John ‘Prolly’ Watson finally tweaked his latest acquisition, a beautiful track frame by Ian Sutton, of Icarus Frames. The addition of the classically-styled H+Son TB14 rims are the final touch on a bike that has caused not a small amount of consternation among the critics, but that’s to be expected from anything that breaks free from the de rigueur.
If you’re a regular reader of John’s blog, Prolly Is Not Probably, you’ll be aware of his preference for Columbus MAX tubing, so it was a natural choice for his custom Icarus frame. The traditional 74° layout is ready for the velodrome, while a 39mm fork rake will provide stability when riding around town. Marty from Geekhouse Bikes, who collaborated with John on his S&S-coupled tourer, was brought on board to provide the segmented fork. Ian personally modified the raw fork, adding brazed-on shoulders and fillet-brazing over the welds, resulting in a serious platform to support John’s viking-like mass. The livery was designed by Kevin Sparrow of COG Magazine and painted by Bryan at Fresh Frame, in a lavender hue that reflects the feather-light nature of the trademark Prolly purple.
You can read the entire story of the Viking Track on John’s blog, Prolly Is Not Probably, and keep updated with coverage of some of the best builders in the US, with some of the best photography.
