For Gary we created a modern classic road bike with a Columbus XCR tube set.
Born and raised in the borough of Woolwich, which was back in the day one of London’s socially deprived towns, he moved to East Anglia after becoming a successful lawyer and now runs a B&B in the rural county of Norfolk where this bike feels most at home amongst the irregular and undulating wooded landscapes.
His father owned a crane company along the Thames which informed the mango colour of the Chris King headset we fitted to his bike. We custom machined the drop outs from of a sheet of 17/4 stainless steel which allowed us to get a smooth transition from the seat and chain stays making them completely unique and one of a kind. The seat tube cluster is reinforced with a sleeve of stainless steel and also machined to have a taper allowing for a smooth transition. There is a pinch bolt and internal routing for the rear brake enhancing clean modern lines.
The paint job is mostly white with a splash of green inspired by a Ford Cortina of his youth. We used a satin finish on the stainless steel which is exposed on the chain stays, seat stays and our Saffron logo on the down tube and is complimented perfectly by the NOS 9000 Dura Ace groupset we managed to source. The tubes are fillet brazed with 33% silver and the gears are mechanical for a more traditional feel.
The saddle and handle bars were custom covered by Grafton Saddler who even embossed our logo!
“I will be honest and say that because the bike is so beautiful, I have been quite precious about the days I have taken her out and have limited my rides to absolutely dry days only. Unfortunately, not many of those since January !
