Tag: custom

How Would I Build A Custom Round-The-World Touring Bike In 2020?

Last year I wrote an article explaining how I would build a custom round-the-world touring bike. It was based on the most well-proven and best-designed components that existed in 2019. A whole bunch of people actually went out and built the bike, and as far as I’m aware, are absolutely loving it!

After agonising on this for months and months (seriously!), I’ve got a completely new build for 2020. Surprisingly, about 50% of the build has changed, as new products have been released while others have started going out-of-date.

This can be considered a ‘dream build’, but I’ve importantly factored in:
Price – I’ve selected parts that offer high comfort, performance and durability without necessarily being the most expensive.
Product availability – You won’t find particularly obscure or custom parts here; apart from the frame, the parts are available in many regions.

This build is designed to handle rough roads and will support a massive amount of gear if you need. It’ll crush famous routes like the Pamir Highway, Peru Divide or Mawson Trail, but will also roll fast enough to cover the bike paths of Europe. I think it’s the perfect all-rounder for a round-the-world trip.

The article is pretty heavy reading, as there was a lot of thought that went into every component, and it was important for me to share my technical justifications! If you want to properly understand the concepts in this article, check out my book, the Touring Bicycle Buyer’s Guide which starts at the beginning.

Round-The-World Touring Bike Frameset – $863 (Ex VAT)

Frameset: Thorn Nomad MK3 – £818 (US $863 or €920)

People have been riding the Thorn Nomad MK1 and MK2 around the world for years and years – it’s an incredibly well-proven steel touring frameset. The MK3 update has brought the Nomad into the 21st century with new features including 26/27.5/700C wheel size compatibility, a kickstand mount, a front thru-axle fork and a split in the rear triangle for belt drive.

The frame has a classic touring geometry with very long chainstays to keep your loaded bike nice and stable. It’s designed to be laterally stiff, using some of the biggest oversized steel tubes seen on any touring bike. There are 12 sizes available, including two step-through frames for riders with shorter inseams. You can get the frameset in a grey, red, green or blue colourway.

If you so desire, the Nomad will fit rim brakes with 26″ or 27.5″ rims. The frame is, of course, derailleur compatible, or if you have deeper pockets, it is Rohloff hub ready with an eccentric bottom bracket shell to tighten the chain or belt.

Yep, a belt-compatible Thorn bike, I never thought I’d see the day! This news will be shocking to you if you’ve ever read Thorn’s publication, “Living With A Rohloff Hub”.

The steel fork uses a classic twin-plate crown to maximise the tyre clearance. It comes in three different offsets, which allows for more toe clearance and better optimisation of the steering speed for the smaller frame sizes. The thru-axle size is 15x110mm, which is unusual for a touring bike (12x100mm would’ve allowed Shimano dynamo hubs to fit), but in terms of performance, there are no downsides to these hub dimensions.

Ok, so there are lots of cool features, but what about the geometry?

There are two different frame geometries for the Nomad MK3 – a shorter and taller frame for drop handlebars (“S” sizing) and a longer and lower frame for flat handlebars (“L” sizing). While Thorn keeps many aspects of the frame geometry and sizing a secret, I’ve managed to squeeze them for a few more clues which have allowed me to manually calculate the missing numbers. This has got to be peak bike nerd, but I was never going to recommend a bike without the numbers first!

NOTE: These numbers are my estimates derived from CAD software.

As you can see in the graphs above, the ‘reach’ numbers are within a very narrow range. Best-practice frame design will see the bikes get longer in proportion to their height, typically in accordance with the category trend lines – check out the Trek 520 for some proper textbook sizing. With bike sizing to the right of the category trend line, it means that the Nomad MK3 is not super upright, especially if you’re on the shorter side. You’ll, therefore, have to rely on headset spacers for an upright bike fit, which is fine, but a little bit ugly, in my humble opinion.

Strangely, the 40S and 47S step-through frames are above the category trend, meaning they’re very upright for their size.

The steering speed (trail) falls within 64-68mm on the flat bar frameset, which is on the fast side for a touring bike with a high leverage bar, but it’s also not unusually fast. The drop bar framesets have an almost identical trail (64-71mm) to the very well-proven Surly Disc Trucker.

Headset: FSA Orbit XLII – Included with the frame ($59 on Amazon)
I’ve been using FSA Orbit headsets as long as I’ve been riding bikes. They offer excellent bearings and extensive seals to keep water and debris from affecting the performance of the headset.

Wheelset – $755

Front Hub: Shutter Precision PD-8X 15mm Boost Dynamo Hub – $210
The SP dynamo hubs offer excellent reliability at literally half the cost of a Schmidt SON28! Read more about dynamo hubs HERE.

Rims, Spokes, Rear Hub: Velocity Cliffhanger 27.5″ – $625 with SP PD-8X Dynamo Hub
This wheelset is a very solid option for touring. It offers super-stiff touring rims, a 25mm internal rim width (suitable for 2.0-2.5″ tyres), Sapim Leader spokes and tubeless compatibility with the Velocity rim strips. The overbuilt rear hub uses four sealed bearings to keep everything running smoothly. Read more about the best touring rims HERE.

Option B: Check out Ryde Andra 40 rims, Sapim Leader 2.3mm spokes and a Velocity ATB rear hub ($63, $28, $150). This wheelset will be stronger again and it will save you $174 – but the rims are harder to source outside Europe, they have silver machined sidewalls and you lose the tubeless compatibility. Make sure to factor in the extra wheel building costs too; the Velocity wheelset includes the labour.

Tyres: Schwalbe Almotion 27.5 x 2.15″ – $130/pair on Amazon
I’ve been blown away by the capability of the Almotion tyre. It’s the fastest touring tyre on the tarmac (even in the 2.00-2.15″ range) and it’s tough enough for the roughest dirt roads. The wide widths offer extra comfort and I’ve found them to be super puncture resistant too. I get 15,000km+ out of a set provided I switch the rear tyre to the front at about 10,000km. I’d go the Vittoria Mezcal 2.25″ if you’re after extra grip off-road, and the Marathon Mondial for a super durable all-rounder. Read more about Schwalbe touring tyres HERE or durable bikepacking tires HERE.

Drivetrain – $427

Crankset & BB: Shimano SLX M7000 36/26t – $129 and $21 on Amazon
I have controversially selected an 11-speed 2X drivetrain for this build, which goes against the typical 3X setup on most touring bikes AND the current trend for 1X drivetrains.

There are many reasons why:
1. There are smaller jumps between gears compared to 1X. When you go up and down through your gears, there is a change in cadence for every shift you make. The best way to explain this is to imagine you’re going 15km/h and pedalling at 90RPM. If you shift to a harder gear on a 2X11 bike, you’ll still be going the same speed but you’re now pedalling at 79RPM. This works out to be 77RPM on a 1X12 drivetrain. The 2RPM difference may not sound like a lot, but it can be annoying on flat roads where maintaining your preferred cadence results in bigger changes in speed. I’ve calculated that 2X11 and 3X10 offer the exact same gear jumps, but 2X10 and 1X12 offer significantly bigger jumps.
2. 2X has a wider gear range than 1X (17-91″ for the lowest and highest gears). This 528% drivetrain achieves a climbing gear that allows a good cadence at 5km/h (3mph) for the steep hills, but also a top gear that will have you pedalling at 43km/h (28mph). These are the exact gear ratios I personally use to travel the world. If you want even lower climbing gears, you can spec 34/24t chainrings which will go down to a 16″ climbing gear – that’s super low!
3. A more efficient drivetrain. With the straighter chain lines of 2X, you’ll achieve a higher drivetrain efficiency (see the test HERE) compared to 1X.
4. Reduced drivetrain wear. With the straighter chain lines of 2X, you can use the smallest chainring with the biggest rear cogs, and the biggest chainring with the smallest rear cogs – the result is better chain-to-tooth interactions.
5. Great quality components. Shimano has just ditched 3X from its latest Deore mountain groupset. That means that Shimano Alivio will soon be the highest-quality 3X option – which is ok, but a little lacklustre compared to the Deore and SLX we’ll use on this build.
6. Availability is very good. Bike shops in capital cities around the world stock replacement parts to service their existing customers. Mountain bikes at the $1000 price point now come with 11-speed SRAM NX and GX, and will soon have Shimano Deore M5100 drivetrains too. Gravel bikes currently use 11-speed SRAM Apex/Rival/Force and Shimano GRX, which have chain and cassette components that are also interchangeable with Deore/SLX.

Cassette & Chain: Shimano SLX M7000 11-42t & Shimano HG54 – $58 and $29 on Amazon
These drivetrain parts are not particularly expensive, they are longer-lasting than 8/9/10-speed, and are interchangeable with SRAM and Shimano 11-speed parts found around the world.

Front Derailleur: Shimano SLX M7020-H– $32 on Amazon
This derailleur offers very high performance at a reasonable price. The Thorn Nomad MK3 is routed specifically with a high-clamp, side-pull front derailleur in mind, which gives the best possible rear tyre clearance.

Rear Derailleur: Shimano SLX M7000-GS – $59 on Amazon
This SLX derailleur is tough as nails with super crisp shifts. The ‘shadow’ design sits the derailleur in-board which provides excellent clearance from rocks, and the clutch feature allows you to keep the chain taut on bumpy roads.

Pedals: Shimano XT T8000 – $99 on Amazon
I have nothing but good things to say about Shimano XT pedals. I’ve worn through two sets, each clocking an outstanding 50,000km (and they still spun perfectly after a re-grease). The T8000 is clip-in on one side, but flat on the other. It’s weighted to prioritise clipping in, so I never have to find the ‘right’ side. If you like flat pedals, check out the XT M8140 flat pedals. If you like a dual entry clip-in pedals, check out the XT M8120 trail pedals.

Cockpit – $393

Handlebars: KOGA Denham Bars – $95 (HERE or HERE)
I designed the KOGA Denham Bars, so they’re obviously the ultimate for touring! My bars have a bullhorn section which lets you mimic the ‘hoods’ of a drop handlebar (making your body more aerodynamic) and they also feature a wide grip section for the best bike control with front luggage. You can read about the thinking that went into the Denham Bar design HERE.

Grips: Ergon GC1 – $29 on Amazon
This grip is developed specifically for backwards-swept handlebars. The grip surface is designed to spread your upper body weight over a larger surface area, minimising hand numbness on long rides – and it really works! There’s a raised bulge in the middle of the grips that cups nicely below your hand; my grips honestly feel custom-moulded to my hands. These grips are quite long, so I normally lop 10-20mm off each side so that there is more real estate at the base of my bullhorns. Read more about grips HERE.

Stem: Zoom Black 4-Bolt – $16 on Amazon
I don’t find a big difference between stems once you get to a certain quality. Anything 4-bolt with nice hardware is good enough for me. If you’re riding rough roads and want a little extra comfort, take a look at the Redshift ShockStop suspension stem – I’ve just fitted one to my bike, so I’ll let you know how it goes in a few months.

Shifters: Shimano SLX M7000 2X11 – $86 on Amazon
I’ve specced the latest Shimano SLX trigger shifters on this build which are super reliable and easy to use. They also pair very well with the bullhorn section of the KOGA Denham Bars allowing for ample hand space.

Brake Levers and Calipers: TRP ML800 and TRP Spyke – $32 and $135 on Amazon
I’ve chosen cable disc brakes, even though I swear by hydraulic. Why? The difference in power is there, but it’s not huge. Cable disc brakes will give you peace of mind in remote areas and it’s easy enough to run some lubricant down the cables periodically to keep them snappy. The TRP Spyke calipers are definitely the pick of the bunch as they pull both brake pads in like a hydraulic caliper. Personally, I ride with Shimano XT hydro brakes which have worked flawlessly the last few years, as long as I give them a yearly bleed. I’ve been able to find people to carry out hydraulic brake bleeds in any major city. If you’re happy to accept the risk of a potentially temperamental hydro caliper, the XTs are the go. You can read more about touring brakes HERE.

Saddle and Post – $196

Saddle: Charge Spoon– $27 on Amazon
Saddles are hugely personal preference, so I am just going to recommend one that I like on my mountain bike. The shape really works for me on long rides – I never get saddle sores, I never get numbness. That doesn’t mean I recommend it for you! Please note, that some riders have reported that the stitching is hard on this saddle, wearing baggy shorts prematurely. It’s worth learning about saddle shapes HERE.

Seatpost: Cannondale SAVE or Cane Creek Thudbuster ST – $199 and $169 on Amazon
In terms of rider comfort, a flex seatpost is the ultimate upgrade. Bike frames require thousands of newtons of force to flex one vertical millimetre. On the other hand, a carbon or suspension seatpost requires well under 100N of force to travel the same distance. This allows a great reduction in road buzz, and the seatpost will absorb big hits on any dirt roads. A suspension seatpost is more suitable for both shorter riders and those wanting a bit more cushion. The carbon posts offer roughly half as much flex (20mm), which I personally prefer, but you will need a relatively high seat to unlock the full travel. Read all the nitty-gritty on seatposts HERE.

Accessories – $432

Lights: Busch und Muller Toplight Line Small (Rear) and IQ-X (Front) Dynamo Lights // $30 and $90 on Amazon
The IQ-X has the best road beam going around (same reflector as Schmidt Edelux II), it’s super bright, it’s pretty efficient and it’s under $100. The asymmetric lens is optimised for bike paths and roads so your light won’t blind people approaching you. The Toplight Line Small tail light is super compact, bright and will mount directly to your rack. Read more about dynamo lights HERE.

Racks: Tubus Logo Classic 29 and Tubus Duo – $112 and $90 on Amazon
Along with rims, spokes and tyres – racks are the next likely thing to break on a round-the-world touring bike. If you’re planning a long journey, using top-notch racks is one of the best ways you can possibly spend your money. I’ve had the most success with Tubus (zero failures) – but if you break these racks anywhere in the world within five years, Tubus send some new racks out, no questions asked! Read more about racks HERE.

Fenders: SKS Bluemels P65 – $50 on Amazon
These wide fenders clear 27.5×2.4″ tyres without issue. They are light and come with quick-release mounts to prevent sticks and rocks from getting caught on trails. Read more about fenders HERE.

Kickstand: Dropout Adapter + Pletcher ESGE Comp – $42 and $18 on Amazon
I’m a massive kickstand fan. Thorn has a neat kickstand mount that connects to the rear dropout. Read more about kickstands HERE.

Build Summary

The total came to US $3066. This includes top-tier accessories like the best dynamo lighting and racks that money can buy.

Make no mistake – a complete touring bike offers unparalleled value. The Thorn Nomad MK3 starts at just $2200 for a 3X10 Deore build. But if you’re interested in optimising every component, it can really be worth building a custom bike to get the right gear ratios, brakes, rims, tyres, lighting and more.

Although this is a lot of money, I think it still represents good value considering the comfort, durability and performance that this build would offer. I was pretty careful about saving money in areas where it’s safe to do so, but in other areas, I picked parts which would optimise everything nicely.

You can definitely cut corners at the seatpost and tyres, saving ~$200 off the build price. You could also do without the lights, dynamo hub, fenders, kickstand and racks (if you went for bikepacking bags instead) bringing the build price down to a touch over US $2200.

And if you were to use the same parts but with a Rohloff 14-speed internally geared hub, I’ve estimated that the total price would increase to about US $4000, which is cheaper than many Rohloff builds.

How Would You Spec Up A Dream Build With Price Factored In?

June 10, 2020
23 Insane Touring Bike Features That Need To Be Seen To Be Believed

I’ve been documenting the technical side of touring bikes for about a decade, and in my time have seen some mind-blowing touring and bikepacking features.

I’ve just spent the week scouring the internet (thanks COVID!) so that I can take you on a tour of the most insane touring bike features ever conceived. We will start out with lots of nifty, but uncommon bike features that I really appreciate on my various bikes. But you’ll really want to stick around until the end of this video as these features are going to get seriously out of hand.

Let’s do it!

Schmidt SON SL Dynamo Wiring

Image: SON Nabendynamo

One of the coolest features you can find on a premium touring bike is Schmidt SL dynamo wiring. With the matching SL dropouts, all you need to do is fit your front dynamo wheel to your bike and your dynamo system is all wired up.

While plugging in a dynamo cable really isn’t actually a big deal, if touring forks are already equipped with internal dynamo cabling, we may as well add the SL connectors to complete the incredibly clean look.

Internal Dynamo Cable Routing

Image: Wittson Cycles

After the dynamo cable has run up the inside of your fork, it makes sense to keep the internal wiring right through to the back of the bike. This is actually not as hard as you’d think given there are holes in the ends of most frame tubes.

The best touring racks use hollow steel tubes, and this is a great opportunity to wire your rear dynamo light cable inside the rear rack. I have drilled a small hole at the top of my rack so that my cable is hidden all the way to my light!

Guided Internal Cable Routing

On the subject of internal routing, another very neat feature is guided internal cable routing for your brakes and gears. This not only looks incredible, but it silences your cables on bumpy roads and keeps them free from debris too.

It’s a pretty labour intensive process given the need to drill holes in the frame, install long metal tubes and finish off the surface – but it’s definitely one of my favourite features of the KOGA WorldTraveller.

Direct Mount Frame Packs

Image: Victoire Cycles

Direct mount frame packs have been around for a while in the handmade bike community, but it’s only recently that major adventure bike brands Salsa, Marin and Niner have committed to this setup. Other than looking super clean, these bags are actually quite functional as velcro bag straps usually like to scratch your frame when the mud and grit inevitably works its way in.

Anodized Finishes: Frames, Fenders, Rohloff Hubs

Image: Firefly Bicycles

Anodizing is a surface treatment process which allows you to add colour to a bike without adding any extra weight – plus it’s more durable than paint and less prone to scratching too. The most incredible anodizing is done by Firefly bikes, just check out how pretty all these designs are!

Frames aren’t the only thing we can anodize though. You can buy many components in anodized colours, and you can even take your fenders and Rohloff hub shell to an anodizing specialist to make something truly unique.

Custom Saddles

Image: Kara Ginther

It’s safe to say that artist Kara Ginther has carved out a niche for herself. While motorbike and horse saddles have long been decorated, it only seems reasonable that somebody carves up your favourite bike saddle too. According to Kara, nothing “carves as nicely as a Brooks saddle”.

Kara has gone on to create a very impressive resume of saddles, from a Japanese “Great Wave” saddle design right through to pretty much anything you can possibly imagine.

Image: Busyman Bicycles

Another artist doing cool things with saddles is Mike Peel in Australia. He re-covers many popular saddles with incredible designs and colours. His combination of perforated hole sizes, raised edges and subtle colours will add something truly special to your bike.

Carbon Fibre Parts

Image: Calfee Design

Carbon makes for a great frame and fork material, but did you know you can also get custom-made carbon touring accessories?

This is a Calfee carbon fork with integrated front rando rack. The rack adds just 70 grams to a fork and Calfee can actually build these into your existing fork. Another popular touring component that can be made using carbon is your fenders.

Rohloff and Pinion Gearbox 3000% Drivetrain

Image: Tout Terrain

Let’s shift gears a bit. Don’t know whether to pick a Pinion 18-speed gearbox or Rohloff 14-speed hub on your next touring bike? Well, why not combine both! That way you can have 252 individual gears and you can finally pedal your buff legs at 128KPH!

Ok, this is technically an April Fools joke, but you could actually make it happen. There are a few people on earth who would actually pedal fast enough for this drive system – Denise Mueller-Korenek and Eric Barone are two that I can think of.

But seriously, you can extend the range of a Rohloff hub by fitting a Schlumpf two-speed crankset. These nifty cranks have an overdrive gear of 1.65 or 2.5 times, which results in an insanely wide gear range of 868% or 1315%!

Custom Aerobars

Image: Victoire Cycles

Aero bars are gaining in popularity on bikepacking bikes, but what you may not realise is that for ultra events, and adventure riding in general – aero bars aren’t really about speed. Most users will agree the biggest advantage is the extra comfort they offer by taking the weight off your hands and wrists, and changing the angle of your back and neck.

If you know your exact bar height and reach, why not integrate the arm pads into a custom stem cap… or a fork for that matter, in the case of the above Victoire build!

Image: Granfondo-Cycling

A really neat bikepacking accessory that can be integrated into a custom aero bar is a magnetic hydration pack hose connector. This custom accessory by Fern Bicycles allows your hydration bladder hose to always be at the ready.

Custom Integrated Handlebar and Stem

Image: Black Sheep Bikes

Let’s hang out at the front of the bike a little longer and ogle over some custom bar and stem combos. It turns out I’m not the only person who can design a handlebar to their every specification – anybody can! Dekerf Cycles and Moonmen Bikes make some amazing custom handlebars.

James at Black Sheep also constructs some very appealing titanium bar and stem combinations for touring, adjusting for all the dimensions, backsweep and angles you prefer. But if you throw enough money at him, James can even integrate the handlebar, stem and fork together into one incredible work of art!

Titanium Suspension Fork

Image: Black Sheep Bikes

James doesn’t only make incredible handlebars, he also makes custom leaf-sprung titanium forks that require zero maintenance, which is perfect for the backcountry or an extended tour. The only fork option which operates using the same principles is the incredible Lauf carbon suspension fork.

Couplers and Frame Breaks

When you order a custom frame, you are often given the option for various coupler and frame-break designs. While these options are rarely cheap, the idea is that you can break your bike into smaller pieces so that you can fly without oversized baggage fees – hopefully, recouping the upfront cost over time.

Image: Moonmen Bikes

One of the most impressive bikes that will fit into two standard-size cases is this Moonmen tandem fat bike! It boggles my mind that all that titanium, rubber, leather and carbon fits into two tiny boxes.

Image: Bingham Built Bikes

But couplers don’t have to just stop at your bike frame. You can drop $900 on a coupler stem which will turn taking your bars off your bike from a 60-second job to a 10-second job! If you do this 100 times in your life, you’ll save an hour and 23 minutes. If we assume a nice stem is $700 cheaper, you’re looking at a stem feature that costs close to $1000 per hour to use!

Custom Racks

Image: Ahearne Cycles

Custom racks always look pretty, but they often improve on standard designs too. You can integrate dynamo light protectors, baskets, bottle cage mounts and bag supports for bikepacking bags. It gets really fancy when you start to permanently braze the frame, racks and fenders together! Or simply build the rack into the fork and squeeze a custom bag inside.

Steering Locks

Image: Ahearne Cycles

If you carry a front-load on your bike, you’ll have noticed that the front wheel likes to turn when you park your bike. There are a few aftermarket solutions to this problem including the SteerStopper and Hebie stabilizers, but none is as elegant as a stainless steel pin that pierces right through your fork and head tube!

9. Integrated Frame Lock

Image: BreadWinner Bicycles

There are a few completely ridiculous things on this list, but the next few features take things to another level.

Tony from Breadwinner Bikes takes the idea of a steering lock much more literally! He has managed to use his custom bike frames, stems and forks as the lock cylinder and body. Simply slip the key into the side of your stem to free your bike. As the lock integrates with the steerer tube, this stops the wheel from turning when the bike is locked.

Gold Plated Rohloff Bike Chain

Image: Velo Ciao

Before Rohloff created their revolutionary 14-speed gearbox, they actually specialised in making chains. And in the late-1980s, they did a very limited run of 24-carat gold plated chains! You can sometimes come across these chains selling today for a mind-boggling €1500…

… if only there was a hub that was the perfect match for a gold-plated chain.

Gold-Plated Rohloff Hub Shell

Well, there is one 24-carat gold plated Rohloff hub in existence. It was constructed by Bernhard Rohloff himself – the mastermind behind the Rohloff gearbox – at the Eurobike trade show in 2008, and it signified the 100,000th hub Rohloff had sold.

55 Rohloff owners who had completed more than 60,000km on their current hubs went into a draw to win this gold hub. The winner of the competition then went on to auction the only gold-plated Rohloff hub for charity. What a legend!

This Rohloff is incredibly rare and blingy, but what if gold ain’t your thing?

Custom Hub Shells For Rohloff and Schmidt Hubs

Image: Phil Wood

Don’t worry because Phil Wood is here to save the day!

You no longer have to deal with ‘common-folk’ hub shells from Rohloff and Schmidt, Phil Wood is going to help you stand out from the crowd with a set of custom-made polished hub shells. Other than the incredible aesthetic, the only reason to invest in new hub shells is so you can use lower or higher spoke counts than Rohloff or Schmidt themselves offer – that’s 24 spokes per wheel minimum and 48 maximum.

Wooden Touring Bikes

Image: Renovo Wooden Bikes

Ask anyone who builds wooden bike frames, and they would not think there is anything crazy about their construction material. Wooden frames often offer the same stiffness as carbon, at a similar weight to steel (2.3kg/5lb), and they actually prove to be stronger than steel in many load tests. The key attribute to wood is that it absorbs more vibration than any other typical frame material, which makes for a silky-smooth ride.

Wooden frames are usually constructed by cutting two matching frame halves, hollowing out the tubes (sometimes with a CNC machine, other times by hand) and then glueing the pieces together. The ride characteristics can be refined for the customer by selecting the appropriate wood types and wall thicknesses for the rider’s weight and riding style.

I’ve actually spent some time on a Renovo wooden bike and I can honestly say it offered a very dreamy ride.

Four-Wheel Antarctic Adventure Bike

Image: Hank’s Antarctic Adventure

What is the ultimate bike for cycling to the South Pole? Probably something like this Carver fat bike! In fact, this incredible piece of titanium machinery literally visited the most southern point on Earth.

The bike is running four 5.5″ tyres at 2spi(!) each providing massive float across polar terrain. A driving chain runs between the rear tyres to a custom-made cog; the front and rear hubs are actually all connected together so the wheels spin at the same speed. A Pinion gearbox at the crankset provides 18-gears that are enclosed in a sealed oil bath and there is only a front disc brake to stop this bike.

It’s definitely a crazy build!

StringBike

Image: StringBike

I almost fell off my bike when I first saw a guy touring on a StringBike! I was overtaking him at the time and looked down to see two weird alien arms moving in a very bizarre way. I immediately struck up a conversation with the guy and made him pull over so I could take a closer look.

The StringBike uses two crank pulleys and Dyneema ropes to drive the rear wheel, offering 19 non-overlapping gears spread over a 350% range. You can change the gears with a simple twist forward or backward at the grip. The main advantage of this design is that it is silent and requires little maintenance in all weather conditions. That said, given all the proprietary parts, I don’t think we’ll see StringDrive on many touring bikes in the future.

Rodriguez 8-Ball Convertible Tandem

Image: Rod Bikes

As someone who has cycled across multiple continents on a tandem bicycle, let me tell you – it’s one of the best ways to explore the world with a partner or friend! These days my tandem gets very little use, but perhaps I would still be riding it if I had selected Rod Bikes for my custom tandem build…

This Pacific NW bike company specialises in convertible tandems from two riders to one… or four-to-one for that matter! By very cleverly locating S&S couplers so that you can remove sections of the bike, you can own one bike that adapts for multiple riders in less than 15 minutes!

Moots Fat Bike With Liquid Storage

Image: LaceMine29

Here we go…

The most insane bike feature I’ve ever seen on a touring bike has got to be liquid storage! In the case of this Moots fat bike, the liquid can be stored inside the titanium fork legs, the frame downtube, and the entirety of this trailer! If you look carefully, you will see the input screws at the highest points of the bike, and small brass taps at the lowest.

This fat bike was originally designed to cross some of the most remote places on Earth, which is why you’ll find more than 6-litres of fuel storage in the custom titanium trailer alone. But when not out on epic expeditions, I’d imagine this bike would make a pretty amazing party bike filled with whiskey!

Bonus: Titanium Shot Glass Bell

Hey, and if whiskey is your game, those 6-litres of titanium-stowed deliciousness need to be consumed out of the right cup. The best cup in this instance is the removable titanium bell dome from a King Cage bell! You can literally buy these shot glass bells for US $40…

Let Me Know The Craziest Bike Features You’ve Seen!

May 29, 2020
How Would I Custom Build A Round-The-World Touring Bike in 2019?

This is a little project I set for myself that I’m hoping can be a guide for your own custom build or bike upgrades. It’s essentially a list of all of the gear that I think is well-proven for bike travel. The project will also give you a good idea for the types of setup and parts I’m always thinking about.

This can be considered a ‘dream build’, but I’ve importantly factored in:
Price – I’ve selected parts that offer high comfort, performance and durability without necessarily being the most expensive.
Product availability – You won’t find particularly obscure or custom parts here; most parts are available in all regions.

This build is designed to handle the world’s roughest roads and will support a massive amount of gear if you need. It’ll crush famous routes like the Pamir Highway, Peru Divide or Outback in Australia, but will also roll fast enough to cover the bike paths of Europe. I think it’s a great all-rounder for a round-the-world trip!

Let’s dive into what parts I’ve selected and why, and let me know how you’d spec your own ‘realistic dream build’ in the comments.

Round-The-World Touring Frameset – $722

Frameset: Surly Orge – $679
The Surly Ogre frameset isn’t perfect, but I think it offers so, so much for the price. It has primarily been selected because it can run wide 29 x 2.20″ tyres with full fenders. Without fenders it’ll squeeze in a 2.50″ knobby tyres, or even 3.00″ with a 27.5 rim. That gives you a huge range of terrain options from bike paths through to gnarly singletrack. The Ogre frame sizing has been optimised for alt handlebars (or risers), which I’ve found to offer the best bike handling under almost all conditions. You can dress the Ogre up with whatever kind of luggage you prefer – there’s a heap of cargo cage mounts, front rando rack eyelets or standard pannier bolt holes. If you feel like adding an internal gearbox later, the Ogre is Rohloff hub compatible with its horizontal dropouts and axle plate slot. For a drop-bar build (more on my handlebar choice below), I’d probably pick the Salsa Fargo frameset instead – the added benefit of going down this route is that the Fargo is also belt drive compatible.

Headset: Cane Creek Forty – $43 on Amazon
This is easily the best headset under $50. It offers excellent bearings and extensive seals to keep water and debris from affecting the performance of the headset.

Wheelset – $715

Front Hub: Shutter Precision PD-8 Dynamo Hub – $130
The SP dynamo hubs offer decent reliability at half the cost of a Schmidt SON. They also run practically as efficiently, in fact, they’re more efficient at 10km/h. Read more about dynamo hubs HERE.

Rims, Spokes, Rear Hub: Velocity Cliffhanger – $575 with SP-Dynamo hub
This wheelset is a super solid option that is pretty easy to come by. It offers a super-stiff touring rim, a 25mm internal width (suitable for tyres up to ~2.60″), Sapim Leader spokes and tubeless compatibility with the Velocity rim strips. The $100 upgrade will get an SP dynamo hub built into the front wheel. Read more about touring rims HERE.

Tyres: Schwalbe Almotion Snakeskin 29 x 2.15″ – $140/pair on Amazon
I’ve been blown away by the capability of the Almotion tyre. It’s the fastest touring tyre on the tarmac (even in the 2.00-2.15″ range) and it’s tough enough for the roughest dirt roads. The wide widths offer extra comfort and I’ve found them to be super puncture resistant too. I get 15,000km+ out of a set provided I switch the rear tyre to the front at about 10,000km. I’d probably go the Vittoria Mezcal 29 x 2.35″ for extra grip off-road, or if the rim/tyre combo worked out, the 29 x 2.60″ version. Read more about Schwalbe touring tyres HERE or durable bikepacking tires HERE.

Drivetrain – $398

Crankset & BB: Shimano Deore M6000 40/30/22t – $100 and $25 on Amazon
I have selected a 10-speed triple chainring setup for this build, which obviously goes against the current trend for 1x.

There are a few reasons for this:
1. Wider gear range (17-104″). This achieves a climbing gear that allows a good cadence at 5km/h (3mph) for the steep hills, but also a top gear that will have you still pedalling at 45km/h (28mph).
2. Smaller gaps between gears. This triple drivetrain offers a 595% gear range. A 1x can offer 500%, but with the wide cassette, you’ll have a bigger jump between each gear. This is fine in the mountains but can be frustrating on the flat.
3. Reduced drivetrain wear. It’s easier to get a straighter chain line with a 3x setup because you’ll use the smallest chainring with the biggest rear cogs and the biggest chainring with the smallest rear cogs. This allows for a higher drivetrain efficiency (see the test HERE) as well as a longer service life.

Cassette & Chain: Shimano Deore M6000 11-36t & Shimano HG54 – $36 and $21 on Amazon
These drivetrain parts are not particularly expensive and are pretty easy to find around the world. 10-speed is now featured on many mountain bikes under $1000.

Front Derailleur: Shimano XT M781 Direct Mount + Problem Solvers Direct Mount Adapter – $33 on Amazon
The XT derailleur offers high-end performance at a very reasonable price. The Surly Ogre is routed specifically with a high direct mount top-pull front derailleur in mind, which requires a PS clamp adapter (HERE).

Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M781 – $81 on Amazon
This XT derailleur is pretty bombproof with nice and crisp shifts. The ‘shadow’ design sits the derailleur very in-board which gives them excellent clearance around rocks.

Pedals: Shimano XT T8000 – $102 on Amazon
I have nothing but good things to say about Shimano XT pedals. I’ve worn through two sets, each clocking an outstanding 50,000km (they still worked fine after a re-grease, but felt a little sloppy). The T8000 is clip-in on one side, but flat on the other. It’s weighted to prioritise clipping in, so I never have to find the ‘right’ side. If you’d like a dual entry, check out the M8020 trail pedals.

Cockpit – $370

Handlebars: KOGA Denham Bars – $78 (HERE or HERE)
I designed the KOGA Denham Bars, so they’re obviously the ultimate for touring! My bars have a bullhorn section which lets you mimic the ‘hoods’ of a drop handlebar (making your body more aerodynamic) and they also feature a wide grip section for the best bike control with front luggage. The Surly Moloko bars share many traits with my signature handlebar, so they’d have to be a close second. You can read about the thinking that went into the Denham Bar design HERE.

Stem: Generic 4-bolt black – $16 on Amazon
I don’t find a big difference between stems once you get to a certain value. Anything 4-bolt with nice hardware is good enough for me. If you’re riding rough roads and want a little extra comfort, take a look at the Redshift ShockStop suspension stem.

Brake Levers and Calipers: Shimano Deore and TRP Spyke – $32 and $149 on Amazon
Cable disc brakes offer the best value for money, plus they’re the easiest to work on. The TRP Spyke calipers are the pick of the bunch because they pull both brake pads in like a hydraulic caliper. I’ve paired these calipers with Shimano Deore levers. You can read more about touring brakes HERE.

Shifters: Shimano Deore M6000 3x/10-speed – $36 (R) and $30 on Amazon
I really like the simplicity of thumb shifters, but unfortunately, they do not pair well with the bullhorn section of the KOGA Denham bars. Instead, I’ve specced the latest Shimano Deore 10s trigger shifters on this build.

Grips: Ergon GC1 – $29 on Amazon
This grip is developed specifically for backwards-swept handlebars like the KOGA Denham Bars. The grip surface is designed to spread your upper body weight over a larger surface area, minimising hand numbness on long rides – and it really works! There’s also a raised bulge in the middle of the grips that cups nicely below your hand. These grips are quite long, so I normally lop 10-20mm off each side so that there is more real estate at the base of my bullhorns. Read more about grips HERE.

Saddle and Post – $292

Saddle: Brooks Cambium C17 All-Weather – $93 on Amazon
While saddles are hugely personal preference, Brooks saddles are renowned for a reason. The Cambium series saddles may not be made from leather, but this allows them to be waterproof and longer-lasting without a ‘break-in’ period. The C-series have been matched in terms of shape to the most popular touring saddle (ever?), the Brooks B17. They come in three different widths, with and without cutouts – the latter providing a bit more saddle flex. Read more about saddles HERE.

Seatpost: Cannondale SAVE – $199 on Amazon
In terms of rider comfort, a flex seatpost is the ultimate upgrade. Bike frames require upwards of 500N of force to flex one vertical millimetre, translating to barely a millimetre of travel when you apply your body weight to a frame. On the other hand, a carbon seatpost like the Cannondale SAVE requires well under 100N of force to travel the same distance, translating to more than 5mm of vertical flex when you’re simply sitting on the saddle. This allows a great reduction in road buzz, and with 20mm of total flex, the seatpost will absorb big hits on any dirt roads. Read all the nitty-gritty on seatposts HERE.

Accessories – $420

Lights: AXA Luxx 70 Plus and Busch und Muller Line Plus // $71 and $33
The AXA Luxx 70 may not be the brightest light or the best USB charger, but at well under $100 it definitely represents the best value-for-money. The asymmetric lens is optimised for bike paths and roads so your light won’t blind people approaching you. With the light off, you’ll be able to top up your smartphone from around 12km/h. Read more about dynamo lights HERE.

Racks: Tubus Logo Classic 29 and Tubus Duo – $104 and $119 on Amazon
Along with rims and spokes, racks are the next likely thing to break on a round-the-world touring bike. If you’re planning a long journey, I think getting high-end racks is one of the best ways you can spend your money. I’ve had the most success with Tubus (zero failures) – but if you break these racks anywhere in the world within five years, they send some new racks out, no questions asked! Read more about racks HERE.

Fenders: SKS Bluemels 75 U – $75 on Amazon
These wide fenders will clear a 2.60″ tyre with certainty, but will likely fit a 27.5+ tyre too. They come with quick-release mounts to prevent sticks and rocks from getting caught on trails. For the best fit, I’d recommend using these guards with a Problem Solvers Fender Flute. Read more about fenders HERE.

Kickstand: Pletcher ESGE Comp – $18 on Amazon
I’m a massive kickstand fan. Craig, a Surly and kickstand fan, designed two 3D printed stainless steel parts (part 1 + part 2) that will mount a KSA-18 kickstand onto Surly Troll, Ogre or ECR dropouts. Read more about kickstands HERE.

Build Summary

The total came to US $2917 for this ‘realistic dream build’.

Make no mistake – a complete touring bike offers unparalleled value. But if you’re interested in optimising the parts, it can really be worth building a custom bike to get the right gear ratios, brakes, rims, tyres and more.

Although this is a lot of money, I think it still represents good value considering the comfort, durability and performance that this build would offer. I was pretty careful about saving money in areas where it’s safe to do so, but in other areas, I picked parts which would optimise everything nicely.

You can definitely cut corners at the saddle, seatpost and tyres, saving ~$300 off the build price. You could also do without the lights, dynamo hub, fenders, kickstand and racks (if you went for bikepacking bags instead) bringing the build price down to a touch over US $2000.

And if you were to use the same parts but with a Rohloff 14-speed internally geared hub, I’ve estimated that the total price would increase to about US $3935.

How Would You Spec Up A Dream Build With Price Factored In?

January 10, 2019
This Ultralight Fern Chuck And Matching Bag Set Is Unbelievably Lustworthy

Fern is a Berlin-based duo of bike travellers and good friends, who piece together touring bikes, components and bikepacking bags (with the help of another friend) out of their workshop in Germany.

Flo and Phillip have travelled across countries and continents and wanted to use their experience to create beautiful bikes that are designed to be ridden hard.

The Fern Chuck featured today has been crafted for Berliner Fahrradschau, a bicycle lifestyle fair with the latest trendy bikes, gear and technology.

Let’s take a closer look…

The Fern Chuck Build

This Fern Chuck build is a fillet-brazed beauty that weighs in at a feathery 10.5kg (23lbs).

Using Columbus steel tubing, Fern has managed to keep the weight off all while routeing the brake, gear and dynamo cables internally for that ultra-clean look.

The cable entry points at the headtube are particularly special, using the filler material to create a carbon-esque shape not seen on other steel builds.

Up the front is an SP dynamo hub with its lighting wire neatly tucked up into the fork leg. Closed dropouts designed around a bolt-up axle ensure the front wheel will not be going anywhere without an Allen key.

The dynamo hub goes on to power a German-made Supernova E3 Triple 2 light, capable of pumping out 640 lumens of light. These lights are really impressive; they can be fully submerged in water, indefinitely – while still in operation.

As Fern custom makes all of their own racks, the Supernova light is attached directly to special mounts, and the cable is hidden from view.

At the top of the fork is a pizza/porteur rack that connects off the v-brake bosses and fork crown. These racks permit a randonneur/porteur front bag which is quickly accessible while riding and is a great location for cameras, snacks and electronics.

A Gevenalle GX 11-speed thumb shifter has been paired to a Shimano XT mountain bike rear derailleur and a wide range 11-42t SRAM cassette. This is one of my favourite ways to hook up mountain bike derailleurs to drop bars as it’s really clean and simple.

The 1x drivetrain generates a 23″ climbing gear which can be considered low enough to overcome most hills given the lightweight nature of this bike.

Fern makes a unique-looking fillet brazed stem that they’ve colour-matched with their fork and cabling. These stems are custom made to length as an option for every customer.

Fern has also designed their own ‘flair’ handlebar which is a little wider than your standard road handlebar.

A small rear rack is fitted to suit some specially designed drybags – also made by Fern.

The dry bags can be optionally strapped on, providing extra luggage space without requiring a cargo cage to keep everything in check. Plus, without the bags attached, the racks look super clean on the bike.

Gramm-Tourpacking Collaboration

The Fern guys teamed up with their friend Kristin, who makes bikepacking bags under the name Gramm Tourpacking in their workshop. The suite of bags is a matching set designed to complement the sand/fluro finish of their bike.

With Kristin in the workshop, Fern is able to offer a unique product to the consumer: a custom bike, component and luggage solution.

This means Fern aren’t constrained by certain rack and bag dimensions and can go about designing their stuff in the best way they see fit.

As a loaded bike, the Fern Chuck looks incredible.

The matching bags with their sand/fluro colourway really compliment the rest of the bike. And if you pack minimal enough, there’s ample space for water and your gear.

A low-trail steering setup allows for a light and twitchy steering feel, even with the Pizza Bag filled with gear.

Should you want your own Fern/Gramm setup, you can expect to wait 12 months as a result of high demand. Fern only sells their custom racks and stems with their framesets or complete bikes.

To See A Collection of Custom Touring Bikes, Click HERE.

March 25, 2018
This Ahearne Pinion Gearbox Touring Bike Will Blow Your Mind

You’ll find a few touring bike creations from Joseph Ahearne’s workshop already on CyclingAbout, but I always have time to feature another. That’s because Joseph goes to great lengths to incorporate fine detail into each of his builds.

This particular off-road touring bike, sometimes known as an ‘Outback’, is a fine blend of modern technologies with classical styling. Everything from the drivetrain to the tyres, rims, lights and handlebars is positively 21st-century; but the bike could somehow go unnoticed between a handful of touring bikes from decades ago.

Let’s take a closer inspection.

The Ahearne Pinion Gearbox Touring Bike

Starting at the front end, the most striking feature to me is the triple plate fork crown. This takes me straight to a particular artefact at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. You know the Wright Brothers who are credited with creating the first successful aeroplane? Well, they started in the bike business, and their most famous bicycle build also employs a triple-plate crown!

While Joseph usually constructs his own racks, this Outback is using stock Tubus racks. That’s no bad thing, the Tubus steel racks are often half the weight of everything else available and offer a 30-year guarantee to boot. You will, however, find a custom fender strut that mounts the ultra bright B&M IQ-X light in a high but forward position above the front wheel.

The wheels are another talking point. This touring bike is using Derby 35i carbon fibre rims. Not only are these rims ultralight (485 grams), but they’re also super stiff and wide, matching appropriately to the Schwalbe G-One 27.5 x 2.8″ tyres. The tyres are pretty special too as they’re one of the only gravel-specific tyres in this wide dimension. A series of micro knobs create a much lower rolling resistance when compared to standard plus tyres that are designed for trail use. That will make this bike perfect for rough roads like the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan or Carretera Austral in Chile!

The frame breaks into two halves to reduce the pack-size for flying. S&S couplers fitted to the top and down tubes permit the bike to fit into a box with regular check-in baggage dimensions (26 x 26 x 10″). This means no oversized baggage fee and makes travel to and from the airport logistically easier.

The Honjo H-95 fenders are wide enough to clear the plus-sized tyres… with space. Over my years of bike travel, I’ve found fenders to be absolutely invaluable – it’s cool to see fenders on fat-tyred bikes too!

That motor-looking component is a Pinion gearbox. This is a replacement for derailleur gears on a regular bicycle. A series of cogs sit inside a weather-sealed container with 18 different gear options. It actually offers a gear range wider than any derailleur system too. You can read more about Pinion gearboxes HERE.

You’ll also notice that the bike employs a belt drivetrain. I’ve been using belts since 2010 and have found that they significantly exceed the lifespan of a regular chain drivetrain. I tend to get over 30,000km on a single belt which can sometimes last the duration of a multi-year tour across continents!

The bike is using Paul Klamper cable disc brakes that fit nicely to the sliding Paragon dropouts. I particularly like the super neat fender strut mount at the top of the dropout. The thru-axles front and rear are another modern feature on this classically-styled ride.

The bike is finished using a Jones Loop handlebar that is quite high in proportion to the seat which should provide a comfortable position for all-day riding. Word from Joseph Ahearne is that the seat and seatpost are only temporary. I look forward to seeing this bike covered in dust and mud!

Head HERE For More Custom Touring Bike Builds

March 14, 2018
Mark Beaumont’s 240 Mile/Day Bike: Around The World In 80 Days

Yesterday I was given the opportunity to ride with Mark Beaumont through Melbourne and into the rural areas of Victoria as part of his latest challenge: Around The World In 80 Days.

I’ve been following Mark’s adventures over the last decade, starting with his original cycling around the world record. Mark rode across Europe, the Middle East, India, Australasia and North America in 194 days on a regular touring bike with four panniers, all unsupported. This record was particularly appealing to me because it came at a time when I was just getting into bike touring – the ideas of crossing continents with 30kg of equipment in tow helped me envisage what I could one day do with my bike…

My interaction with Mark was very pleasant despite him having a complete doozy of a day. Just hours earlier one of his support vehicles was struck by another vehicle from behind while Mark was only five metres away. The campervan ended up being completely destroyed, and fortunately, nobody was injured.

The Melbourne drivers were showing their absolute worst form (as usual) by yelling out their windows, honking at us and passing with just centimetres to spare. I am truly embarrassed to be Australian when I see how poorly we treat cyclists; there is honestly nowhere on Earth that you will be treated worse. Other than the potentially fatal hunks of metal flying past, the winds had picked up and were rushing at our faces at more than 30km/h. Despite these setbacks, Mark remained calm for the most part.

As I love the gear and tech side of things, let’s take a look at the kind of bike you need to average 240 miles (~386km) per day for 80 days.

The Mark Beaumont Bike: Koga Kimera Premium

Mark has a long-standing relationship with Dutch bike brand Koga. His original cycling around the world record (and Alaska-to-Argentina ride) was on a Koga WorldTraveller touring bike equipped with Rohloff 14-speed hubs. This time he’s on a carbon Koga Kimera Premium road bike to optimise his cycling speeds.

Made in the Netherlands, the Koga Kimera is custom-painted bronze, blue and white to match the logo of Mark’s title sponsor, UK fund management firm Artemis. A large number 80 sits at the headtube as a reminder that Mark’s goal is to take a full 43 days off the current round the world record. At the seatstay area of the Kimera is a small Scottish flag revealing Mark’s identity.

The bike, which is actually one-of-two here in Australia, uses Shimano Ultegra Di2 electronic gearing. This is a popular choice for endurance athletes because it involves very little hand movement to flick between the gears. A set of 47mm deep Corima carbon wheels were on the bike at the time, but Mark also switches to some 32mm deep wheels in crosswinds.

The bike pulls up using Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. These brakes slow the bike at the same rate, whether it’s wet or dry. While not a necessity for the round the world record, these brakes may prove necessary when Mark is particularly fatigued.

Mark uses a Selle SMP Pro saddle. This is the same model he’s used since first getting into endurance cycling. Mark assured me he was still comfortable in his saddle 39 days into his ride. While many SMP saddles have one distinct ‘upright’ cycling position, Mark said he can ride further forward on the nose of the Pro too.

As Mark is cycling for hours per day in the dark, he uses an Exposure Strada 1200 lumen front light which has a road-specific beam that runs at maximum power for three hours. The rear light is an Exposure TraceR which can be seen flashing a kilometre away.

The cockpit is relatively simple, just a set of Profile Design T1+ carbon aero bars, and a Garmin Edge 1000 GPS computer mounted to the stem. Mark didn’t have any road maps on his computer as his support team are assisting with all the turns. He had a top tube bag strapped behind the stem which stored a few essentials like his iPhone.

There are two reasons why Mark’s bike has aero bars: to reduce the frontal area of his body (free speed) and to give his wrists, shoulders and back a break from the usual position in the brake hoods. You might be surprised to find the aero bars sit up quite high compared to a time-trialist at the Tour de France, but remember this is a bike that travels at 25km/h (15mph) for 16 hours at a time – Mark’s position cannot be at all extreme.

Another advantage of the electronic groupset is that Mark can have gear shifters at the end of the aero bars. This allows him to continually optimise his gear without wasting energy moving around on the bike.

Unfortunately, my side profile shot of Mark’s bike didn’t work out too well, but this is what the complete bike looked like 39 days ago in the studio. Notice the bunch of spacers under the stem and the wide 28mm tyres used to smooth out the roads.

Wishing you all the best for the second half of your ride, Mark!

Click HERE To See The Custom Bike Rob English Used For The Trans Am Bike Race

August 10, 2017
English Cycles Aero Trans Am Bike: The Fastest Bikepacking Bike?

This Trans Am bike is probably as far from a typical touring bike as you’ll see on CyclingAbout, but when Rob of English Cycles posted his personal race bike on Facebook – I knew I had to write something about it.

Rob English is currently preparing to tackle a 6920km (4300mi) ultra-endurance event called the Trans Am Bike Race, which traverses the USA from west to east.

To get some insight into what it takes to compete in this event you should check out my short video with 2015 winner Jesse Carlsson a few days before he departed.

With master-level frame building skills and a handful of friends in the bike business, Rob has been able to create his ultimate bikepacking bike for the Trans Am.

The drawings for this bike don’t really look to be anything special, with somewhat typical road bike dimensions across the board.

The geometry is perhaps a little more ‘endurance road’ focussed with a lower bottom bracket height and slightly longer head tube to fit a more voluminous frame bag.

For the steel connoisseurs out there, the frame tubing used is a mixture of True Temper S3 and Columbus Life.

But what sets this bike apart from others – the small details.

The front of the bike immediately indicates that this bike is built for speed.

A set of Enve SES Aero Bars juts out the front with blip shifter buttons on the ends to control the gears. You’ll also notice the brake/shifter units are button-based – this is because Rob’s bike is using the new SRAM eTap gear system which uses wireless signalling to change the gears.

That’s right, there’s no gear cabling to be found on this bike!

Rob collaborated with Kaibab Customs to create an aero bar bag which is perhaps a bit different to anything you’ve ever seen. From above you’ll see the lid is a map case that lifts to open a feeding box that is strapped directly to the bars.

The fork has come from Parlee who is one of the only companies making aero disc brake forks.

Normally, the brake cable routes up through the fork, but this fork has been modified so that the brake cable exits through the crown. As the Parlee fork uses an airfoil shape, Rob fillet brazed a nose cone to the front of the headtube to match.

Parlee also provided the aero fairings for the front and rear disc brake calipers.

Rob isn’t carrying any sleeping gear as he’s planning on staying in hotels/motels every night. That means he can get away with minimal bag storage.

The Kaibab Customs half frame bag uses a bolt-on design (as opposed to straps) to connect to the frame for that ultra-clean look. The Xlab Stealth 200 top tube bag also fits onto two bosses and is said to reduce aerodynamic drag from the stem and headset spacers.

The carbon aero box is pretty special too. It’s been made by Ruckus Composites to Rob’s exact dimensions in a way that hopefully doesn’t hinder his speed.

Rob actually made a styrofoam version that Ruckus were able to match and turn into a box. The rear bag is mounted using a steel frame that Rob constructed specifically to ensure there was no bag ‘sway’. It’s been triangulated using a saddle rail mount.

From the front and rear, this bike looks particularly fast. The frontal area of the bags is all confined within Rob’s body area.

The front and rear lights are made by Exposure (Strada 800 / Blaze) and Rob will charge them both along the way in motels/restaurants. By going dynamo-free, Rob is actually saving about 5 watts or in terms of speed, resulting in a speed increase of between 1-2%.

That’s not much, but when you consider how long this event is – time certainly adds up.

The Trans Am bike uses deep-dish carbon DT Swiss ERC 1100 wheels that weigh only 1530 grams (3.4lbs) and are optimised around aerodynamics.

These wheels are paired to 28mm Schwalbe Pro One tyres that DT Swiss say are faster and more comfortable than narrower versions.

Rather than using rubber tubes, this bike is set up tubeless. Road tubeless can be a bit hit and miss, but it can undoubtedly reduce tyre rolling resistance.

The total bike weight is just under 10kg (22lbs) including all bags, lights and pump. That’s rather impressive considering so many carbon disc brake road bikes tip the scales over 9kg (20lbs).

Good luck and enjoy the Trans Am, Rob!

To See More Amazing Custom Bikes, Click HERE.

May 29, 2017
This Chapman Cycles Touring Bike Perfectly Blends New Tech With The Past

This is not the first time I’ve featured a bike from Rhode Island frame builder Brian Chapman. With smooth fillet brazing, neat lugs, custom made racks and classic colourways – it’s hard not to appreciate the work that goes into these builds.

Today we’ll take a close look at Brian’s latest work, a custom Chapman Cycles touring bike that does a great job of blending modern tech with the classic styling of the past.

Chapman Cycles Touring Bike

We can start up the front of the bike where one of Brian’s custom fillet brazed racks is fitted. Designed to fit both a randonneur-style bag up top and a set of front panniers below – this touring bike is ready for short and long haul trips. And should the pannier section not be needed, it’s detachable too.

A dynamo light mount extends out front to provide a nice unobscured beam on the road, a Schmidt Edelux II putting out almost 100 lux light.

Brian has made the most out of the Cinelli tandem crown by fitting some of the electronics inside it. All you can see is the B&M connector ready for a USB charging cable, but inside the 1″ steerer tube is a custom charging setup thanks to the crew at Sinewave Cycles.

This allows for 3 watts of power at 20km/h, enough to charge a phone in a couple of hours. Brian found that a rubber Lezyne pump cover is a perfect fit for the B&M connector too.

Brian’s bikes are often lugged and brazed – this bike is no exception with Richard Sachs Issimo lugs. Not only does this style of construction look stunning, but it allows for extra paint detail should the customer request it. There’s nice paint detail at the seat tube and top tube intersection, and just the right amount of pinstriping for the length of the fenders.

On the non-driveside seatstay sits a large Lezyne Road Drive pump that has been colour-matched to the rest of the frame. This setup looks classic and offers a practical location for a hand pump that will actually get to the appropriate tyre pressures.

You’ll notice that a twin-spoke holder is brazed onto the driveside chainstay to keep some spare spokes. Having the spokes mounted to your bike is certainly a better solution than damaging them in your bags. This particular location was selected as the non-driveside was already occupied by the disc brake caliper and a frame pump.

This Chapman Cycles touring bike is finished with a relatively modern Shimano 105 road triple groupset (10-speed) complete with integrated shift/brake levers. There’s a matching rear rack which is two-tiered and hugs the custom-painted metal fenders perfectly.

A black Brooks saddle, custom quill stem, Nitto B135 Randonneur bars and set of Compass tyres complete this beautiful build.

See More Beautiful Custom Touring Bike Builds Right HERE.

May 11, 2017
My Old Custom Touring Bike (Rohloff Hub and Gates Belt Drive)

This is the first touring bike I ever bought. It started life as a Surly Long Haul Trucker, but these days this custom touring bike is barely a semblance of the bike it once was.

Not only has it travelled well over 100,000km, but it’s been built with:
– Drop bars, butterfly bars, flat bars, riser bars and these alt bars
– Downtube shifters, barend shifters, MTB shifters and grip shifters
– Continental Gatorskin, Schwalbe Marathon Plus, XR, Extreme, Racer, Supreme, Mondial and Almotion tyres
– 10-speed road groupset, 10-speed MTB groupset and a Rohloff 14-speed internally geared hub
– Standard chains as well as Gates Centertrack Belt Drive and CDC
– Various Rohloff shifter locations with drop bars
– Velocity and Mavic touring rims
– B&M and Supernova dynamo lights
– Brooks, WTB and Giant saddles
– Pedal Power Plus and Cinq USB charging systems
– Cantilever brakes and v-brakes
– Planet Bike and SKS fenders
– Various clip-in and flat pedals

Basically, I’ve been tinkering with the specification since day dot.

After using the Rohloff hub for a number of years, I decided to take my bike to a local frame builder to get the frame modified to suit the hub. Through this process, the builder cut off the old dropouts, installed some Rohloff sliding dropouts, fitted some Rohloff cable guides and inserted a split in the seat stay so that I could try Gates Carbon Drive. I’ve been really happy with this combination over the last seven years.

I’ve recently switched from drop bars to Velo Orange Crazy Bars. What was really important to me was the ‘hood’ position from my drop bar. That’s where I like my hands to sit most, and this handlebar replicates it perfectly. I’m not 100% sure if I will use these handlebars in the long-term, but I’m really enjoying all the new positions at the moment. We’ll see over the next few tours.

Another thing that I am really liking is how easy it is to change my brake cables with standard v-brake levers (as opposed to road levers). I also find that these brakes offer much less cable friction than my outgoing road brake levers.

What Would I Change If I Built A Custom Touring Bike In 2017?

Having played around with so many setups, most of the parts that you see on the bike are as good as it gets for touring. After all, this bike has been refined over a really long time to suit my personal preferences.

I would definitely use disc brakes with my next frame. They are much more powerful, they work better in the wet, the pads last longer and I found them to be extremely reliable on my Co-Motion tandem on a two-year bike tour.

Since riding a handful of modern touring bikes, I’d also prefer a frame that is more laterally stiff. Frames with larger diameter / thicker gauge steel tubing will reduce the slight twist I find when I’ve got a heavy front and rear load. I may even try a nice triple-butted aluminium touring frame.

But otherwise, I like the geometry and fit of my custom touring bike.

Gates have a new belt system out called the Centertrack CDX:EXP and I’d love to give this a go on my next touring bike, along with a Pinion 18-speed gearbox. I’m also keen to try out some Velo Orange Mojave or Widefoot Litercage bidon cages with Nalgene or Kleen Kanteen bottles.

My Custom Touring Bike Specification

Frame: Modified 62cm Surly Long Haul Trucker
Fork: Surly Long Haul Trucker
Headset: Hope 1 1/8″
Stem: Thomson Elite 120mm
Handlebars: Velo Orange Casey’s Crazy Bar
Grips: ESI Silicone and Fizik Bartape
Seatpost: Thomson Elite 27.2mm
Saddle: Giant

Gears: Rohloff Speedhub 14 speed Internally Geared Hub
Shifter: Rohloff Grip Shifter
Front Hub: Schmidt SON28 Dynamo
Rims: Shimano A719 700c 32h
Spokes: DT Swiss Competition
Tyres: Schwalbe Almotion

Brake Levers: Avid SD5
Brakes: Shimano XT

Crankset: Shimano 105 Triple
Chainring: Gates Carbon Drive Centertrack 50t
Cog: Gates Carbon Drive Centertrack 20t
Pedals: Shimano XT T780

Fenders: SKS Chromoplastic P50
Charger: Tout Terrain The Plug III
Lights: Supernova E3 Pro Dynamo (not in photo)
Bidon Cages: BBB Fuel Tank XL
Phone Mount: Quadlock

Weight: 14kg or 30lbs

March 27, 2017
A Wooden Bicycle? Renovo Prove That A Wood Touring Bike Is Possible

While most touring bikes are made from steel, aluminium and sometimes even carbon or bamboo, there’s one company bucking the trend entirely. Let me introduce to you a very special wooden bicycle built for touring!

Renovo Hardwood Bicycles have been handcrafted in Portland (USA) over the past decade. Using ‘nature’s carbon fibre’ in combination with the latest computer-controlled woodworking machinery and adhesives, Renovo say that their frames are as light as steel, stiff as carbon and superior to all at shock and vibration absorption. Not only that, but the thick hardwood used in these bikes can have a greater damage tolerance than other frame materials too.

While the properties wooden bikes may sound a bit too good to be true, let’s focus our attention to what I believe is the bike’s most spectacular feature: the finish. With a mixture of wood types, grains and joins, the curvy lines of a Renovo bike are a work of art akin to the finest wood furniture!

The Renovo Wooden Bicycle For Touring

The Renovo frames are constructed by joining two hollow frame halves straight down the middle. But that’s after the crew has gone to the lumber yard to select the 16 to 40 pieces of wood that make up one Renovo frame. Every stick of wood that is sourced is tested for stiffness and moisture content. With these results, Renovo can forecast the ride quality and stiffness of the frame for each customer.

A Rohloff hub and Gates Carbon Belt drivetrain has been fitted to this bike for the ultimate in gear simplicity. Carbon belts have been known to run for 30,000km+. The Rohloff rear hub offers a wide range of 14 gears that are tucked away inside an oil bath of cogs; all impervious to the weather. This bike is ready for all road conditions!

This Renovo has been constructed with light touring duties in mind. The narrow road slicks and fitted fenders keep road grime from the beautiful wood grain finish. The bike is completed with a Salsa steel touring fork, a Co-Motion Rohloff shifter, Avid BB7 cable disc brakes, Busch und Muller dynamo lights, a Tubus Cosmo stainless steel rack and a Brooks B17 Imperial leather saddle and matching bar tape. The estimated weight according to Renovo is less than 13.5kg (30lbs).

Take A Look At More Custom Touring Builds HERE.

February 12, 2017