This is the second bike Saffron Frameworks has built for Rad, and it’s very similar to the first, which was unfortunately stolen a couple of years ago, but not before it had won Best Utility Bicycle at the 2013 Bespoked show.
Rad wanted a reiteration of the first — but a new, better version of it. The first was a lime green but the second is a mesmerisingly splendid machine in British Racing Green with mirror-polished hand-finished stainless steel lugs.
Saffron’s Matthew Sowter built the frame out of a mixed Columbus tube set before going to work on the lugs, and didn’t stop at the head badge. Like the first butcher’s bike, the geometry is relaxed, is fully fendered and sports both front and rear racks.
This is a bike built for year-round commuting — in every grade of English weather, from sunny summers to wild winters. An 11-speed internal Alfine rear hub assures reliable shifting regardless of what the barometer is reading.
It’s a quintessentially British bike, sporting a healthy dose of Brooks leather, but there’s also a nod to the Californian cousins: Paul Components cranks and their Royal Flush chainring add a touch of Casino Royale touch to this royal ride.
The classically-styled brakes are from Compass Cycles, and Matthew fabricated a custom stem with integrated cable hanger for them. There’s even a spring to dampen the steering when the bike’s on the stand: try finding that detail on a bike at your LBS.