Tech gallery: 2021 Enve Builder Roundup, part three
They say that all good things must come to an end, including our coverage from the 2021 Enve Builder Roundup. We’ve saved some of the best for last, though, including some amazing machines from Speedvagen, FiftyOne, Mosaic, Moots, and others, which should hopefully keep you satiated for a bit.
And keep in mind that this year’s North American Handmade Bicycle Show isn’t far off, either. It’s scheduled to be held September 16-19, and we plan to be there with camera in hand.
Speedvagen
Speedvagen knocks it out of the park yet again. The custom seatmast topper uses Enve guts. This particular bike belongs to Speedvagen customer service specialist Erika Jackson. Some might view all of this as “too much”. But I suspect most will see it as “just right.” Kitties and unicorns! Gorgeous. The painted rotor lockring is a fantastic little detail.
Mosaic Cycles
Boulder, Colorado-based builder Mosaic Cycles is becoming just as well known for its paint as its titanium frames. So sparkly! If you didn’t think green and orange went well together before, I dare say your opinion may now be different.
FiftyOne Bikes
Irish builder FiftyOne Bikes has often looked to the automotive world for paint inspirations. This one draws its design from the old Jordan 191 Formula 1 car. FiftyOne has incorporated Enve’s new one-piece front end, complete with fully concealed cabling. Campagnolo’s Super Record EPS groupset is astonishingly expensive, but it’s also very good. Oh my.
Moots Cycles
The Moots Womble hardtail pairs high-volume tires with a 140 mm-travel fork for all-day, all-mountain adventures. Moots frames are some of the most sought-after titanium bikes in the business, and for good reason. Not many brands can top welds like these. The replaceable rear derailleur hanger is integrated with the thru-axle threads. Every Moots is getting the 40th anniversary badge this year.
Breadwinner Cycles
Breadwinner Cycles – the collaborative brand started by fellow builders Ira Ryan and Tony Pereira – debuted with drop-bar models, but is slowly making inroads in the mountain bike space. Shown here is the Bad Otis, built with Columbus steel tubing and modern geometry. Surely there’s a story behind this name. Is something like this too pretty to ride? Maybe to some, but hopefully not to the person this bike was built for. Lovely.
Falconer Cycles
This Falconer is all about simple utility with a straightforward single-speed, coaster-brake drivetrain. That might seem like a curious juxtaposition with the Enve carbon wheels and components, but this is the Enve Builder Showcase, after all. Low-tech, but seemingly high-fun. Black and polished silver never go out of style. The rack is made of titanium sheet metal, and is purpose-built for a sleeping bag. One way to hide cabling is to run everything internally. Another way is to just get rid of them entirely.
44 Bikes
This ultra-progressive hardtail from 44 Bikes is a rolling showcase for where mountain bike geometry has been heading in recent years. Not surprisingly, Cane Creek’s eeWings titanium cranks are a favorite among the custom crowd. This mini-fender isn’t intended to keep you dry. Rather, it’s meant to keep debris from getting flung up into your face. Classy.
Holland Cycles
Bill Holland isn’t a builder that’s particularly well known, but the San Diego titanium specialist is one I’ve personally admired for many years now. There’s stark beauty in the rawness of this brushed titanium finish. Function over form? Function may very well have come first here, but the form is pretty fine, too. 44 mm-diameter head tubes are popular amongst custom builders for their versatility.
Horse Cycles
Hose is a builder based in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to crafting some might fine-looking bikes, they also do things like knives, axes, bags, and keychains. Not everyone wants integrated levers, you know. Utilitarian. And pretty. Level top tube fans, rejoice! The head tube logo is about what you’d expect from a brand called Horse.
Low Bicycles
Low Bicycles is a builder in San Francisco, California, that specializes in aluminum road racing bikes. Ultegra Di2 offers the same performance as Dura-Ace Di2, but with just more weight and a lot less cost. The integrated headset lends a nice, cohesive look to the front end. Cannondale’s classic SuperSix Evo seat cluster design, rendered in aluminum. This bike seems like all business. Exposed cables? How does this bike even go?
Mariposa Bicycles
Toronto builder Mariposa Bicycles conceived this as a lightweight adventurer/bikepacking machine. We don’t see this sort of classically capped seatstay treatment much these days. Little touches like this are always appreciated. Integrated lighting is always a nice touch for bikes that are expected to be used in low-light conditions. English threaded bottom bracket shells don’t have enough room inside for fully internal routing, so things like brake hoses need to exit at the end of the down tube.
Spooky Cycle Works
Spooky Cycles has long forged a reputation for race-inspired, TIG-welded aluminum bikes. Go fast, but carry a lot of stuff with you. SRAM recently added these optional snap-on guards to protect the eTap battery. The striped Chris King logo matches up well with the Spooky logo. Flair – and flare.
Weis Manufacturing
New York builder Weis Cycles brought to Utah this aluminum and carbon fiber gravel bike. The partially dropped chainstay features a machined aluminum section to aid in tire and drivetrain clearance. I’m loving this bit of detail on the headset spacer. I’m not sure who makes this pulley kit (feel free to let me know in the comments if you do!), but it’s incredibly delicate-looking. You could almost say that Weis Cycles has a somewhat halfhearted approach to the dropped seatstay thing.
Pine Cycles
Versatility is the name of the game for Pine’s new Rosa steel frame. I’m digging the simple head tube badge. Interchangeable dropout inserts are available to handle a wide range of drivetrain choices. I’m not so sure about how this flat-mount caliper is cantilevered out like this, though.
