Luft Cycles – Luft Cycles – Bespoke Bicycles

luftcycles

Yas! How cool is this?! I wrote a little article a

Yas! How cool is this?! I wrote a little article about the scrap/gravel/not MTB/spare parts bike that I built right at the start of lockdown and I submitted it to the @rsfarchive Journal. Very cool to see it got included in the latest issue.

The RSF are an absolutely brilliant cycle club that focus almost entirely on the joy of adventure and being outdoors with a bike. Totally unpretentious and genuine in every respect. Often the cyclists featured on the cover aren’t even riding their bikes! (they’re usually pushing them through some mud). You should join.

#Framebuilding
#OutdoorsIsReallyCheap
#RealCyclistsTakeAKettleOnEveryRide

I usually like head tube logos to be painted becau

I usually like head tube logos to be painted because it’s lighter than sticking bits of metal onto a frame BUT it’s hard to deny that custom brazed on badges look awesome.

This cargo bike is going to weigh about 10 tons so a tiny stainless L is probably fine.

#Framebuilding
#100%WeightWeeny

Currently putting together a minivelo cargo commut

Currently putting together a minivelo cargo commuter bike - the frame is all ready to braze but there’s still plenty of work to do.

There’s a bunch of additional tubes to miter for the integrated racks and I also need to make a fork.

There’s also a bunch of 20” and 24” wheels parts heading my way! 🚲

#minivelo
#PipesPipesPipes

Fancy biscuits build fancy bikes - back in the wor

Fancy biscuits build fancy bikes - back in the workshop making something tubey 🍪 🚲

#BiscuitsBuildBikes

A few details from the latest build. The dropout

A few details from the latest build.

The dropouts are an obvious custom detail but I’m also really pleased with the internal cable routing on the top tube. It’s achieved by using some really lovely little 3D printed, internally reinforced cable stops. Lighter and tidier than some alternatives. They’re a nice little detail even though they’re invisible.

#ShinyBike
#BespokeBikeLife

Happy #NBD to me! I’ve been waiting to build thi

Happy #NBD to me! I’ve been waiting to build this one up for months! Finally built up the beautiful @Tunede hubs and bought the @SramRoad AXS groupset.

Featuring @Columbus_Official tubing and forks. @BlueWhippetPaintWorks brought the bling with a peacock flip paint fade and glitter silver logos 🎨✨ NICE.

There’s some cool little custom bits on this build so there’s more photos and info to come - full build weight is 7.3kg.

#BlingBlingBling

Sarah’s bike is finished and has been for its ma

Sarah’s bike is finished and has been for its maiden voyage!

Featuring a paint job inspired by the Californian sunsets from our honeymoon 🍯🌛 and named after one of our favourite cities.

I’ve only seen Sarah ride a bike twice in the 11+ years we’ve been together so this bike is designed to encourage confidence. Low stand over, high stack height, slack head angle, long wheelbase, no toe overlap, low BB, flat bars, 1X groupset, hydro brakes, big squishy tyres, comfy saddle and big flat (pearlescent pink) pedals.

The DIY paint job has an awesome iridescent glitter clear coat - I’ll get some nice photos soon.

#CaliforniaDreamin
#ConfidenceInspiringGlitterPaint

The next bike is for my lovely wife! It’s anothe

The next bike is for my lovely wife! It’s another budget build but it should be fun.

She’s not confident on a bike so it’s been designed with stability and comfort in mind.

#tinybike

🔹❄️Shiny blue things! ❄️🔹

🔹❄️Shiny blue things! ❄️🔹

A lovely sunny spin on the test bike - trying out

A lovely sunny spin on the test bike - trying out a more relaxed geometry - longer and a little slacker than what I’d normally ride.

Apologies for the reused parts and shit rattle can paint job - I’ve got something proper jazzy build coming up soon.

This bike has its cables routed into the headtube, it’s reinforced on the inside but it’s probably going to end up going for testing so it’ll be interesting to see what happens there.

Just stripped the winter road/all-road bike for bi

Just stripped the winter road/all-road bike for bits. Using everything on the new test frame.

Thanks for the LOLs MR Peacock, sorry I crashed you so much.

Looking forward to test riding the new frame.

Another spare parts bike is almost ready - built t

Another spare parts bike is almost ready - built this one last weekend. Just gave it a quick drippy rattlecan undercoat in the back garden.

It’ll end up matte black and built up with the random stuff from my everyday road bike. Will be great to test out a new geometry.

#NearlyNewBikeDayAgain

Just before the lockdown I built myself a really f

Just before the lockdown I built myself a really fancy lightweight road bike. Super fancy tubes, custom machined bits, even some tiny 3D printed parts.

It should be back from paint really soon. Got all the parts for a @tunede wheelset build... got to work out how to pay for @sramroad eTap now... Doh.

Cable ties and a 105 groupset just doesn’t feel quite right.

#SummerBike
#FancyManFancyBike
#MightNeverActuallyGetBuilt

Back in the garage today - putting a longer, more

Back in the garage today - putting a longer, more relaxed road bike together.

Bit of a test - it won’t get fancy paint and I’ll just build it up with existing bits.

Trying out a super huge @columbus_official tapered head tube for the first time.

#ShinyPipes
#AcademyTools

Another beautiful day for riding the spare parts b

I started putting together a little stem last nigh

I started putting together a little stem last night, there’s quite a bit of work and time in little bits like this.

This one is for the spare parts bike and will get the same glitter treatment as the frame ✨ 🚲 ✨

#RollitInGlitter
#FilletBrazedStem

A few photos from last month 🔥🚲🔥 Brazing

A few photos from last month 🔥🚲🔥 Brazing some little brass washers onto the dropouts.

These are brazed into a pretty jazzy bike - can’t wait to see them painted. 🎨

It’s new bike day! 🚲☀️ I’m calling this

It’s new bike day! 🚲☀️ I’m calling this one Blue Velvet.

I took it out for a spin through the woods and around some of the local gravel/mud/dust/farm roads. It’s a peach!

I know it looks like a hardtail MTB but the frame geometry is a bit more like an adventure touring bike. I’ve designed it to fulfil my gravel bike requirements and to suit my total lack off road bike handling skills.

Not bad for a bike built mostly from random old tubes and spare parts (or the cheapest bits I could find online). Happy Easter Weekend folks.

#RollitInGlitter
#MadeInTheShed

Last weekend I brazed up and painted the spare par

Last weekend I brazed up and painted the spare parts bike.

I spent a few evenings this week building it up and It’s turned out looking way fancier than I expected.

Today will be the first proper test ride - it’s a gravel/off-road/mountain/touring sort of bike so I’m heading for the woods. 🌲 🚲 ⛰

#DontFallOff
#StevieWonderGlasses

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