Rick’s Road Bike

It’s not too often that I get the opportunity to build a straight up road bike. The geometry of the modern road bike has been evolving over the years based on frame design and component trends. Tires are getting bigger and a lot of road bikes don’t have the clearances needed. Although this one has 28mm Continentals on there, there’s room for a 32mm with the medium reach Velo-Orange calipers. Rick went with an older Campagnolo Record 10-speed group which is one of incomparable beauty. It has the perfect balance of alloy and carbon fiber, tipping their hat to what are now called classic components (i.e. anything silver).

There are very few flourishes on this frameset but everything has been refined. The lugs are a classic short point style. Lug curves and radii were altered, fastback seat stays wrap around the seat cluster, the Ritchey dropouts were heavily carved, and a simple polished stainless chain slap protector was brazed onto the chain stay. There are braze-ons for fenders and a rear rack if he decides to use them in the future.

Rick brought me an indigo colored piece of china for paint inspiration. I was able to match that and also create a custom Columbus tubing logo. The tubing is a combination of Spirit for Lugs, SL, and Zona but for Rick this blend is called “Hope”. It is the Rhode Island state motto but also his mother’s name. Coincidentally, it’s also my mother’s middle name so my arm didn’t need twisting when Rick suggested it.

See the full slideshow of pictures.