I had my hand built bike stolen after giving me 10 years dutiful service round the mean streets of London, that's a long time in bike years, also I'd recently got some Mavic Ksyrium super light wheels, and it wasn't insured... I was gutted.
So it was, with feelings of revenge and loss, that I started the process of looking around for another steel frame builder, when by chance I came across Justin's site, and pictures of his own road bike, with those rather nice wheels that I'd just lost with my machine.
I rang him up and had a chat about frames and how I was looking for a replacement road bike for getting about in London, one that would withstand the rigours of city life and would look as good, if not better than my stolen machine... he suggested I come and see his workshop and try his bike out for size... I wasn't disappointed.
I was really impressed with his road bike and decided then and there that I wanted a frame built for me, and after the measuring process, and a look around his workshop, we got chatting about group-sets, forks and the other equipment I would need.
Having never needed to do this myself, he was really helpful with suggestions of where to get all the stuff I would need, I left there feeling really positive about my future bike, and less bitter about losing my old one!
During the build Justin sent me picture after picture of the build, as my new frame took shape, documenting the process, which was really exciting, I was really impatient to pick up the frame and forks, when it was ready, even though he offered to put it together at a later date, for a reasonable price, I had no money and I just wanted to get it home...
When I did, finally get all the bits together, realising the seat pin i bought was a really tight fit, I wanted him to open out the seat tube a bit more so it fitted just right, and I thought he might as well put most of my group-set on while we were at it, but what I didn't realise was that he'd broken his foot and was on crutches, but he said he'd be happy to do it for me if I fetched him tools and I offered to cook him lunch, what a guy! I realise this makes me look a bit bad... so I took the frame and and my group-set and bars and went back to Harwich.
I did help a bit, but Justin got most of the major parts on the bike in an afternoon...it was almost done... the cables and bar tape were finished by a bike shop in London, and it was complete by the next day... I really love this bike, the frames finish is just superb (as you can see in the pictures), its light and really responsive, and it just feels great to be back on the road.
I was really happy to do business with Justin, because he finishes a frame like it was for himself, and when I've taken it into any bike shop in London, people have asked me where its from... I just hope I hang on to this one long enough that I don't have to ask him to make me another one too soon!
Mind you those titanium frames look rather nice...
Mark Surrey
