This unique crit machine started as a vague idea several years ago: a hand-built bike as a (very large) birthday present. The actual brainstorming process started by visiting several handmade bicycle shows to fawn over various builds and paint jobs available. After much research we finally settled on a local builder, who at the time was welding his own line of bicycles. It was going to be a stiff steel classic lined crit machine to get me around the best of the American crit racing.   

As someone who had previously only ridden and purchased a small handful of stock carbon or aluminum frames, the world of handbuilt and custom was completely new to me, and filled with many options I had never before considered. What kind of welding did I want, what geometry, thickness of the tubing, and probably most important to me - what kind of finish. 

In many ways it was fun to shop around and pick out all the various parts and options to make this bike fully custom to me. As the more technical of the pair, Matt took on the bulk of the work figuring out the tube sizing and part options whereas I focused on the aesthetics - bearing colors, finishing accessories and the fun part, the paint job.

For paint, we turned to local legend Austin Horse, who had previously done an amazing job with Matt’s Keith Haring inspired frame (based on design borrowed from a mural the late Keith Haring painted in Australia and for which we were threatened with suit for ‘replicating without license’). I didn’t want to create quite the same uproar and knew I wanted something geometric in design but spent weeks scouring the web for inspiration. I had randomly come across a more obscure work of art from Sol Lewitt and fell in love with the simplicity, geometric lines and abstract feel. I obsessed over it for some time while simultaneously (and equally obsessively) poring through my Pantone color guide until I found the combination that was just right for me.   

In the end I wound up with a gorgeous bike that delivered in its stiff and simplistic form and snazzy exterior looks. After a year or so of racing on it, I decided I couldn’t risk crashing and scraping it up and instead deemed it forever destined to be an exclusively fun short duration cruising steed that looks and feels great on weekend jaunts. Maybe I’ll pop into a race or two again with this beauty.

THE FULL Coarse Crit Machine BUILD

• Frameset: Columbus Aero Megatube steel tubing fabricated by Coarse

• Seatpost: Shimano Pro Vibe

• Groupset: Dura Ace Di2

• Gearing: Standard 53-39; 11-23

• Cockpit: Shimano Pro Vibe

• Wheels: Dura Ace c50

• Tires: Vittoria Corsa

• Saddle: Selle SMP Dynamic

• BB: Chris King

• Fit: ACME Bicycle Co