Brian M.’s randonneur

Sometimes I make a bike and it just comes out looking like it belongs in a display case. This is definitely one of those bikes. It’s not too pretty to ride though! Brian already has plenty of miles on it. This randonneur will be on display at the 2017 Builders’ Ball up in Boston on September 23rd. Hope to see you all there!

I would say that the front rack and the brakes are the most notable details about this bike but then there are the lugs, and the light wire routing, and the stem, and the color, etc. This bike is just fun to look at. The rack was made with a full bottom support and a light arm off of the side. The velcro straps of the Swift Industries bag go under the rack and hold it securely in place alleviating the need for a decaleur.

The brakes are the custom fillet brazed ones I’ve been making. These were chrome plated to go with the bike’s silver theme. All of the alloy hardware was polished as well. The stem is also custom fillet brazed and chrome plated. Combined with the rack and custom cable hanger, it definitely makes the eyes wander to the front end of this bike.

The wide range double crankset with the Campagnolo Athena 11-speed drivetrain allows Brian to climb just about every hill he encounters. The wheelset has Velocity A23 polished rims that are set up tubeless with Compass 700x35c tires. The rear hub is a polished White Industries T11 and the front is a polished Schmidt SONdelux dynamo. The lights are both Schmidt with a polished Edelux on the front and a SON taillight mounted to the Brooks Cambium on the rear. The wire is routed from the headlight, through the frame, and through the vintage Campagnolo seat post.

The subtle metallic green paint takes my breath away. It highlights all the work I did in shaping the lugs. And even though I try and finish the frame to perfection, it also highlight all the evidence of process. This can be seen in some of the photos (especially the bottom bracket area) and I’m happy for that. It is a symbol of all the work that went into making this bike!

See all the process photos.