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Deep Blue 650b: Elisha’s Chapman Cycles All-Road Bike

Deep Blue 650b: Elisha's Chapman Cycles All-Road Bike

Rhode Island’s Brian Chapman is one of a now elite group of American frame builders who still persevere in creating a wholly custom style of bespoke bicycles. Each is a one-off, completely specific to each customer, and the latest is this 650b all-roader for Elisha.

Deep Blue 650b: Elisha's Chapman Cycles All-Road Bike

Elisha originally asked Brian about a road bike with 3″tire clearances, which is somewhat unobtainable with a standard bottom bracket and chainstays, but a compromise was reached with a 2.35″ tire.

Deep Blue 650b: Elisha's Chapman Cycles All-Road Bike

Brian set to work, building a frame that was a bit of a departure from his customary fare of classically-styled randonneurs and tourers. It’s a small 38cm frame with a 73° seat tube, a 71.5° head tube, and a 58mm offset. All of this with zero toe overlap.

Deep Blue 650b: Elisha's Chapman Cycles All-Road Bike

Elisha had a Shimano Ultegra groupset available to install onto the fillet brazed frame, effectively adding the road back into ‘all-road’, although Brian had to replace the front derailleur with a Shimano 105 unit to get the chain over the 42-28t chainrings.

Deep Blue 650b: Elisha's Chapman Cycles All-Road Bike

The frame was constructed from a mix of Reynolds and True Temper tubes. Pacenti’s legendary MTB crown was married to a pair of disc-friendly fork blades, and Paragon’s low disc mount rear dropouts were used at the rear axle.

Deep Blue 650b: Elisha's Chapman Cycles All-Road Bike

The wheels consist of Velocity Blunt rims and Onyx Racing Products hubs, which feature a silent instant engagement freehub. Needless to say, Elisha will feel completely at one with nature when she’s rolling quickly and quietly through her local trails.

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Deep Blue 650b: Elisha's Chapman Cycles All-Road Bike