Bossi Grit | Andrew's Custom Build
As tough as it is beautiful
The brief
Andrew wanted a gravel bike which would last for many years, and was therefore drawn towards a titanium frame.
He had a preference for Shimano components and wanted to maintain a 2x11 drive train for two reasons: 1) to achieve a wide range of gearing options, and 2) to keep the jumps between each gear as minimal as possible.
Could we deliver?
Yes, we could.
The bike
The Bossi Grit was chosen because it's a purpose-built gravel frame with absolutely beautiful ride qualities.
As Andrew's other bikes had Shimano equipment (and SRAM were currently very focussed on 1x drive trains), we decided to go with a Shimano Ultegra groupset. Ultegra is Shimano's most popular road groupset and it's easy to see why — it offers exceptional performance and low weight, and is also at a price that suits most people's budgets.
With compact cranks and an 11-34 cassette, we obtained a 1:1 low gear ratio but still maintained a suitable top gear.
We custom-built the wheels using wider Alex rims (which give the gravel tyres a really nice profile) laced to DT Swiss 350 hubs. Schwalbe G-One tyres gave a great compromise between low rolling resistance and off-road grip.
Andrew had always used and enjoyed Selle Italia saddles, so that's what we stayed with. (It's one of the greatest things about a true custom-built bike: you can have almost whatever you want.)
The handlebars and stem are from Pro because they offer exceptional value for money and are very high-quality products.
To top things off, Andrew wanted a splash of colour on the bars, and picked a red Fizik handlebar tape, which was absolutely perfect.
As the happy owner said, "It is a well-engineered frame and easily handles the rough going. Can’t say a bad thing about the Shimano mechs either; it shifts well and precisely. I really appreciate the quality of the build by BMCR. Great attention to detail; the bar tape end-plugs correctly aligned, the tyre logos with the valve, the cable lengths, etc. I’m a bit pedantic and I can’t find any fault at all."
Want your own custom titanium bike? Get in touch.
