Reportage

Fugo’s Tomii Cycles Disc Dirt Machine

As a parent of a child who has taken up cycling, the last thing on your mind should be buying a custom bicycle for them. That is, unless the bike can literally grow as they do.

Nao at Tomii Cycles felt challenged by this very issue. Rather than fillet braze a new frame every year as his son Fugo grows, he developed a bicycle frame that could adapt to the rapid growth of a young boy.

This frame utilizes Paragon slider dropouts and disc brakes, two crucial components to the equation. In doing so, this frame can accept 20″, 24″ and 26″ wheels. All Nao has to do is relace the hubs as Fugo grows. From there, a longer stem and an extended seat post will take care of other fit concerns.

At this weekend’s cross races, I caught up with Fugo after his race and asked him if I could shoot photos of his beloved race bike. When I asked him what his favorite part about his bike was, he replied “the gears” – a fact that Nao brought to my attention later – “he just figured out how to use the grip shifters.”

Ride on, Fugo, ride on!