The 18 Beautiful Bicycles of the Chris King Open House –

For the past few years, Chris King has opened their doors to the public as part of an entire weekend of events dubbed the Chris King Open House. This event’s intent is to be coordinated with a product launch of their new colors for the year, as well as to showcase what makes their operations tick, and to display a selection of custom bikes, built by some of their best builder customers.

the two new colors for this year: matte turqoise and matte mango.

This year, they sent out an open invite to 30 of their best builder accounts, offering up discounted pricing to them to build a bike for the show, passing on the discount to their customers. Out of those 30 builders, 17 showed up, and they were displayed alongside a Pegoretti bike, which we looked at on Friday. These bikes lined the halls of the Chris King factory, where visitors could look at their features in great detail, chat with the builders about their process, and if they were so inclined, purchase their dream bike.

I was invited up to the Open House to document these bikes for the builders and for Chris King, as well as offering up an ultimate dream bike gallery for you, the readers of this website. Please enjoy! Which bike do you like the best and why? Oh and if you’re interested in one of the bikes showcased here, be sure to reach out to the builders, who are linked in the bike descriptions below.

Speedvagen
Titanium Rugged Road
Headset | Tapered NoThreadSet
Bottom Bracket | Press Fit 30
Wheels | ENVE G23

What if you love riding, but racing is not your pinnacle? Where do you go? Is it important to have a 12lb, super stiff carbon bike, and 23mm tires? What about how the bike rides? What about how you feel? Are you a part of the bike?

Over the last several years, more and more riders are bucking the notion that skinny tires, pace-lining and buying a new wonder bike each year, realizing that that doesn’t align with them as a cyclist.

Reality is taking over.

Finding new roads (sometimes made of dirt), taking a right down an unknown path, even though your map tells you to go straight. This is the domain where you want a machine that you love. Weight doesn’t matter, ride quality does. Feeling like this bike fits you like a glove and puts up with a rugged day of… whatever.

Co-Motion
Klatch Pinion CTX
Headset | InSet 2
Bottom Bracket | Pinion Gearbox
Wheels | ENVE G23

The Klatch is Co-Motion’s popular all-roads racer. This one is their CTX frame configuration, with a continuous carbon seat mast and lightweight Variwall ThermLX tube set. Perhaps most eye-catching on this beauty is its Pinion C.12 gearbox transmission, a very popular option at Co-Motion. This is a custom build for Billy Truelove, their chief machinist, who also designed the gorgeous stainless steel thru-axle dropouts gracefully positioning the lovely Chris King hubs to apply tension to the Gates Carbon Drive belt. To many, this bike may seem exotic, but all of these options are fulfilled frequently at Co-Motion Cycles.

Ti Cycles
R3D Ultralight
Headset | InSet 7
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit T47 24x
Wheels | ENVE G27

Titanium all-road R3D Ultralight built with state of the art materials and technology. Compact performance geometry with Dave Levy’s signature pierced top tube and mono stay, butted tubing ovalized in-house, T47 bottom bracket shell, and 3D printed titanium dropouts developed in partnership with Reynolds Technology and featuring integrated flat mount disc caliper interface, optional/hidden fender mounts, and integrated internal Di2 routing port.

English
One-Off Custom
Headset | InSet 8
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit 30
Wheels | ENVE G23

There are no bike models at English Cycles, each build is a one-off custom creation to match the fit, use, and demands of the individual rider. This particular build is for multi-surface riding, thus has clearance for 35mm tires, but keeps road geometry with a curved seat tube to maintain short chainstays. The integrated seat mast allows for a third bottle mount on the back, for longer adventures.

Black Cat
Alpine Road Bike
Headset | Tapered NoThreadSet
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit T47 30i
Wheels | ENVE 3.4 Disc

Black Cat has not taken orders for about two years, so this is the first opportunity for someone to “get on the list for a black cat” in that time.

Road bikes have a purity of function unmatched by much else in the world. If you don’t absolutely need it, why is it there? Let’s strip it all back to nothing and add only what it takes for you to grab that bike time and time again.

Todd will be putting together a small batch of alpine road bikes to build in the next year and I can offer a special show I’mcount of $500 off a complete bike purchase with a King/Enve build kit. I’m hesitant to give a finished price for a complete bike as the tariff thing seems to be greatly affecting component pricing, and the bikes will be built in 6-9 months from now.

Sklar
Mountain Bike
Headset | Tapered NoThreadSet
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit T47 30x
Wheels | ENVE M630 29”

Sklar has gained notoriety for their custom mountain bike builds since launching in 2014. This steel frame, while sporting a vintage look, employs the most advanced frame materials and components available for a responsive, lively and durable ride. This mountain frameset is designed around 29 x 2.6″ tires and riding on fast, loose singletrack. While shown single speed, the bike can be set up 1×12 with a simple dropout swap. See Sklarbikes.com for more information on Sklar custom mountain bikes.

DeSalvo
Builder Special
Headset | InSet 7
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit T47 24x
Wheels | HED Belgium + Disc

I am excited to return to the Chris King Open House for 2018 to showcase their new product colors and spend time with industry friends. The bike I have on display is a new project | The Builder’s Choice. Simply put, the Builder’s Choice is whatever I am in the mood to build each year. My Builder’s Choice project will happen once a year and the complete bike package will be offered as a limited edition.

For the Builder’s Choice 2018 I have built one of my current favorites, a titanium gravel bike. While called a gravel bike (and they are great for gravel rides) this style of bike represents a do-it-all bike to me. It’s great for endurance road rides, commuting, light touring–you name it, this bike lives up to the challenge. If I had to own just one bike, this would be it.

This complete bike package is offered with a Shimano Ultegra group, Chris King hubs, headset, and bottom bracket, Enve cockpit and fork. The custom paint scheme has been chosen to highlight the new matte turquoise Chris King components.

Spooky
Gas Mask – Razzle Dazzle
Headset | Tapered NoThreadSet
Bottom Bracket | Press Fit 30
Wheels | ENVE G23

The GAS MASK is the ultimate gravel/explore bike, outfitted with the finest Dedacciai Italian tubing hand welded by THE Frank The Welder and exquisitely painted to perfection to meet your exact Spooky expression needs. All Road, Any Road, Every Road, the Gas Mask is ready.

Breadwinner
Find Your Road B-Road
Headset | InSet 7
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit 24
Wheels | ENVE G23

The Find Your Road B-Road is Breadwinner’s most capable and supple 700c gravel bike to date. Legendary frame builders Ira Ryan and Tony Pereira have hand selected a combination of Columbus Tubing to pair with their in-house made stainless thru-axle dropouts. The bike rides like a dream and glides across gravel saving energy and helping you ride faster for longer. It’s paired with the responsive ENVE G23 rims and high-volume WTB Resolute 45c tires. The Find Your Road B-Road has custom bags by Andrew the Maker so you can carry clothes, snacks or beer. Find Your Road.

Stinner
Steel Refugio
Headset | InSet 7
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit 24
Wheels | ENVE G23

Stinner Frameworks builds top-tier steel and titanium bicycle frames in Santa Barbara California, combining craftsmanship and performance-oriented detail to produce frames designed to excel in their respective disciplines. The small team at Stinner builds bikes that share their enthusiasm for performance and adventure.

Before smooth asphalt roads swept up and between mountains, there were quiet gravel paths. The Steel Refugio is made to handle all roads– the paved, unpaved, and everything in between with the grace and elegance of a performance machine, with comfort to explore a little further on each ride. Designed with the liveliness of a road bike and the compliance of a cyclocross bike the Refugio is built to inspire confidence and arouse the curiosity to explore new directions.

Sage
Flow Motion
Headset | InSet 7
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit 24
Wheels | ENVE M630 27.5”

The Sage Flow Motion–a hardcore hardtail born on the legendary trails of Sandy Ridge, and handmade right here in Portland. Sage built this burly beauty to test the limits. Unburdened by the complexity of pivots, the Flow Motion is light and snappy. Climb to the summit with the efficiency that only a hardtail can boast. Rail berms with the short chainstays and a playful bottom bracket height. Launch doubles with stability thanks to the extended reach and internal dropper post routing. Send it with the confidence, knowing that you’ll be landing on the strongest 3/2.5 US-made titanium tubing. Session those sections until you can session no more. Shred the limits. Find your Flow.

Moots
Routt RSL
Headset | InSet 7
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit 24
Wheels | ENVE G23

We strive to make as many of the small parts that go into our frame in-house. This list is long and allows us to control lead times and quality. On the Routt RSL this includes: head tube, bottom bracket shell, cable stops, seat collar, water bottle bosses, stem back plate, faceplate and binders, seat post top and side plates.

SyCip
Mountain Bike
Headset | InSet 7
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit T47 30x
Wheels | Stan’s NoTubes 27.5”

We love to ride. And it’s this bike that proves it. Jeremy picks the tubes he would use on his own bikes for all the handcrafted MTN Bikes. Tried and tested on the muddy single tracks of Sonoma, the wet roots of Marin, and the rocks and steeps of Tahoe, our Unleaded knows no fear. Getting a SyCip mountain bike will be the difference between an average time on the trails to an amazing riding experience on the trails you will want over and over again.

Sycip MTB / Steel 27.5 Plus aka | Baby Fat
w/ 2 cent rebate
140 fork/ 69 head angle, 73 seat angle
Internal routing for brakes and dropper post
44mm Head tube/ T47 BB

Allied
Alfa Allroad
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit 24
Wheels | ENVE G23

The multi-surface, disc brake brother of the ALFA. Not a gravel grinder, not a cross bike, not an adventure bike, not a commuter. The ALFA ALLROAD is a high-performance road bike that you can ride damn near anywhere.

Features |
100% American Made Carbon Fiber Bike
25-38c Tires
BSA Bottom Bracket
WEIGHT | 920 G
12 sizes | 49, 49+, 52, 52+, 54, 54+, 56, 56+, 58, 58+, 61 and 61+

Caletti
Adventure Road
Headset | InSet 8
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit 30
Wheels | ENVE 3.4 Disc

The modern all road bicycle features disc brakes, room for high volume tires and geometry designed for grace under pressure – ready to tackle broken pavement, long days and dirt roads.

Model | Adventure Road, Titanium
Size | 55 (55cm effective top tube, 16cm head tube, 72-degree head angle, 73.5-degree seat angle, 58.8cm Stack, 37.5cm Reach)
Finish upgrades | Painted stem, seatpost, fork in 2 colors with flat clear, special color anodized frame finish

Mosiac
GT-1
Headset | InSet 8
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit 24
Wheels | ENVE G23

On the spectrum of gravel bikes, the GT-1 is closer to a road bike than an adventure bike. The geometry lands between a traditional road and off-road frame specs with short chainstay length, steep front head angle, oversized head tube, and carbon fork. This provides a snappy feel on the road while low bottom brackets, a slightly longer wheelbase, and tire size make for stable off-road handling. It is built on a flat mount disc brake platform for all-terrain stopping force and also creates clearance for a 38c tire. The 3/2.5 double butted tubeset can take the abuse of riding all year in any climate without worry of corrosion or denting with minimal care. Smaller diameter tubes are hand selected according to rider weight, providing a more compliant ride. In contrast to the oversized and responsive X or R-Series tube selection that can be oriented towards race performance, the GT-1 aims at a different category of performance | one of comfort, longevity, and functionality. Optional fender and rack mounts make the GT-1 a perfect bike for year round riding.

Features | Double Butted 3/2.5 titanium tubeset. Rider-specific geometry and tubeset. Enve GRD fork, fits 40mm tire, 35mm with fenders. Hidden reinforcement Internal Di2 and Hydro Disc Cable Routing, 142x12mm rear, 12mm front axles.

Argonaut
GR2
Headset | InSet 8
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit T47 24x
Wheels | ENVE 4.5 AR

Argonaut introduced the original Gravel Racer in 2014, which received “Best In Show” at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Charlotte, North Carolina. That bike was designed to go fast in a wide variety of road surfaces and conditions.

Since 2014 the gravel scene has exploded, and bike manufacturers are making machines with a wide variety of tire sizes and handling characteristics. Argonaut has intentionally sat on the sideline waiting for the dust, pun intended, to settle. With our full custom fabrication capabilities and go fast heritage, we designed a bike intended to be ridden hard and fast on any road surface. At a total weight of 16lbs, rider specific geometry, and rider specific layup pattern the Argonaut GR2 is the perfect tool for a weekday hammerfest set up with 28c tires and traditional road gearing, or a brutal 8 hour gravel race when equipped with wide range gearing and 38c tires.

There are many things that make the GR2 a standout; custom geometry, custom layup, and handmade in the Pacific Northwest to name a few. Regarding how the bike handles we focused on keeping the rear end, or chainstay length, as short as possible, which results in a bike with great acceleration and a lively feel. An Argonaut should jump when you step on the gas, and the GR2 is no exception.

Features |
Custom rider tuned layup pattern
420mm Chainstays
Clearance for tires up to 38c
Speed Release rear axle

Retrotec
The Half
Headset | Tapered NoThreadSet
Bottom Bracket | ThreadFit 24
Wheels | ENVE G23

Retrotec Half is a disc road with carbon seat mast for extra vibration dampening when the road gets rough. This is Curtis’ personal bike and the first road bike he has built himself in quite some time. Built to handle up to a 32c tire this capable ride that won’t shy away when the pavement runs out.

Model name | Retrotec half with carbon seat mast
Description | road bike with tire clearance to 700X32
Features | Carbon seat mast, UltegraDI2, King Enve wheels, King headset and BB

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