The Radavist

Simon Lee’s Stanridge Speed 77 Track Bike
Photos and words by Kyle Kelley

In 2015 while Simon was recovering from open heart surgery, he decided to piece together his dream track bike, a track bike that would pay homage to his family’s past and the land from which they came. This bike would function as a tool for Simon’s recovery, even though he wouldn’t be able to ride the bike for sometime, the process of putting together the perfect bike kept Simon busy for months.

The fully custom Stanridge Speed is enough to get heads turning, but then you’re taken straight to school while examining the rest of the bike. The first ever two tone Standridge Speed head badge would set the tone and the 77 painted on the down tube would honor Simon’s late Grandad who was an engineer in the Royal Air Force’s 77th Squadron. From there Simon would reach out to his friend Otto Carter, an engraver from Texas to engrave a set of Sugino 75s that would embody everything Simon Lee: his family initials, hometown soccer team, his now repaired heart, even his prescription medicine fit on to those two crank arms.

Death Spray Custom and Stanridge Speed Volume 2
Photos by Jason Sellers and words by John Watson

Back in 2012, Adam Eldridge from Stanridge Speed was obsessing over the Red Hook Crit and the unique form of track bike evolving from these races. Unlike traditional track frames who only make left turns in a velodrome, the design of track crit frames need to be more dynamic. You’ve got to be able to pedal through all corners, even chicanes and do so with dozens of other racers around you. As a result, many of the track crit frames rely on steeper angles and higher bottom brackets for increased maneuverability. As we’ve seen in the past, it takes a bit of luck and a lot of skill to make it through one of these crits unscathed, not to mention winning a few back to back.

That’s where Adam’s interest piqued. Dan Chabanov had been on a winning streak and Adam wanted to put a Stanridge under him. The two were connected, via Squid, an OG bike messenger in New York and they began working together. Knowing this would be a big deal, Adam reached out to David at Death Spray Custom to make the project extra special. The rest is history, and David’s paint design made for an interesting story. Adam even got a matching kit made from a sales rack Voler skinsuit he then sublimated the design upon.

Jordan Hufnagel is one of my favorite framebuilders. Or I should say, was one my favorites. After he decided to lay down the torch, he and close friend James Crowe began West America. Together they rode motorcycles to Patagonia and documented the whole journey with 35mm film. Upon returning after a year on the road, the two began fabricating everything from more motos to furniture and eventually, Jordan began his own metal working business. Sometime prior to taking off for Patagonia, Jordan made this frame for Kyle of Golden Saddle Cyclery. Now, I don’t know if the frame was made to specifically pair with this Death Spray Custom fork that Kyle has had hanging on the shop wall, or if it was the plan all along, but soon enough, the two were mated and awaited parts.

Fast forward for literally two years and Kyle was ready to build the bike up, as a result of his Mudfoot Stinner getting side-swiped by a car. Kyle poached some parts and built it up, ready to rip the trails in Los Angeles and up until his Red, White and Blue Stinner 27.5 ‘cross bike, it’d been his go to bike for dirt riding. With a prototype 44RN ‘cross ring, SRAM Force 1x, Paul Minimotos, Chris King and ENVE bits, it’s a pretty tricked out build, but the last piece of the puzzle just landed from Japan.

Sim Works‘ Pop Up at Golden Saddle Cyclery this weekend will have literally everything from the brand’s catalog in stock and in person, including these Homage tires in Michelin green. Made by Panaracer, these tires measure 43mm on a rim like the H+Son Archtypes and even wider on a more modern carbon disc rim. They set up easily tubeless, on a tubeless rim and with the center file tread pattern, roll fast on pavement with the side knobs adding extra traction on loose corners. They are available in 650b or 700 diameters.

This bike has had a long life in the build racks at Golden Saddle Cyclery but in its short time being built up, has lived a pretty exciting life, as evident by the dirty fork crown.

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Visit Golden Saddle Cyclery in Silverlake, Los Angeles and follow them on Instagram.