Adelaide’s Tour Down Under is just as much a social event as it is the first leg in the UCI World Tour. Ten minutes of riding will take you out of the CBD and into the Hills, which rock and roll for as long you like in any direction. Most spectators bring their bikes to ride to the stage starts, and the brave will continue further with their mates. That’s exactly what one of our favorite photographers, Andy Rogers, came to do with his new Speedvagen Road Machine.
If you follow Andy’s ‘Fame & Spear‘ photography portfolio on tumblr or his Instagram feed, you’ll know he likes taking photos as much as he likes riding. He hails from Melbourne, so he has access to some of the most picturesque roads Australia has to offer and has a talent for capturing the grit of this harsh and beautiful country. He’s also covered the Dirty Deeds Cyclocross Series and the Nationals, numerous Rapha rides, criteriums and beautiful bicycles.
“The order process was a real pleasure,” Andy told me. “I basically e-mailed Speedvagen expressing my interest for a frame and they walked me through when their next Road Machine run would be. I thought about it briefly and then laid down a deposit to lock my spot in. Ride quality? Stupidly good. I was slightly concerned about the fit due to the integrated seatpost and not being able to get fitted up in person but Sacha was confident in his measurements and the whole bike fits like a glove.”
Andy was full of praise for Speedvagen’s work: “The actual ride is super nice. Being a steel frame it has all the ride characteristics you’d expect, just amplified. I imagine the bent seat stays would have something to do with this but the ride is very comfortable for long rides. I rode a loop around Bright, Mt Hotham and Mt Buffalo a few weeks back (190kms, 3,400m, 12 hours) and I felt the most comfortable on a bike as I’d ever had. It’s super solid on the descents too which is fantastic!”
It’s a looker, too. Andy built up the Road Machine with a SRAM Force group set, topped with Busyman Bicycle‘s exceptional custom upholstery. See more on Andy’s Flickr page. He also photographed Jay’s Zukas cyclocross machine for the 2014 The Spoken Custom Bicycle Calendar.
