Richard likes getting out and about – he was looking for a multi purpose machine that could be used for bike packing adventures but also to take on his local singletrack. Not seeing anything that took his fancy ‘off the shelf’ he decided to approach Spanner Bike to obtain satisfaction.
He’d seen Haute Gravel and admired the individual spirit but wanted something more mountain bike based to work with a flat bar. We kept the distinctive double top tube design and added a custom downtube with an eye catching hexagonal profile.
The largest amount of brainpower was expended on getting the top tube/seat stay profile right. We wanted it to look good, have plenty of heel clearance, and actually be possible to fabricate! We were also balancing the standover height with maximising potential frame bag space. I’m really pleased with the results, and not a little jealous too, it’s the profile that I really wanted to see on Haute Gravel!
The other details were relatively straightforward, a driveside chainstay plate to give us plenty of tyre and chainring clearance, standard screw in bottom bracket for maximum compatiblity, and some unique cable routing…
I do like a well considered cable/hose run. I’d made use of the tubes running the length of the frame on Haute Gravel to keep the derailleur and brake lines internal and clean. We did the same on Richard’s frame, while also running an internal tube guide in the downtube for a future dropper post.
Richard couldn’t want to get his hands on the frame. Knowing that he had a bikepacking trip on Dartmoor planned for a few week’s time I decided to drive over to deliver it in person. He seemed happy to see me!
So – did we hit the mark?
Well, I have to say I’m totally chuffed to bits with the bike! It’s everything I wanted it to be; it fits, it’s unique and gets loads of comments, even from non cyclists!
Is great success, yes!
It worked a treat for bikepacking, there was loads of space for bar bags and the double top tube makes the frame bag really stable.
Lauf forks were a real surprise, once I got the tyre pressure sorted (18psi) the forks came alive, they’re compliant and surprisingly well damped for a leaf spring. I particularly like how the curve on the forks is mirrored in the frame.
Job done then! Richard already had a good idea of what he was looking for but we still spent some time tweaking and honing the details. It was awesome to see him get on so well with the finished bike!
If you’re inspired to follow Richard’s path then get in touch and we can have a chat about how Spanner Bike could help you too!
Andrew.
