With the chance to ride a huge array of bikes, I'm afforded the opportunity to get very specific with each bike's purpose. This one is no exception, though it's purpose is quite wide. It was built to train on, in any weather, comfortably, for any distance.
With those details set, I started with stainless steel. You get the comfort of a steel bike, without the worry of rust. So why not Ti? Aesthetics, actually. I love the shine of a brushed stainless frame. Ti would have also done quite well for this bike's intended purpose.
Being that this bike was going to be ridden in good weather and bad, we opted for cantilever brakes for the added clearance for larger tires. Even on the wide HED C2 rims, there is plenty of clearance for 27c Challenge Paris-Roubaix tires. I haven't tested the chain stays yet, but I think there may be room for 32c smooth tires.
Chris King R45 rubs were chosen for their durability and good looks. Because let's face it: this bike still has to look good when getting those long miles in. King hubs are easily serviced as well, so if something does happen, we can take care of it in house with our hub service kit. The rear wheel has 24 spokes laced 3x.
SRAM Force drive train takes care of the gear changing. Red is on all of my other road and CX bikes, but I figured with the abuse this bike will see, and the fact that it won't be raced, made it a perfect candidate for Force. Plus, this bike needs to fit a certain aesthetic, and the red accents on Red weren't quite right.
The obligatory stainless steel King Cage will soon have a mate. Perfectly designed, made in the US, durable, light, and beautiful, King Cages are the only way to go.
A working man's handlebar, home to a bright light and computer. The NiteRider 350 cordless is enough for the city, but when going further a Pro1500 will be mounted. The Garmin EDGE 800 is the ultimate cycling computer, bar none.
King headset and a silver head tube badge at the front of the bike. The badge is a luxury, but a king headset is mandatory.
R45 front hub to match the rear. light, the right color, and built with 24 spokes laced 2x in the front.
Quarq, the perfect match to a SRAM drive train. 50/34 chain rings make for extra flexibility in gearing. Again, this bike won't be raced so I didn't feel the need for a 53, and on easy rides a 34 might be just what I need.
Yes, there is a platinum panel under there. Classic painted panels on stainless steel.
The down tube panel housing classic Independent Fabrication logos in silver.
This bike combines a healthy dose of comfort with a little bit of speed and classic good looks. Relatively low-spoke-count wheels laced in a durable pattern have classic looks with modern performance. If I were building this bike for someone who weren't in a shop everyday we'd probably want to look at 32h laced 3x front and rear, but let's not forget that I work less than 2 feet from a huge spoke collection and a truing stand if something were to go south.
The steel fork is quite a bit heavier than anything I'm used to riding, but after only 60 miles on this bike I can tell it's going to be the right fork for the job. It rides so smooth, and coupled with the stainless frame and plush 27c tires this bike is just oh-so-smooth even on crappy roads.
Once the weather really turns foul this bike has braze-ons for fenders, a rear rack, and front low rider mounts to carry just about anything. But for now, I'm going to enjoy it in it's current "sport mode" and just go as is.
We usually photograph our bikes clean, but that felt so wrong for this bike. Dirty made sense, don't you think?
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