Who, what, where?
Nonusual is a small product design company based in London. Started in Autumn 2010, there are just two of us, co-owners Akira Chatani and Ryo Yamada. We make Gropes – leather handlebar grips for bicycles and what Nonusual lacks in size, we make up for in ambition and creative passion.
We both have full-time jobs, Akira is a graphic designer and Ryo, a fashion designer and we run Nonusual and make Gropes in our spare time. Our online shop recently launched. Although Ryo now lives in Amsterdam, we both cycle to work every day and between us own 7 bikes. Both of us prefer to use single speed bikes as our main mode of transport and, of course, these are kitted out with Gropes. Ryo finds the terrain in Amsterdam uneven and stony and not best suited to a single speed with skinny tyres, but his heart rules his head and he continues to use the bike he loves the most.
