Dan Craven, or Dan from Nam, as he was known during his professional road racing career, had for years dreamt of starting his own handmade bike brand at home in Namibia, Onguza. He had traveled the world riding and racing bikes, but he knew that to find the best builders, returning home to Namibia would make the most sense…

When it comes to using their hands, Namibian skill sets are highly developed so that, whether it’s in the arts like sculpture or pottery or in the trades like mechanics and builders, their dexterity, precision and attention to detail are invaluable. Back in his hometown, working on his parents’ farm, Dan had two friends, Petrus and Sakaria.

Dan grew up admiring how they seemed able to build anything, fix anything, think creatively and always come up with an ingenious solution to a problem. Petrus and Sakaria’s initial reaction was that Dan was just crazy. World class bikes built in Omaruru? There was no way! But, with persistence, Dan convinced them to come on board as senior builders and shareholders in Onguza Bicycles.

Miranda’s opportunity to connect with the people who built her bike, and who benefit from the work and who believe in the beauty of what they’re creating, was special. She saw first-hand the pride and care that Petrus, Sakaria, Tilomwene, Sakeus, Danny, Elvis and Dan put into every frame they build. Namibia has some of the world’s most dramatic landscapes, one that I am honored to have seen with my own eyes as I rode across sand and gravel, along fresh tarmac, and into singletrack trails.

Sleeping amongst giant egg-shaped boulders and passing through lands that felt raw and old, my experience along the Atlantic Coast and under the hot sun was surreal. Miranda says that she’ll have the Onguza for life, and if you ride, you know the special connection you can form to your bike. Because of her experience in Namibia, to her this connection feels even deeper.