Last weekend I popped on down to London town to have a look around Bespoked, the handmade bike show. So I thought I’d compile my favourite bits and bobs from Bespoked into a newsletter for y’all.

Cotic 22.2mm all-the-way handlebars

For those of you not massively au fait with handlebar stats, 22.2mm is the diameter that your handlebars are at their narrowest parts. In other words, where you clamp your brake levers, shifters, grips and stuff. Usually handlebars bulge in the middle where they clamp into the stem (25.4mm, 31.8mm, 35mm etc). These new prototype bars from Cotic stay at 22.2mm for whole thang. Why? Principally to enable super short stems but also to offer a ride feel that Cy from Cotic described as “the most steel feeling thing ever”. Much like a lot (all?) of the stuff at Bespoked, it’s not for everyone but it’s great to see niches being filled thoughtfully.

Medusa Cycles Brassica 27.5

Very much my personal pick of the whole show, this super lovely 27.5in wheel Brassica from Manchester’s Medusa Cycles. What’s so good about it? Everything. As well as just being extremely pretty, it looks like the sort of bicycle that will just be really, really nice to ride around on. Friendly. Fun. Cool. And 100 bonus points to Peter at Medusa for also fabricating the fork too. We’ll be hopefully running a feature in the next issue of the mag about Medusa Cycles.

TJD FS BMX

Try to ignore the quad-bike tyres for a moment and marvel at the ‘do you know what? It makes sense’ design of a full-suspension BMX. Speaking as someone who last rode a BMX (a lot) in 1992, adding a bit of joint-saving cush to a modern geometry BMX strongly appeals. Designed to run pretty much as a zero-sag design, this bike from TJD boss Ted James should ride pretty much like a regular BMX in terms of directness but should take the sting out of landings. I must not make further inquiries into this bike. It won’t end well.

G3ared 3-speed crankset

Who remembers the SRAM/Truvativ Hammerschmidt of the noughties? How about Sturmey Archer of the post-war period? This is neither. Whilst in its current guise it doesn’t really look up to the rigours of mountain biking – especially in the UK – it is still an impressive bit of design and manufacture. Basically it’s an internal gear crankset with three speeds. You could use it like a front mech (remember those?) in conjunction with a rear mech and have a mahoosive range of gears. Or you could use it with a belt or singlespeed chain and run it as a 3-speeder.

Pashley paint

There’s not a whole lot I can extrapolate about this. It’s simply a really, really nicely paintjob! Whilst we’re talking about Pashley, we’re currently looking into the logistics of visiting the Pashley factory in Stratford-Upon-Avon to see one of the absolute classics of British bicycles being made. And hopefully ridden by us. Fingers crossed.

Upside-down Wren

One of the best aspects of going to slightly alt. shows like Bespoked is that amidst all the skinny tubed steel bikes you come across components that you never knew existed. Take this inverted fork from Wren. Here on this Stout Cycle Hrok it’s being used pretty much because it’s one of the few suspension forks that can accept a 32in wheel, but it’s a product that I’d be keen to get in to have a go on any size wheel MTB.

Big Sam

If any bike brand suits 32in wheels it’s Singular Cycles. Here’s Sam from SIngular Cycles with his latest pride and joy, the titanium Pterodactyl. 200 bonus points to Sam for the ruby red to silver fade paintjob, mainly because it reminds me of a mid-90s Kona Kilaeua that I used to have and race stupid 24hr events on.

The Isla Strikes Back

After wrapping up the previous incarnation of Islabikes recently, Isla herself has returned to the bike scene with a typically well thought through, zero compromise bicycle. Called the Rosetta – named after Sister Rosetta Tharpe, one of the often forgotten creators of rock & roll – this bike is kind of like a gravel bike but done by Isla Rowntree. So there’s that familiar blend of function and helpful performance where it matters and no extraneous tech.