We love to see framebuilders make their customer’s dreams come true. That’s what legendary builder, Jeremy Sycip, did for Matt in California who wanted something different than a straight-up gravel road bike…
This bike began with a simple idea after a long day in the saddle: what if I could combine the suppleness and tire clearance of a randonneuring bike, but with the razor-sharp handling and agility of a road bike? As it turns out, the idea wasn’t as simple as I’d thought!
That’s because the mainstream bike industry apparently doesn’t see the need for combining steep 73 degree head tubes with “gravel” sized tires. I knew the geometry I wanted, having owned and sold a gorgeous Crust Lightning Bolt (650b low-trail just wasn’t for me in the end after several years of experimenting) and an early 2000s Litespeed Tuscany (even after I had Paul Sadoff crimp the chainstays, 28mm tires didn’t offer the cushion I was after as a slave to the Supple Lyfe;).
So I pored over every spec sheet I could find looking for a replacement that would combine my favorite attributes of both bikes. With all the “adventure bike” hype in recent years, I figured it would be easy to find some off-the-shelf options. Nope. Everything designed around my tire size of choice features a slack-ish head angle.
That left me with two options: either compromise on geometry, or go custom. I hit up several frame builders, and was surprised to find that even some prominent ones, including ace makers featured on The Radavist, at NAHBS, etc., replied with a version of, “Uhh, why would you want a bike like that?” or “You should check out this gravel bike, it’s much better suited for this!”
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case at all with legendary NorCal frame builder Jeremy Sycip. Working with Jeremy to design this bike was a breath of fresh air. He perfectly balanced saving me from myself — for example, steepening the seat tube to 74 degrees to clear the front derailer with relatively short 425mm chainstays, relying on a setback seatpost to achieve my fit numbers — without trying to convince me that my dream ride was a dumb idea.
Balanced is the best way I can describe the ride quality, too. The bike is somehow supple and lively in the saddle when cruising, yet responds immediately to standing efforts. The chunky chainstays prevent the rear end from feeling noodly, like Morgan experienced with his recent custom project, while the dropouts keep the chain elevated and eliminate the need for a clutch derailer. And while WoundUp’s “Gravel X” fork is too stiff for worn out Bay Area fire roads, it’s a wonderful partner for navigating our notoriously choppy pavement. With thin .8.5.8 butted steel tubing and Jeremy’s signature dime-capped seat stays, the ride is absolutely sublime.
I think John summed up the road vs. gravel bike dynamic well when he wrote that, “all road bikes are gravel bikes, yet not all gravel bikes are road bikes.” While tubeless tires inflated to 30-35 psi and four-piston disc brakes might sound like a XC mountain bike bike on paper, it’s 2024, the water is nice and you really can have yer cake and eat it, too!
This bike is perfect for the kind of riding I love: long miles, mostly at a rando pace, with as much climbing as I can handle. Think of it as a modern version of the classic Japanese “pass hunting” bikes. With the grip and stability of 44mm tires, hydraulic brakes and super low gearing, I can both get up anything and descend faster and more safely than on a typical road bike. These photos were taken on a recent trip up to Yosemite’s Tioga Pass.
A couple of my favorite build highlights are the Engin Port Royal cranks (Drew’s 3-bolt 110/74 spider is the reason I finally ditched my trusty square taper!) and the painted carbon rims by Light Bicycle, which offers a unique match for my “Lightning Storm” theme. I also want to shout-out the folks at LOAM Equipment for the narrow custom framebag — once you realize that you can ride with a regular t-shirt and no overstuffed pockets on your lower back, you’ll quickly become a reformed roadie!
Cheers to everyone else breaking some “norm” or convention of cycling. If you’ve got an idea for something cool, don’t give it up. Be patient, and find yourself a frame-builder like Jeremy Sycip to make your dream come true.
Matt, in California
Build Spec:
- Custom Sycip steel frame with WoundUp carbon fork hand painted by Rick Stefani at D&D Cycles (frame is powder coated “Chameleon Violet”)
- LOAM Equipment half framebag
- White Industries rear hub, SONDelux dynamo front hub, laced with Champagne bronze Pillar spokes to Light Bicycle “Crystal matte” carbon hoops
- Rene Herse Snoqualmie Pass 700c X 44m tires (pro tip: Compass doesn’t advertise this, but the 44mm width is the narrowest width offered with their lightest casing, hence how this tire magically weighs less than its 38mm equivalent!)
- White Industries headset + bottom bracket
- Thomson titanium seatpost + Specialized Toupe saddle
- Simworks Rhonda ‘dull bright’ stem holding Zipp carbon handlebars
- Engin Port Royal cranks with ‘wide-step double‘ 42/24 chainrings + XTR short-spindle pedals (a cheat-code for running modern cranks but with a more traditional q factor!)
- SRAM Red mechanical brifters
- IRD sub-compact front derailer, SRAM wi-fli rear derailer with 11-36 cassette
- Yokozuna Ultimo hydro brakes with Hope floating rotors
- B&M IQ-X headlight + μ Taillight
- Brass bits by Monē, Velo Orange and Path Less Pedaled
- Forager Cable Cherries
- King Cage stainless bottle cages
- Spurcycle bell
- Wahoo Roam GPS
- Outer Shell mini saddlebag
- Supacaz Kush bar tape with wine cork “plugs” — it’s a California bike, after all!
Want a dream bike of your own? Check out more at Sycip Bicycles.
We’d like to thank all of you who submitted Readers Rides builds to be shared here at The Radavist. The response has been incredible and we have so many to share over the next few months. Feel free to submit your bike, listing details, components, and other information. You can also include a portrait of yourself with your bike and your Instagram account! Please, shoot landscape-orientation photos, not portrait. Thanks!
