Brian B’s light touring bike

There’s nothing like going on a bicycle tour where your primary concerns are where to sleep and what to eat. It only takes a short tour to really get satisfaction from that simple routine. This bike is what I consider the ideal vehicle for such short jaunts. It’s built from Columbus SL tubing and weighs in at 23 pounds with racks, pump, and fenders. The bike is spritely and can accelerate like a vintage racer but it’s function is definitely as an escape vehicle. It’s built with classic lugs with clean lines and no cutouts. It doesn’t have too many frills that detract away from the bike’s primary purpose which is to move the rider and gear from one place to another as fast and comfortable as possible. The racks are also bare bones, designed to carry panniers, a handlebar bag, and whatever else needs to be strapped down to them. The custom stem has the front brake cable hanger integrated into the shaft to match the rear.

Now, I need to say a couple word about the owner of this bicycle. When Brian came to me looking for a light touring bike, I knew I was going to have fun building it. I had built a racing bike for him a couple of years ago and his consideration and understanding as a customer always made me want to go above and beyond for him. He’s genuinely a good person and you should consider yourself fortunate if you ever get the chance to meet him. His positive attitude is infectious even for this jaded New Englander. We need more people like him in the world. An example of how nice he is, he came up from Greensboro, NC to the Cirque du Cyclisme to meet me and pick up the bike! I was rushing to complete the build before I left and I was glad I was able to get some pictures of the bike in the hotel parking lot before making its way to its new home!