Green All-Road Touring Bike
This truly is a special bike, one that carries some history. It was the final bike I built at the Page Street workshop before I had to move. Even the individual tubes that make the frame have stories behind them. It’s a bike I’ve had brewing in my mind for the past two or three years, and slowly I’d gathered, parts, materials and ideas, waiting for the right time to construct it. The 2024 Made PDX bike show gave me the excuse I needed. And when I’m building a bike for a show I always tend to take it to the limit. This one is no exception.
It’s one of my favorite bicycles that I’ve made in the past few years. Whenever I design something like this, the thought process begins with questions: “What do I want to try? What kind of bike would I make for myself if I could include all the best stuff available? What’s the most useful bike I can think of for the kind of riding I most like to do?”
Answers to these questions come with time and include daily cycling, longer bike trips, all my experiences up to now, conversations I have with friends, mechanics, and bike people in general, and keeping an eye on the evolution of component technology. I’m always listening and storing bits of information, waiting for the right moment and a good excuse to bring all the ideas together into one ride.
This bike boasts having some of the best stuff I can put together on two wheels. It’s not just the components, and it’s not just the steel, but the whole package put together, each detail, major and minor, all the way through. If you couldn’t tell, I’m very proud of this bike. As a tool I think it’s going to do it’s job exceptionally well.
A part of the bike that really stands out for me is the rear rack. I love a touring rack design that fits seamlessly with the frame and fender. This one is light, especially for what it can carry, and very stable. It encases the fender, and each of the four mounting points on the fender are exactly, evenly spaced, which is a small, nerdy thing that perhaps only another bike builder would notice, but it makes me exceedingly happy.
The main point here is that the rack spacing helps make a clean, round fender line and mimics clearance of the front wheel. Also, the rear rack was built around the Rockgeist “Microwave” pannier set (not included). This is one of the lightest, most stable bag systems for all-road touring.
The front rack has mounting points to easily attach a Wald basket, and the top tube has mounts for a bolt-on top tube bag. Point being, there are options, and there are many possibilities.
This bike is going to make someone very happy. I envy you, and kind of want to keep it for myself.
Bike specs:
Top tube effective length: 60 cm
Seat tube effective length: 60cm
Head angle: 71.5 degrees
Seat angle: 73 degrees
Standover height: ~775 mm (30.5”)
Head tube length: 210 mm
Chain stay length: 445 mm
This bike would be good for someone between about 5’10” and 6’3” tall depending on arm length and leg length. The sloped top tube gives a good amount of standover height and the longer head tube allows for a comfortable, upright riding position with minimal spacers below the stem.
The bike is currently set up with a 90 mm stem and the Ahearne “Uprising” bar. There is a lot room to adjust the reach by either swapping the stem or changing out the type of handlebar, or both. Also, I left the full length steerer and added a few spacers which could be removed and the steerer cut down by a few centimeters if desired.
If you have any questions about fit and the current set up, please feel free to send a message to joseph (at) ahearnecycles.com
The Build:
Sram Eagle GX rear derailleur
Sram AXS shifter pod
Sram Eagle cassette 11-50T
White Industries Cranks, 32T chain ring
White Industries T47 bottom bracket, heavy duty bearings
Wolf Tooth “Ripsaw” pedals
Astral “Backbone” carbon rims, hand lace by Sugar Wheelworks with Sapim CX-Ray spokes
Schmidt front generator hub, 12 mm x 100 mm thru axle, centerlok
Onyx “Vesper” rear clutch hub, 12 mm x 142 mm thru axle (totally silent!)
Schwalbe G-One tires, 27.5” x 2.8” (tubeless)
Ahearne “Uprising” handlebar
Wolf Tooth lock on grips
Wolf Tooth “Resolve” dropper post, 31.6 mm diameter, 200 mm travel
Wolf Tooth “ReMote” pro dropper lever
Brooks C-17 all weather saddle, carved
Honjo H-100 fenders, 80 mm wide, anodized black
Paul Components “Klamper” disc brake calipers
Paul Components “Love Lever” brake levers, black
Schmidt Edelux II front light
Schmidt SON tail light, fender mount
King Cage “Manything” titanium triple-mount cages on the fork
King Cage stainless steel bottle cage
Custom steering lock with stainless steel pin and rack mounted carrier
