature makes it trickier. Norway’s a good comparison—bike routes are great in the south, but as you head north, they start disappearing. By the time you’re near Trondheim, there’s basically nothing.

There are some incredible long-distance routes out there, though. The European Divide, for instance, starts at Nordkapp in Norway and runs all the way through Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, over the Pyrenees, and ends in Portugal. It’s similar to the Tour Divide in the U.S., but Ireland doesn’t yet have the infrastructure for something like that. It would be great to see more off-road options here because cycling alongside traffic is just stressful – it’s practically a sport in itself.

I like the concept of retrofuturism – taking the best of the old and blending it with the new. For example, electronic shifting is becoming popular, but I’m not sold on it. It’s flashy, sure, but the cold can kill the batteries, leaving you stuck with one gear. Meanwhile, a good old friction shifter is simple, reliable, and easy to fix anywhere. There’s a story of a guy who snapped a gear cable in the middle of nowhere and managed to replace it with a guitar string. That’s the kind of ingenuity I appreciate.

Modern bikes are introducing things like electric brakes and the Bluetooth-controlled systems, but they aren’t always practical. They’re expensive, environmentally costly to produce, and prone to breaking down. For the average rider, they’re just not necessary. My old Peugeot, Amelie, is a 15-speed with cantilever brakes, friction shifting, and a square taper bottom bracket. It’s simple, sturdy, and capable – you can fix almost anything on it with basic tools or improvised parts.

I think we’re at a point where we need to step back. To me, retrofuturism is the way forward. It’s like vinyl records – sure, digital is everywhere, but there will always be people who prefer the tactile, reliable charm of the classics. Bikes should be fixable and built to last. That’s what I love about them.

Adam’s academic background includes a Masters in Music Technology from Trinity College Dublin, which he completed in the late 90s. After returning home from his travels in Australia, he was inspired to create a musical installation in memory of his late friend, Alex, a fellow Datsun enthusiast. Thus, the Datsun 120Y was transformed into the ‘DatsIncredible’ installation,” an innovative musical experience that combined automotive nostalgia with electronic soundscapes.

With the support of the Dublin Fringe Festival and the Arts Council, Adam and his team debuted their experimental art piece on Temple Bar Square, Dublin, in 2000. The installation offered the public an engaging opportunity to interact with the car in ways they had never imagined.

One of the most intriguing features of the installation was its ability to record and manipulate sound. Participants could hold down the horn to loop their voices, distorting them with the car’s controls. Every aspect of the vehicle, from the lights to the seats, was wired to produce sounds, effectively transforming the Datsun into an avant-garde musical instrument. Opening the door elicited a “scary cave” sound, while sitting in the driver’s seat triggered the roar of a V8 engine, humorously disproportionate to the modest size of the Datsun 120Y. The installation cleverly subverted expectations, merging nostalgia with a futuristic experience.

After touring various festivals across Ireland, the Datsun returned to its original purpose as a fully functioning vehicle. Adam, a self-proclaimed Datsun purist, still affectionately refers to it as the ‘DatsIncredible’.

Although the Datsun brand faded into obscurity in the 1980s, overtaken by Nissan, Adam’s project serves as a unique homage to the iconic carmaker.

Today, the ‘DatsIncredible’ remains a cherished part of the Green family in Kilbrittain.

So, it’s a 1200 cc/1.2 litre engine? 

Yes, 1200 (120Y), it’s the second version of the Datsun Sunny. The original would have been a Datsun 1200 from the late 60s, early 70s. This 120Y is probably from about 72-73 onwards. 

What year is yours?

My particular one was made in 74, so it’s 50-years-old now. The guy I bought it off had just finished restoring it and I got it for a bargain.

So it was mint?

Yes, like new. It had originally belonged to a police officer in Portadown, Northern Ireland. It had been left in a shed for 20 years so it had only done about 22,000 miles at the time he rebuilt it.

Does your car have a
nickname?

I don’t really have an affectionate name for it but we’ll go with ‘DatsIncredible’. The Aussie’s used to call them ‘Dato’s’.

Would you ever own a
Nissan?

You’ll never see me in a Nissan. I’ll be a true Datsun purist forever more. If anyone ever tries to get me into a Nissan taxi, I always have severe recoil!

Is this a fun or a fuzzy car?

When it’s going well, it’s reliable. Although it has been conking out a lot over the last few years and my wife Lucy has had to tow me home from Bandon and other places. I think I have that figured out now though…It’s a matter of running the car regularly and not letting condensation get into the carburetor and other parts.

When it’s running, it’s lovely, great fun to drive. Actually the exhaust did blow out of it a few years ago and I had to get a new one. I managed to get one shipped down from the North, which is a bit gruntier sounding, has a bit more growl to it, so that’s fun too.

Is it hotter now than back when it was new?

Oh hell yeah. Japanese retro is all the rage.

Do people dig your Datsun?

Oh yeah there is a lot of Datsun love. It draws out all the characters who learned to drive in them. Datsun was the best selling car in the British Isles in 1976 but within five to 10 years they were all gone, disintegrated.

Is it a fast car?

The odometer goes up to 100. I have driven it as far as the needle can go!

How many cars have you owned and what?

1. 1967 Chrysler Valiant (Australia)

2. 1977 Datsun Cherry 100A-FII. Canary yellow.

3. 1990 BMW 318i estate E30

4. 1974 Datsun Sunny / 120Y, 2dr sedan. (DatsIncredible)

5. 1991 BMW 318i estate E30

6. 1972 Datsun Sunny / 1200, 4dr deluxe

7. 2002 VW Polo 1.9 SDI diesel

8. 1998 Ford Fiesta (grandmother’s)

9. 2004 Audi A6 1.9TDI estate

10. 2000 Honda HRV (grandfather’s)

11. 2013 Toyota Rav AWD

12. 2008 Golf TSI GT Sport

What’s the closest competitor to your Datsun?

Toyota Corolla, Ford Escort or Opel Cadet

What driving style do you think it suits?

It depends who’s in it with me! These days I treat her gently but I would have been a bit of a boy racer in my youth. The 120Y is not as fun as the 1200, which had a sprightliness to it. I’d love to get another 1200 fastback.

Is there anything special about the interior?

It has a nice original granny’s tea cosy carpet, very sticky vinyl seats with a distinctive smell and it is pre-headrests. The backseat just has one little lap belt so whoever is in the back can fly around!

Do you know many people with the same car?

Not many. I’ve only met a few at local vintage shows; someone at Barryroe Show with a 100AF2 and I came across a nice cherry 100A at Innishannon Vintage a few years ago.

Do any of your family share your interest in vintage cars?

My wife likes them, she just wouldn’t buy one. I drag the kids to every car show that’s on, which has probably killed their interest! They wince and sigh at the prospect but when we get there they actually love it. 

Future plans for your Datsun?

My wife’s future plans for the Datsun are to convert it into a camper van or to sell it and buy a camper van! My future plans are to keep it going. It’s just that finding parts for about-to-go-extinct vehicles can be difficult.

Is it for sale?

Always for sale at the right price, even though it would be an emotional parting. “Or exchange for a camper,” adds Lucy.