The same day that Sir Bradley Wiggins won the 2014 Amgen Tour of California, this mixte by Brian Chapman won an equally significant event: it took home the award for Best City Bike at the 2014 Le Cirque du Cyclisme. It’s the same color as the leader’s jersey, but it’s as far removed from Wiggo’s Pinarello Dogma 2 as you can get, and that’s a very beautiful thing.
The 2014 Cirque was held in Leesburg, Virginia, and its judges were rightly impressed by the thoughtful details on the sunflower-yellow mixte. The Columbus / True Temper frame was designed for a male customer with limited mobility in one leg. Look closely, you’ll notice that one of the TA cranks is 20mm shorter than the other.
Brian had to wrangle the upper head lug into play, modifying angle by 15°. All of those points and flourishes on the lugs have been hand-shaped by Brian also and, once the frame had been completed, front and rear racks were fabricated to match. The fenders and a pump were painted with the same yellow hue and pinstriped to match the head tube.
There’s a plethora of details yet to be discovered aboard this sunny ride, aside from the modified MAFAC Racer brakes and custom elkhide grips (darkened to match his pre-loved Brooks Professional saddle). Head to the Chapman Cycles website for more. And congratulations to both Bradley and Brian for their wins from The Spoken.
