At first glance, this road bike from Silk Cycles seems to have to many tubes. Upon closer inspection however, I quickly realized the engineering work at hand here. The bike is a full size folder, and an elegantly designed one at that.
See just how the bike breaks down on the other side, plus a wild steampunk build from Donkelope…
With the rear saddle bag removed, you gain access to a pin in the frame that allows for disassembly.
The rear triangle swings around on the bottom bracket.
This oddly placed QR is anything but, as it is designed to hold the wheel once the bike is folded. The gap in the custom made bottle holder allows for the tire to pass through.
The bottom bracket hinge sits just above the BB shell.
This was easily one of the most innovative and well designed bikes on the show floor.
Donkelope
On hand in the Donkelope booth was an inspiring mix of the old and new dubbed the Steampunk Bike. This bike houses hydraulic disc brakes, Alfine Di2, and very special headlight within the classic aesthetic.
The custom brake line is from the auto parts store, and was hand bent. That vintage headlight isn’t so vintage anymore. The inndards have been gutted in favor of an LED retrofit.
The guts were taken from a Busch and Muller light, and it’s powered by a front generator hub.
The unique fender mounts are some of my favorite of any custom.
In keeping with the Steampunk theme, the headtube was covered in brass and then distressed in places.
Donkelope had a bike a bit more on the normal side on display as well. This S & S coupled touring rig was good example of the work that comes from the shop on a regular basis.
Custom made front and rear racks were fitted. The lower “low rider” portion of the front rack is removable for those times when a smaller bag is all you need.
