The Philosophy
Road & gravel bikes are completely optional; we don’t have to do any of this. We choose to do it because some part of it – the movement, the meditation, the exploration, the sensation – moves us in a way that nothing else does and enables us to be more fully free and focused than anything else. If we are going to push ourselves to our mental and physical limits, we should do it in a way that maximizes the aspects that are pleasurable and minimizes the aspects that are not. We do this by thoughtfully selecting our equipment for fit, comfort, durability and utility. The world is flooded with cheap, mediocre products. You will not find them here. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. And doing it right the first time is the best and most cost-effective solution.
The Process
We start with a consultation. What are we trying to accomplish? What experience are we trying to achieve? How do we get there? We try to have a rotating assortment of demo bikes and events so we can establish a baseline of likes and dislikes. As it’s not feasible to demo every bike in the world, we rely on our nuanced knowledge of brands and models to narrow down our list of possible solutions. Once we have some workable ideas, we move on to the fit. The fit and the build are included in the price of the bike, because they are as absolutely essential as the frame, wheels, and everything else that comprises the final result. Buying a $5,000+ bike without doing a fit is mind-boggling; selling one without doing a fit is unconscionable. We like to start as close to the final form as we can, and that means doing a complete fit. Sometimes a stock bike works. More often, we need to swap some fit components – a saddle, a crank, a handlebar. We do a lot of frame-up builds, where we select every component individually to make sure your bike is yours. Nice bikes are expensive, so they should be done properly – fitted and built by knowledgeable people who care about the result as much as you do.
