Scott’s all-weather road bike

Scott asked me to build him a durable, low maintenance road bike that could be ridden year round in a place that gets proper seasons!

A belt drive bike with an internally geared hub was the obvious choice – we have a Gates Carbon Drive and a Shimano Alfine 11spd Di2 hub controlled from Ultegra Di2 shifters. This gives a wide range of gearing with a drivetrain that can be ridden in the rain or the dry without consideration for lubrication or cleaning.

Rather than having adjustable dropouts or an eccentric BB for belt tensioning, instead the frame was built with vertical dropouts set at the correct length for the right belt tension with the chosen ratios (if in the future a different ratio is desired, there are eccentric options for the T47 BB shell). There is a hidden bolt at the driveside dropout for splitting the chainstay for belt installation.

To fit the tapered steerer fork from No.6 Composites and give the desired aesthetic, there is a tapered headtube with an external cup Chris King headset. Full fenders, painted to match, from Portland Design Works, keep the rider – and thanks to the buddy flap – anyone riding behind them, dry.

The paint design was inspired by the VW Golf Harlequin and translated to the bike by Svelte Cycleworks. Colorworks undertook the excellent application of this design. The final weight with the fenders came in at 21.5lbs.

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