Varun’s disc tourer

The bikes I’ve built up to this point have mostly adhered to traditional components and frame design. These standards exist because they’ve been tested in real world applications for over a century and they work. And while trying new technologies is not a huge leap for me, the technology in question has to make sense. In this case, I’m primarily referring to the use of the hydraulic disc brakes on Varun’s bike as well as the T47 bottom bracket.

The brakes work great in all conditions and are not too heavy compared to a set of cantilevers. I’m not a fan of hoses crisscrossing tubes everywhere so I tried to make them internal where possible while still maintaining the frame’s integrity. As for the bottom bracket, the T47 is essentially a threaded BB30. One side has right hand threads and the other is left like the tried and true English standard; just bigger for modern, larger diameter spindles like the one on this Praxis Works crankset. Varun knew what he wanted right from the start and it was up to me to make it a reality. The final product of both of our visions is this modern take on the classic touring bike.

The frame is fillet brazed with heavier gauge tubing used on the fork blades and chain stays to compensate for the disc brake forces. Weight was kept down with lighter gauge tubes for the front triangle and titanium hardware throughout. Weight was also kept to a minimum with the selected components. ENVE carbon rims with Compass extra light 650b 42mm tires on White Industries and Shutter Precision hubs made for a svelte wheel set. Zipp SC Beyond Black bars, stem, and seat post go well with the black and yellow theme. The custom front rack with detachable low riders were powder coated black as well. The black Edelux headlight mounted to the rack powers the small Schmidt taillight that was incorporated into the frame of the Brooks Cambium saddle. That and the integrated pump and spokes on the chain stay make this a very self-sufficient bicycle. The paint is a vintage Porsche color called Bahama Yellow and is such a great statement. The contrast with all the black components make this bike both serious and playful.