Sheffield can rightly be considered the Steel Capital of the United Kingdom, with a history of steel production that dates to the early 19th century. Although it has been reduced over the last 50 years, due to offshore competition, the city is very proud of its heritage — especially the guys at Field Cycles, whose steel frames are forging a reputation for innovation and very vibrant color schemes.
Each frame produced by the Sheffield-based team has been a surprise, whether it’s a girder-forked 29er MTB or the eye-searingly bright paintwork on their Classics road bike. Their latest is no different, built for a mate who gave them carte blanche to push the boundaries of their creativity. This street-track bike is the result, decorated with one of the most striking coast of paint we’ve seen for a while.
That top tube is actually an oval Reynolds tandem boom tube, which challenged the mitering skills of Harry Harrison, Field’s builder. It makes for a solid front triangle, which tapers into a slender seat stay arrangement, adorned with a tiny bridge etched with the Field logo. Fillet-brazed joints produce a seamless surface for the graphics to be applied to, taken care of by their partners, CROMAWORKS.
These photos were taken by Tom Smith, Field Cycles’ designer, at a significant location: It’s the site of Sheffield Forgemasters, manufacturers of some of the world’s largest steel castings and forgings, for applications like nuclear reactors and the Royal Navy’s Astute submarines. The scale of Forgemasters and Field may be slightly different but the passion for quality steel products is shared by both.
