Possibly the nicest bike I’ve ever seen…

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My mate rolled up on this today.
Now this guy is a big road rider, has been for years, and I had no idea he had an inkling for a hand made steel bike. I don’t ever really lust after bikes, but steel, and the most incredible paint job I’ve ever seen, it is a work of art.
Very pleased for him, and I’m once again looking at light weight steel.
Feather Cycles

I concur, that is all sorts of right.

Lovely looking bike!

Yes, Feather were always some of the standout bikes at every Bespoke show in Bristol.  Beautiful bikes, outstanding attention to detail.

Oh my word, that is gorgeous.

Nah. Looks heavy. There’s something about steel frames that just doesn’t look right compared to a sculpted carbon frame.

Not getting the stem at all.

The colours are to match his helmet?!

So it’s not quite doing it for me

I accept that steel bikes look great and there some great craft there

Very nice – stem notwithstanding

no – stem looks really weird.

Feather bikes are absolutely lovely. He’s a top guy as well.

Stem is fugly, and it’s a cockpit so a minus mark there, top tube slopes upwards so it’s not my idea of nicest ever. Long cage gear mech is never going to win any prizes for aesthetics too.

I have a hankering that you may well have had a malapriapism 🙂

After chatting to Ricky and seeing his beautiful bikes in the flesh at Bespoked in Manchester, I’ve finally committed, paid the deposit and joined the build queue. I’ve got 6 months to decide on the paint job…not easy!

That reminds me quite a lot of this ISEN

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I like a steel road bike, indeed I own a steel road bike, but that stem is minging, deep dish wheels never really suit steel frames and I’m not mad on that paint job.

6/10

Reminds me of an Enigma

https://www.enigmabikes.com/collections/signature-bikes

It’s alright. Just looks like a metal road bike. They all look the same really.

I love a metal road bike, don’t know why really. The sculpted lines of a carbon fibre frame are just so boring, I suppose because they are everywhere (including my bikes). Stem looks fine in the flesh, and the whole build looks perfect up close.
It’s not heavy, weighs about the same as my carbon fibre bike with the same groupo, and similar wheels. The roads round here are so shit though, I imagine it will be a great ride.

Is it made out of marmite.?

Seems to be belugabob, TBF though I’ve not been to bespoked or anything, so to see a bike like this is not an everyday occurrence.

Pretty average looking bike with a **** awful stem. How can anyone who cares about what their bike looks like (which guessing they do in this case with the expense they have gone to) put that awful stem on it.
Seat doesn’t look that good on it either but that may well be their favourite seat so give them that one.

Looks old fashioned to me

Frame looks lovely OP,  don’t know if that’s your mate’s actual build but I think it’s just the seat position and that long stem that make it look slightly odd, it’s like it’s configured to punish a 5’9″ bloke with unwarranted short man syndrome, for not being taller…

Echo the stem thoughts. Needs to match the tube diameter/shape for me.

But it isn’t for me, custom bikes need to please 1 person.

I’ve got a pal who has a Feather.  Waited ages for it to be made, but it is beautiful.

Pleased for your mate and hope he enjoys it, though I am also not keen on that stem.

I’ve mulled similar things over in the past but decided a while ago that anything slightly bespoke, super expensive or emotionally valuable to me will probably stress me out more than it would relax me- I already obsess about damage, theft, wear and tear too much on my off-the-peg and completely average carbon Giant TCR. I don’t think I could relax for a minute riding around on a bike like that in OP.

Nice but not the nicest ive ever seen

As said the stem dosent suit the bike, also for me the bottom headset cup stands out, why have an internal top cup and a external bottom? would look better with the top and bottom cups being internal (this bothered me on my old Planet X Tempest)

Also carbon bottle cages? would look better with some King Cage bottle cages

Looks old fashioned to me

It’s a steel road bike. I love the frame and paintwork, but that stem is horrible.

That isen is nicer looking. But rim brakes make a nicer bike.

Not sure what are really average looking brake bridge of a Curtis is bringing to the table?

As said the stem dosent suit the bike, also for me the bottom headset cup stands out, why have an internal top cup and a external bottom? would look better with the top and bottom cups being internal (this bothered me on my old Planet X Tempest)

Also carbon bottle cages? would look better with some King Cage bottle cages

it’s pretty standard to have a 44mm ID straight HT on a metal road bike.  Tapered metal HT look odd, especially on steel, but often on Ti too.  Personally, I’d probably have specified a Matte mango bottom cup and red top, to blend with the frame.

Agreed on the bottle cages, they should’ve been king steel cages sprayer to match the frame.

My personal opinion is that the frame is beautiful as is the paint job, disc brakes are fine aesthetically and the wheels for that frame are the perfect depth.

The stem though, I understand the rationale behind it, wanting to hide all the cables, but it’s not something I’d have.

I imagine it is an absolute pleasure to ride and hope the owner enjoys it for many years.

My personal opinion is that the frame is beautiful as is the paint job, disc brakes are fine aesthetically and the wheels for that frame are the perfect depth.

I have no issue with disk brakes but if you compare like for like a non disk road bike is more elegant

That Feather up there is gorgeous! I hope the owner has many long and happy rides on it….

This is my Isen Classic Road. Chosen because I wanted a traditional looking skinny tubed road bike but with modern components. I especially love the paint, it looks like sunset at the moment just before it is dark.

It’s not the lightest and it’s not the fastest but that doesn’t matter to me. You probably don’t like what parts I’ve got on it. It is, however, mine. It makes me smile every time I see it and I love riding it. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

Top tube does appear to slope down at the back – but isn’t at 45 degrees. Paint job looks seriously impressive. I’m not keen on the look of the stem or internal cable routing. However, it isn’t my bike and it does looks nice, just needs the stem sorted really! 😉

For an off the shelf steel road bike the Mason Resolution looks pretty good. Wide tyre clearance, hidden mud guard mounts and still light at 1600g (according to a review)so assuming frame set at 2kg or so.

Not sure what I was expecting on opening this but it sure wasn’t a road bike.

This place has changed.

Sorry Speeder, if I see a fancy paint job on a mountain bike I wince inside thinking how badly I would ruin it.
Saying that I’m crashing on all my bikes.
Edit- I’m also talking about seeing a bike in the flesh- and in this case in the sun after a couple of Guinness after a ride, feeling pretty happy.
I’ve never seen a ‘Bespoked’ type hand sprayed custom frame in the flesh before, road or mountain bike.

Not my favourite, sorry. Not a fan of fade paint schemes, don’t like the stem or the seat post, or the tan wall tyres. Plus, it’s a road bike and they all look the same anyway.

Bike looks nice, but having your kids names and dates of birthday on it is just weird.