To be displayed alongside several 29+ custom builds with outstanding and “out of this world” paint, Groovy Cycleworks will debut its long-awaited production version AccuSet Professional Level Frame Fixture.
BIKERUMOR: What are your main building materials?
RODY: One of my goals is to take the customer’s vision and bring it to fruition in house, from design to final assembly. To that end, we have the ability to work with Titanium, Steel, and Aluminum, giving a wide variety of material properties to work with.
BIKERUMOR: What’s new with your company since NAHBS last year?
RODY: The most important movement in the last year is completing the final steps to bringing our Professional Level Frame Fixture to production. Accuracy, repeat-ability, and access are three critical criteria that frame building tools must possess, and as such, were the focus of a 6 year development process that has led to the release of the AccuSet frame fixture, a tool that sets a new standard for professional level tooling. Driven by a desire to provide a tool that meets the needs of the individual fabricator as well as the production shop, this collaborative effort between cycling design master William Grove and Groovy Cycleworks will be making its debut as a production piece at this years NAHBS in Louisville. The AccuSet stands apart from other fixtures as it uses no linear rulers or scales, instead utilizing digital calipers on fixed datum points to set precise position settings. All axes move on sealed bearings driven by threaded tool rods, an adjustable bottom bracket tool post allows for a wide range of bottom bracket widths with minimal stand off height, full access to every joint with 360 degree rotation allow the frame to be fully constructed in the fixture for the highest level of precision with little to no post fabrication alignment necessary for the skilled tradesman. Stop by the Groovy booth and see why we’re excited…this is going to bring a higher standard to the hand built bicycle industry.
BIKERUMOR: Any killer custom bike builds in that time?
RODY: One of the builds that I enjoyed the most this past year was a 29+ Rohloff build I did for a customer in Arizona. It sports a steel frame and titanium components, inclusive of our one piece Luv Handle bar/stem combo, titanium Hot Rod cranks, and titanium Disco Stick seatpost. Velocity provided their Dualy rims in a nice polished finish so that I could apply a baked on ceramic finish to match the frame motif. He’s been thrilled to use this on the rocks of Sedona as the increased tire surface area has really improved his rock climbing ability.
BIKERUMOR: What were some of your newer inspirations for recent bikes?
RODY: I built another 29+ for a local customer that had no preconceived notions of what the final paint should look like, so I had free reign to play. I had always wanted to do a space themed finish, as the campy space comics from the 50’s were always speaking to me. I enjoyed the bright colors and the imagination of the artists in those pages. So I set off to do a finish that included a lunar landscape, star clusters with vivid planets, and a few friendly aliens running around. I would have liked to include so much more, but you can only fit so much on small round tubing. More pics can be seen on the NAHBS website (and from our Philly Bike Expo coverage).
BIKERUMOR: What are you building this year that’ll draw a crowd?
RODY: To some, a bicycle is more than just a transportation method, it is the culmination of the spirit they embrace. John is one of those customers. An avid surfer, it was his desire to leave the car behind and get to the beach on a bike that was the culmination of his lifestyle; classic styling, performance, and functionality. To that end, we began creating a bike that would bring his dream to fruition. Crafted of titanium, this cruiser styled bike features a custom titanium rack to carry his boards, handmade wood accents for the rims, fenders, belt guard and lights, belt drive Rohloff hub, and a custom octopus paint finish as a homage to the sea. A hand tooled leather saddle completes the build, with a personalized image of his surfing adventures. I’m hopeful that I was able to capture the spirit of the customer and what cycling and surfing mean to him.
BIKERUMOR: If you had to build a bike for a Kentucky Derby style race (think short, all out effort on deep, loose dirt), what would you build and why?
RODY: Hmmm…well, if it’s for the Kentucky Derby, horsepower has to be a priority, so I’d love to fab up a titanium 27.5+ wheeled tandem; plenty of power with two participants (like the jockey and the horse), just enough rubber to float on the track but not so large that it takes forever to spin up to speed, and a 1×6 drive train built on a single speed hub to keep the rear wheel dishless and strong. Finish it off with a big chainring that is meant for going fast and you’ll have one that has the winner’s circle in it’s sights.
BIKERUMOR: Bourbon or beer?
RODY: Chocolate Milk!
