The Nugget: Tim Allen

UBCO electric bike company Chief Executive Tim Allan feels at home in the outdoors. No surprise having spent his first 10 years growing up in South Africa around wildlife parks.

His favourite memory? Seeing a full-size hippo running at pace and doing a mean ‘Manu’ bomb off a 15 foot cliff into the water below.

Tim reckons you haven’t seen anything until you see a hippo laughing.

These days he still finds time to get on a board, bike or above the clouds in the mountains.

But his real love is creativity. Whether painting and drawing, or inventing an indoor vertical farming system at Design School, creativity is in his blood.

So he started his own company, Locus Research in 2002 - “an epicentre of design, art and creativity." It also has an investment arm to support innovative companies – one of which was UBCO where Tim is now the boss.

The best part of the job? “Working around the globe with such a wide variety of people. It changes your world view.”

There are over a thousand of these amazing 2x2 electric bikes already in use in over twenty countries, with owners enjoying their rural utility, and joyful fangability with the beauty of no clutch, drive-train, noise or emissions.

Global domination plans are afoot, including cracking the urban market - hence UBCO’s co-lab with 3 Wise Men.

Off-road adventure meets on-road capability with UBCO x 3 Wise Men’s stunning Midnight blue, black and leather detailed bike here.

Just five have been created and can be drooled over in select 3 Wise Men stores where you can also check out our complementary limited-edition clothing collection. This includes the jeans ($150), waxed cotton jacket ($400), and shirt (8 different colours $130) Tim wears here. His favourite piece though is the canvas and leather satchel ($350) - ”I’m addicted to bags,” he told us in strict confidence. Whoops.

Aside from work, precious time is spent with his wife Paula (whose tolerance for his bag fetish is legendary), kids Isaac and Ruby, dogs Storm and Jax and renegade cat, Harry. (No word yet however on Harry’s own ‘Manu’ skills).

Yep, the days motor by for Tim. Luckily he’s a got a super cool ride to get him through them.