A titanium forever bike as adventurous as its colour scheme
Dave was looking for his titanium holy grail -- one bike to cover all of the road and offroad ground he wanted.
For this level of flexibility, a Bossi Grit SX was just the ticket.
As this bike would be used both on-road and off-road, we opted for a 2X setup to ensure that there weren't large jumps between the gears, something that's particularly noticeable when road riding.
Speaking of 2X, this Bossi Grit also has two wheelsets: a Bossi carbon 700c wheelset with Panaracer Gravel King Slick tyres for speedy road riding, and one custom-built 650b wheelset with Teravail Rutlands for extra volume for gravel use.
Having two wheelsets is a huge time -- and sanity -- saver as you can simply swap your wheels out as required, rather than spending ages changing tyres and sealant. Less time cursing rim beads = more time riding!
Dave had a very particular colour scheme in mind, and wanted purple accents plus tan handlebar tape to match the tan tyre sidewalls. This colour of bar tape is surprisingly hard to find, but after much searching we managed to get our hands on some excellent Salsa Gel Cork tape.
Purple is also a tricky colour to match -- nearly every manufacturer has their preferred shade of purple, and it's nowhere near uniform. After a lot of experimenting, we managed to create a consistent theme throughout the build, including a Garbaruk lock ring and jockey wheels plus Hope headset spacers and seat post clamp. The purple titanium bolts were a nice touch, and, of course, we custom-matched the hand-painted head tube and chain stay. As you do.
After these hurdles, the rest of the build was a piece of cake!
Dave had taken an SQ-Lab saddle to try on his other bike while he was waiting for the Bossi, and loved it, so his Grit now has the same model. (This is a common thing with SQ-Lab saddles; once people try them, they usually want them on all of their bikes.)
For a finishing touch, Arundel stainless steel bottle cages not only match the frame but also last forever.
Durability and style -- now there's a duo we can get behind.
Want your own very particular custom titanium bike? Get in touch.
Just wanted to say how much better my bike is now that you fixed it. I really appreciate the wonderful service you provide (rain and shine). I love riding my bike and your service just makes riding even more enjoyable, so smooth. Thank you yet again. Amazing same-day service also appreciated.Brigitte Sloot