Bespoked is the UK’s biggest custom bike show and this year we’ve been spoilt with a beautiful mix of road, gravel and touring bikes (and a cheeky tandem or two for good measure).
Now in its 10th year, the UK’s answer to NAHBS has moved from its long-term home in Bristol to Harrogate in Yorkshire after a two-year pandemic-forced hiatus.
Here are our seven favourite bikes covering the full spectrum of weird and wonderfulness from this year’s show.
Feather Cycles time trial bike
A gallery dedicated to a bike show in Yorkshire deserves to kick things off with a bike from Yorkshire.
This time trial bike from York-based Feather Cycles is both easy on the eye and a deeply emotional build.
Constructed from Columbus Spirit and Air tubing and bedecked in some seriously tasty kit.
While it's easy to ogle at the SRAM Red eTap groupset and the Aerocoach extensions, these off the peg items pale somewhat into insignificance when you learn the paint contains the ashes of the owner’s brother, who passed away recently.
The paint job is a homage to Joy Division – the owner’s brother’s favourite band – and the custom seatstay bridge is what he wanted to have on his own Feather Cycles bike . There are even Joy Division lyrics tucked away on the chainstays, hidden behind the disc wheel.
The rear light is switched on using an infinity symbol tucked away on the seat tube – a fitting final flourish on a hugely personal build.
Unlike many show bikes, this particular bike is actually raced hard, with the owner recently taking on a 24-hour time trial challenge on board it (and crashing in the process, fortunately sustaining no damage to the bike or himself!).
Brevet Cycles l’Ephemere
Our eyes were immediately caught by this truly stunning randonneur bike from Brevet Cycles.
The frame is made of Reynolds 953 stainless steel and is painted in-house by the brand. Extra details that really make the bike sing include a lovely custom chain hanger on the seatstay, a custom pump peg, and a modified Lezyne mini pump that now includes a spring to keep it in place. The bike also features an internal stopper brazed within the seat tube to prevent the seatpost from severing the internally routed cables.
A neat rubber chainstay protector also prevents the chain from chipping the chainstays. A low trail fork keeps the handling responsive when riding with a load up front.
The bike rolls on 650b wheels shod with Pacenti Pari-Moto tyres.
For sunset-seeking horizon chasers, the SON Deluxe dynamo hub powers a matching SON Edelux headlight. The system lighting is controlled using a really neat custom magnetic switch that is integrated into the top cap.
The 10-speed shifting is actuated by Simplex friction shifters on the downtube, with a Rene Herse double crankset providing ample gear range for loaded riding.
The old school cantilever brakes are brought up to date with Kool-Stop pads to provide plenty of bite. Finally, a Berthoud Aspin saddle gives a cushy place to park yourself for long days in the saddle.
Clandestine off-road tourer
Designed to be taken into the wild for extended periods of time, this blue monster from Clandestine doesn’t follow the current trend for packing light.
Instead, it’s designed to pack… everything. Wood burning stoves, warm tents, a portable kitchen sink – if you want to take it, this bike will be a willing accomplice.
Rolling on 3in wide Surly Knard tyres and Velocity Dually rims, we can’t imagine much it wouldn’t be able to handle, with ample gear range provided by a Rolhoff 14-speed hub and simple bar end grip shifters.
As with any touring bike, getting a comfortable fit is paramount. With this in mind, the bike features a custom quill stem for easy handlebar height adjustment.
The fully custom bi-plane fork and the integrated front rack were designed to accommodate yet more bags, though the only bag on show is the lovely half-frame setup from Mack Workshop.
Power is transferred to the rear via a set of custom colour-matched cranks and a Profile chainring. The bottom bracket is housed in an eccentric bottom bracket shell to tension the chain. The owner also requested rear wishbones as a homage to T1 BMX’s signature design.
Constructed from a mix of T45, Reynolds 853 and Colombus Zona steel, the bike isn’t as heavy as it appears, with the majority of the weight coming from the rear hub.
A durable powder coat in a lovely shade of deep blue finishes off the build, and is very much befitting of a bike of such purpose.
Spoon Customs NASCAR inspired bike
This bike from Spoon Customs – which we have featured in previous Bespoked coverage – draws on North Americas biggest motoring export, NASCAR.
Inspired by the Plymouth Superbird ('Car 43', to be precise), the bike’s paint is from Gun Control as done entirely by hand, including the incredible examples of ‘brandalism’ on the fork.
There are no water transfers here – just lots of masking, airbrushing and a bucket load of patience.
Beneath the gorgeous paint lies a frame made from stainless Columbus XCR, which is paired with an ENVE carbon seat tube. This is finished with a custom stainless steel seat topper.
The build sees ENVE Foundation 65 wheels built by Sharp Precision matched with a full complement of ENVE finishing kit, including the bottle cages and tape.
For the car nerds among you, the wheels were, of course, shod with Goodyear tyres as a final nod to the bike’s inspiration.
Lord Nomad
This is the personal bike of the owner of Lord Cycles, which is based in Cardiff.
Originally built for Grinduro it is designed for long days in the saddle over rough terrain.
The clever bag support from VAP doubles up as an integrated aero extension, offering a vital second position for long days in the saddle. Better still, it’s colour-matched to tie the system into the build.
A custom full frame bag from Straight Cut Designs holds a hydration bladder that routes the hose out beyond the bars for easy quenching of dry mouths over dusty terrain (conditions, of course, often found in South Wales)
The bike’s wheelset sees Pura Velo rims fitted with Maxxis Ardent tyres – a setup that will ensure grip on the rough stuff without sacrificing too much in the way of outright speed on smoother terrain.
Should the need to shred take you, the bike is fitted with a dropper post while a pairing of Columbus Zona, Spirit and Life tubing mean it is light enough to “ride like a BMX”, according to the owner.
Dear Susan hand-painted fixie
Bespoked simply wouldn’t be complete without something unusual from Dear Susan, the mastermind behind the infamous ‘Pubesmobile’.
The bike is – wait for it – a brakeless fixed gear drop bar gravel bike with a suspension fork from Lauf. Quite the mouthful.
It also features custom anodised Velocity rims, bling from Hope and Paul, and a handsome Brooks sporting hand-hammered copper rivets.
The most delightful highlight of the build is the hand-painted logos on the down tube. These were done by a signwriter near to Dear Susan’s workshop.
The highlights on the head and down tube are laid down with gold leaf, which is extraordinarily fragile has a tendency to flake off if you look at it too harshly.
The effort has paid off and it gives the bike a wonderfully deep textured look.
A reaper on the top tube will hopefully provide some rust protection to the unknown steel tubing, though for how long we can’t say with any certainty.
2008 Bilenky Tandem
Quietly locked outside the conference centre was this gorgeous Bilenky tandem, originally made for the owner, Jon Woodroof in 2008.
It features no fewer than six S&S frame couplers, which allow the frame to be broken down into smaller sections for easy travelling. The bike also features a whopping six bottle cage mounts.
Thomson components feature heavily, though the stoker’s handlebar is attached via a gorgeous lugged Nitto stem.
The bike is specced with a Brooks saddle and bar tape for both captain and stoker, providing ample comfort for long days on the road.
The wheels have a whopping 48 spokes on the rear (a high count, even for a tandem) and 40 on the front. These see Velocity Atlas rims laced to Phil Wood hubs. Both wheels are fitted with WTB Expanse 32 tyres, with stopping power provided by Paul Touring cantilever brakes and Kool-Stop pads.
Further braking is added by a drum brake, actuated by a Powershift lever hidden just behind the front bag.
The front triangle features lovely lug work and Giles Berthoud bags adorned with countless patches.
The map case, instead of holding a map, holds a portrait of the Woodroof family out on their bikes drawn by Adeline of Mercredi Cycles – a visible reminder of what it's all about.
