Lessons

Lessons frame on display in front of brick wall

All dreams start somewhere,Lessons

Lessons

An all-road bicycle that could handle a daily commute in rain-soaked upstate New York and spend hours on gravel roads of my new home in Richmond.

Inspiration

This bicycle is called Lessons. I thought of the name the thirteenth time or so I walked into my kitchen, sighed deeply, then optimistically said, "Well I learned another valuable lesson." Perhaps the biggest lesson building this bicycle has taught me is gratitude in the opportunity to pursue this crazy dream. I have fallen so in love with this process that each misstep along the way didn't lead to frustration, but a lesson of how to improve and learn. For the first time in a heap of years, I'm creating something that I can hold, understand, and be proud of.

Design brief

The design brief for Lessons was for an all-road bicycle to handle a daily commute in rain-soaked upstate New York and spend hours on gravel roads in comfort and style. The bicycle can be mounted with a rear rack for paniers and full-length fenders. Tire clearance is a robust 700x47. Flat-mount brakes and thru-axles embrace current standards and provide safe, powerful braking and a stiff feel.

Build out details

The Columbus Futura Cross carbon fork keeps the front end light and stable. The 1x SRAM Rival drivetrain and groupset perfectly match the riding goals for the bicycle. The Hunt 4-season disc wheels shod with 700x42 Teravail Ramparts are set up tubeless and are fast and supple. Up front the 46mm Salsa Cowchipper provides comfort and stability in all terrain.

Gallery

Steel, bronze and flux Fully painted frame Lessons in its element The back end The seat tube cluster The bottom bracket cluster in raw detail Cassette and rear detail MCW logo Lessons from the front Lessons by the gorge Lessons and me

Fit and geometry

Four numbers establish your touchpoints around the bicycle. These measurements are the starting point for what makes a bicycle custom. From this starting place we can make educated decisions about the geometry of the bicycle in conjunction with the needs of the rider.

Custom measurements

Span Distance in mm
A - Saddle Height 804
B - Saddle Setback 83
C - Reach - BB to Handlebar 466
D - Stack Height - BB to Handlebar 667
diagram showing custom fit measurements in relation to frame

Frame geometry

Span Distance in mm
A - ST length 540
B - TT length 577
C - HT lenght 168
D - HT angle 71.5
E - ST angle 73
F - Chainstay length 435
G - Wheelbase 1052
H - BB drop 75
Diagram to show the different spans on the bicyle