For Doug’s commuter and all-round road bike, we chose to use Columbus XCR stainless steel tubes as we often do for this type of bike. It is a little lighter than other steels which helps when factoring in fenders and other more durable components but mostly we use it for this type of bike for its durability and corrosion resistance.
This bike will be ridden in all weathers so a rust proof frame with no brake or gear cables to change makes for a very low maintenance bike for the every day.
Through careful geometry choices we have managed to eliminate toe overlap despite the mudguards and keep the rear as short as possible for that snappy handling.

For this bike we didn’t want anything too extravagant but naturally it had to be unique. We used a stunning cobalt blue from House of Kolor, leaving the Saffron to come through in stainless steel.
Both the chain and seatstays have been polished and left unpainted for practicality as much as aesthetics. Given the intention with this bike is an all year, all weather road bike and commuter, the stays will have plenty of road salt and grit thrown at them. Leaving them unpainted means a quick polish up will have them looking as new and there’s no paint to chip or scratch. It is also a nod to the old school where chromed stays were de rigueur.
We finished it off with a pair of stripes flowing tube to tube to fender in an organic way, mirroring the angle of the downtube and coming to a point in the centre of the tubes. Always up, always forwards. The fork got its own couple of stripes for overall visual balance.
It’s a classic looking build but not one you’d fail to notice flying by on London’s famous Embankment

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