We've already listed a bunch of cool-looking bikes from the Core Bike Show that we attended earlier this week, but one was left to be showcased in more detail. Many of the cool bikes belong to pros, and we've certainly featured many a WorldTour team bike in our Bike at Bedtime features. But, that doesn't mean that non-pros don't ride cool-looking bikes.
Those who work in the bike industry are of course in a lucky position to build some pretty incredible bikes and choose the nicest components and details for their special ride. Grant Wildman, who is the sales promoter for Schwalbe tyres, has done just that with his steel steed. Let's have a closer look at his stylish All-City Super Professional.
The steel frame
Starting off with the frame, this is All-City Super Professional in size 55, and made with 612 SELECT tubing - meaning it is a blend of double-butted 4130 Chromoly steel tubes.
The frame has All-City's beautiful detailing, mounts for all sorts of cargo and mudguards and tyre clearance for up to 47mm rubber-not to mention a very classic, timeless colourway.
> Best steel road bikes 2023 — versatile, durable and comfortable steeds
Grant has built the bike with a U.S.E Sumo seat post and Race stem, and of course, a Chris King headset.
The bike is rolling on DT Swiss G540 wheels that are hand-built but Grant himself with DT Swiss 240 36t single-speed rear hub. The rim's 24mm internal rim allows for some chunky tyres to be fitted, and we can see no surprises here: the tyres are all Schwalbe, with a grippy 45mm G-one R at the front and slightly less-knobbly G-one RS 45mm at the back.
The brakes are TRP Helix brakes that have a drilled-out lever blade that shaves weight as well as improves grip. The brakes are hosed to flat-mount Hope rx4 callipers with Hope floating rotors.
Simply single-speed
Moving on to shifting, well, you might notice that Grant is a lover of single-speed bikes; so there are not too many numbers to mention, only that it is a 36/15 ratio. The carbon cranks are Sram Force and the chainring is a Wolftooth direct mount.
Finishing kit
Moving on to contact points, which are always a very personal part of someone's bike. The saddle is Brooks Cambium C15, with a wee special nubbin at the nose. That button features the same design as this bike's top cap which we will get to later...
The handlebars are very gravel-approved 48cm wide Salsa Cowchipper 2 bars with 24deg flare. They're wrapped in Redshift bar tape which, considering the width of the bars, is a clever choice as it comes in 315cm length.
> Best bar tapes for cycling 2023 — get a comfort boost and make your bike look fresh
This bike would not be a very personal bike without some very personal, quirky touches. The top cap that we mentioned before, it's Bentley Component's 'Tallywhacker' Original brass top cap. If you were interested in customising yours, Bentley also makes a similar one with vulvas engraved on it... just saying!
Perhaps the best way to distinguish a 'normal' bike from a pro bike is the fact that there are spares carried on it, and this All-City has them very neatly stashed on the seat tube. The Schwalbe Aerothan tube, tyre levers and pump are strapped on another Bentley Component accessory: the Mini Deck. This is designed to work with any kind of strap from Voile straps or Surly's Junk straps, or you could use it to adjust your bottle cage placement by 10 or 20mm.
That brings us to the end of this bike, which hopefully has proven to be a refreshing take on what makes a bike unique and cool, among all of the carbon weight-weenie carbon race machine builds that we see on a daily basis.
That is this week's Bike at Bedtime, but we've got more for you to check out... and don't forget to let us know what you think of this build!
Went (by bike!) to their site on the east side of Rotherham, yesterday, to pick up a 'click and collect' order. (It saves the delivery charges:...
I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what you wear. If they think you have held them up then you are fair game to be taught a lesson....
We all know that the pro bike / race situation is very different than consumer sitautions, so odd that articles are still over-relating the two......
A link to the crowdfunding would be useful
The thing that puts me off a single front ring setup is I ride such a varied type of terrain. I could be on a very flat ride one day but the next...
As an Australian, motorists there view cyclists that don't wear helmets as law-breaking bogans and likely to ride unsafely in traffic, so they do...
I'd always had good results with the Park glueless patches, until I tried using them on holiday in really hot weather. Then they didn't stick at...
As it should be - what a fantatsic outcome.
IMHO there is a huge issue that we seem to allow that argument (nobody got hurt) in some cases for criminal liability...
I'm struggling to see the justification now (if there ever was one) for having separate categories of offence for injuries/deaths caused using a...