With its (real) gold paint job and one-off spec list this J.Laverack J.ACK really IS the ultimate bling commuter bike

We first spotted this beauty of a bike at last week's Rouleur Live in London, where it was discreetly tucked in the corner of the maze that is Truman Brewery. J.Laverack as a brand is known for building some lovely titanium bikes – most recently the collaboration with Aston Martin – and this is no exception. It does, also, have a little Aston Martin connection to it. 

This bike belongs to André, and is built on J.Laverack's J.ACK model – a four-season titanium road bike that the brand says is "perfect for everything from rutted cobbled, broken and gravelled road to ribbon-smooth asphalt".

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André will use this bike to commute to his place of work, Aston Martin Gaydon, where he is a clay modeller helping create some premium cars. Is it a bit too much for a commuter bike, you might wonder. None of the road.cc tech team are sure if we'd be brave enough to ride it to work, but then maybe we're all wusses.

"I intend this bike to be a bike for life and I really do believe it will long outlast me. This bike is proof that a commuter bike that can handle off-road and punishing weather can also have the presence and beauty that is normally reserved purely for fair-weather race bikes," André said. 

At first glance, it's the gold that pops out from the bike's beautiful paint job, which Oliver from J.Laverack said was "extremely labour intensive and painstaking to perfect". The frame is adorned with 24ct pure gold leaf and that is complemented by a brand new paint colour created specifically for this commission, called 'Baroudeur blue' (if you like it, it's now available on other J.Laverack bikes, too). A shimmer of gold is also seen on the gold leaf Gryphon head badge and the rest of the frame graphics.

"The bike from its conception was always intended to be my commuter which I currently use my J.ACK for. It will still be used for its original purpose regardless of its precious paint job. It has mudguards, wide tubeless tyres, an exceptional dynamo light set and the general infallibility of the frame just like my current J.ACK means it should make my current 9-mile commute even more of a pleasure on dark mornings," Andre explained. 

Beyond the golden aesthetic, the components on this bike are also top-notch – and some are brand new. 

The bottom bracket on this J.ACK is a brand new ÆRA Streamline threaded BSA bottom bracket designed from scratch and made in the UK. It has a deep blue anodised finish which pairs with the gold leaf and deep blue paintwork. And it's rolling on ceramic bearings.

Talk of rolling, you might notice the lack of front derailleur and the single 50T chainring. That is because the rear wheel features the Classified Powershift hub which essentially makes this bike have a 2x gear range. The wheels are also built with a 32-hole rim laced with j-bend spokes, possibly the only one in the UK, as most of the Classified builds have only 24 spokes.

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There is tyre clearance for 38mm tyres and André has equipped the bike with full-length mudguards as any sensible commuter should. Adding to the simplicity of riding in any conditions, there is also a Son Schmidt dynamo front hub installed on the bike so there will never be a ride in the dark. 

If you are interested in the full specification, here is that for you:

Bespoke geometry J.ACK frame featuring our Streamline head tube and bottom bracket.
Threaded bottom bracket - BSA
Three bottle cage mounts - under the downtube
38mm tyre clearance & 35mm tyre clearance with mudguards.

ÆRA exposed carbon weave mudguards with gold leaf Æ logo.
Sinewave Beacon 2 in black with 750 lumens
Son Schmidt x ÆRA rear dynamo light.

ÆRA All Road fork with anything mounts and dynamo light
ÆRA AR|36 carbon rims 32 hole
Classified Powershift rear hub 32 hole J-bend
Classified Cassette 11-34
Son Schmidt dynamo front hub 32 hole

ÆRA Baroudeur Blue bottom bracket with ceramic bearings
Ultegra Di2 rear shifters and rear derailleur.
Classified Shift button and handlebar unit
Alugear chainring and cover 50T
J.ACK top cap
ÆRA carbon dynamo seatpost with hole specific 
Brevet Black Ceramic coated handlebars, stem, headset spacers (one gold leaf), brake callipers, seat clamp.
Brooks C13 saddle

Let us know in the comments what you think of this dreamy commuter, and make sure to check out our other Bike at Bedtime features, too!