- NEIL’S TOURING BIKE -

Neil approached me wanting a forever bike, a bike which he could enjoy throughout his retirement and would be capable of taking on long cycle tours through Europe whilst carrying everything he might need whilst out on the road.

I always enjoy building touring bikes, something I don’t get anywhere near enough opportunities to do. I wouldn’t describe them as a challenge, but more of an adventure for me here in the workshop. Of course there is a little bit more consideration required, but 99% of the time, keeping things simple is the way to go. Ultimately, bikes should be simple machines so overcomplicating them is both a pain for the builder, the customer and the mechanics who work on the bikes down the line.

Contrary to the above, Neil really likes traditional lugged bikes, but wanted the mod cons which we now have available to us such as disc brakes and electronic shifting. So to add something to challenge me, we decided on a completely custom lug set, 100 per cent made from scratch. I have a blog post coming soon to show the process of the construction of the lugs. Essentially, this two front triangles worth of joints, plus turning tubes to correct tolerances and a few days shaping them. The reason for the custom lug set comes down to the fact that you cannot buy lugs which are made for modern day tube diameters which are capable of withstanding the different forces disc brakes apply.

Using a blend of Columbus Zona with a Spirit toptube, the bike is built to be rigid and strong to carry luggage but with a comfortable ride quality in mind.

As is often the case on the bikes I build, we have used Chris King parts wherever possible for their serviceability without the requirement to replace bearings. Throwing less stuff away whilst at the same time as not having to buy more is something that really satisfies me.

To add to the classic look, I managed to get my hands on a limited edition silver Shimano GRX chainset without buying the rest of the groupset. This finished the bike off just nicely and suits the build really well. I feel that using an aftermarket crank on a build like this can sometimes look a little bit out of place.

The paint was very much Neil’s ideas. He wanted to add some nice little details which you don’t often see but which carried themselves well alongside the flow of the lugs. Often, a modern classic like this would look good with box lining etc, but I really like the way the calligraphic designs compliment and draw attention to the handmade lugs.

This bike was completed at the start of summer 2024, so I know well that Neil has already shaken it down with some tours.