How to find an all-road bike builder?

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Hampsten Cycles World Headquarters is in Seattle. Since you're new to this, working with someone who can start you from the beginning and in-person seems like a good way to go.... Steve is a very nice dude and will steer you right, with no dogma.

+100

If I was getting a new bike made...Hampsten would be my first stop.

[weisan]

.

Jan Heine
Bicycle Quarterly Press, Nov 15, 2020

Modern all-road bikes combine attributes that were considered mutually exclusive just a few years ago: comfort and performance. Speed on smooth pavement and on rough gravel roads. A lively feel and the ability to carry a camping load. Handling that is both stable when the rider is tired and responsive on twisty mountain descents. All-road bikes combine the best aspects of racing, touring and even mountain bikes in just one bicycle.

[.RJ]

buy a few year old CX bike and put 30-35mm tires on it. Boom, all road.

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by fiamme red

Why don't you ask Jan? He usually responds to questions in his blog comments.

How does Jan define an "all-road" bike in his book?

Without having read the book yet (I do have it on its way to me because I am interested and can always use more books), I feel like he means exactly what we think. A bike that has bigger tires that can be used on multiple surfaces but also have mounts for stuff like rack and fenders, ect... I guess pretty much a bike you would imagine being in BQ magazine.

[Clean39T]

Talkin' Bike Industry Blues

Well, now time passed and now it seems
Everybody's having them all-road dreams.
Everybody sees themselves bikin' around with no automobiles.
Half of the bikes can be part road all of the time,
Some of the bikes can be all-road part of the time,
But all of the bikes can't be all-road all of the time.
I think Jan Heine said that.
"I'll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours."
I said that.

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.
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[cgolvin]

Originally Posted by Clean39T

Talkin' Bike Industry Blues

Well, I seen me a Hampsten window uptown
There was nobody around
I got onto the driver’s seat
And I rode down 42nd Street
On my Hampsten
Good bike to ride after a war
.
.
.
She said that for over an hour and I hung up.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by .RJ

buy a few year old CX bike and put 30-35mm tires on it. Boom, all road.

Yep. My Colnago Prestige CX is being built up as an all road bike, unlike my LiteSpeed Blue Ridge, which only achieved all road status when i put 35mm tires on it. That bike got a further boost into all road status when I swapped the cast iron Winwood fork out for an Alpha Q fork. I would rebuild my unicorn Colnago Master CX as an all road, but it won't fit 38 mm tires and it doesn't have water bottle bosses.

Note, the LiteSpeed is the only one of my 'cross, er I mean all road bikes that has rear rack bosses. It must have been designed for multi-day all road work, whereas the others were designed for competitive or sports all roading.



And of course, my daily driver, carwise, is an Audi allroad. It would be an A6 avant, but it has bigger tires. Seriously...

[Hellgate]

Since you're in Seattle Davidson and Hampsten. You can't go wrong with either.

[Clean39T]

Originally Posted by cgolvin

Well, I seen me a Hampsten window uptown
There was nobody around
I got onto the driver’s seat
And I rode down 42nd Street
On my Hampsten
Good bike to ride after a war
.
.
.
She said that for over an hour and I hung up.

This is the way.

[Kirk007]

If you want to work with someone local then I would begin and end with Steve Hampsten. Way back in the day Steve and some collaborators had started the Tournesol line, which was very much in the same tenor as a "Jan" bike. They did one in collab with Parlee that was particularly exquisite, but Steve can do this bike is steel, ti or carbon.

Bill Davidson, also local, could build you a great bike and he's been building bikes here for years. Max Kullaway, who relocated to Marin county would be another good choice who knows these roads; he used to partner with Bill Davidson.

If you venture further then there's plenty of other very good choices, a lot depends on how much time and energy you want to invest (for time that equals time spent waiting). As noted earlier, Dave Kirk began building "Montana Road Bikes" over a decade ago, Ellis makes beautiful bikes, is Peter Weigle still building - great choice there. Boulder Bikes - they were doing nice stock 650b bikes a few years ago anyway. The list is long and distinguished.

[charliedid]

Get one of these.

[Ozz]

Just remembered Curtlo over in Winthrop.....not really "Seattle area" but still in the state. Folks seem pleased with his bikes, and they are very budget friendly....

[CNY rider]

I think Jan spends most of his time now on his Firefly, no?

[dmurphey]

Seek out a quality builder who you like and who builds bikes you like:
Jeremy Schlacter, Gallus bikes, is a great guy who has all the skills and experience.
Herbie Helm, Helm cycles, is lovely and is a fabulous builder who can make your dreams come true.

I have an off the shelf new fangled 3T Exploro with 2 wheel sets, an aero 35mm road 700's and 47 mm cushy fat 650's and I am in bike heaven. I still love custom steel.

[charliedid]

Originally Posted by CNY rider

I think Jan spends most of his time now on his Firefly, no?

I believe that is the case based on recent pics.