cielo overlander
much like patrick mcgoohan in the prisoner, i live with geographical restrictions, the main difference being that mine are enforced voluntarily. it rarely ceases to amaze me the esteem in which islay is held by those who are not resident on the isle, for though i have enjoyed my 25 plus years of domicile and wild horses would not persuade me to depart, it does seem that the queen of the hebrides exerts a gravitational pull all of its own. and yes, i'm aware of there being eight particularly good reasons for which to visit.
however, in keeping with, it seems, most of the rest of the united kingdom, the road surfaces responsible for joining the villages and collections of houses across the isle are in what can only be termed a sorry state of repair. though the velo club are often asked how we fare midst so many potholes and broken road surfaces, in truth it is probably simpler for the bicycle rider to keep out of trouble than for those in their four-wheeled metal boxes. i know of one or two folks who have received hefty repair bills for attention to their suspension predominantly due to a constant pummelling on the daily route.
those eight days in december which constituted the festive 500 were less onerous because of the weather or extended distances, but far more for the road conditions that formed a part. cattle grids are an accepted part of pelotonic adventure, but waking up with aching arms after only two days on the road was something unexpected. and with a continuous round of government spending cuts, there's every likelihood that the solution to the problem will be a long time coming.
if only there were an appropriate bicycle to even out the rough edges, yet provide a lithe degree of versatility coupled with at least modest performance when required. any serious inroads into my average speed in the winter months would surely lessen the distances achievable before darkness falls. i can see one or two of you at the back shuffling nervously in your chairs, eager to proselytise the benefits of the mountain bike genre, but in truth, despite the roughness, i have no great desire for suspension, and a great many remind me of little more than farm gates with springs.
i want/need something with a bit of pizzazz in its step, and i believe the solution to that particular desire might be held within the confines of the cielo portion of the chris king plant in portland, oregon.
i am well-acquainted with not only the personnel in that particular cupboard, but also with the fruits of their labours, having owned a cielo sportif for the past three or so years. it has given no cause for grief of any sort, and a great deal of cause for celebration, such is its integrity of build and spriteliness of step. however, though tyres such as challenge's 27mm parig-roubaix will undoubtedly soften the blow, even the occasional off-road excursion might be less than favourable to its constitution.
hence the cielo overlander.
this is a machine of substance, leaning heavily on the developed componentry designs of chris king. though purchased as a frame and fork set, it includes an appropriate chris king tapered inset as part of the deal, cossetting the true temper custom drawn tapered steel steerer. and who amongst us would fit other than a chris king bottom bracket?
on the pre-production models shown at this year's north american handmade bicycle show in denver, and those currently under test, that bottom bracket shell exists at 73mm width, but cielo chief designer, jay sycip told me that the production version would almost defintely slim down to a more standard 68mm due to the limited dimensions of a single speed crank offered to those who wish to employ their overlander as a sturdy commuter, dispensing with the need for a front gear mech.
jay also mentioned that the fork crown, as seen in the accompanying photographs, would become more like that of the cielo sportif fork crown; less industrial, more aesthetic. the shape of the tubing and shape of the frame is most unlikely to alter prior to full, handbuilt production, though jay sycip thought that some tubes might be altered in internal profile or composition, and the chainstays might lengthen just a tad depending on the results of current testing.
it's notable that, at present, in order to accommodate hydraulic disc brakes, both models illustrated feature variations on the flat bar, though prototypes have been fashioned with road type levers on drop bars and cable operated discs. however, with at least sram reputed to be bringing hydraulic road/cross discs to market fairly soon, along with the formula models currently utilised on colnago's c59 disc, the options are there to offer a drop bar version with hydraulics. just as long as the potential purchaser has no real need of the speed offered by colnago.
for the overlander's middle name can be none other than versatile. jay sycip was keen to point out that, while it may superficially resemble the profile of a conventional xc mountain bike, in fact, the bottom bracket height was more akin to that of a road bike. added to that, the proposed increase in chainstay length will purposely to avoid the rider's heels hitting any panniers that might be attached to a rear rack when used for light or expedition style riding. the cielo overlander has to straddle the almost contradictory need of being athletic when unladen, yet offer unquestionable stability when festooned with front and rear racks and panniers, augmented with a bar bag.
even with the substantial girth of the tyres shown in the images, there is more than sufficient headroom to fit a pair of fenders/mudguards, though it would be nice if colour-co-ordinated originals could be offered at point of sale, should the purchaser be of a mind. this latter option, of course, ought easily to be accommodated, as cielo carry out all their paintwork in-house, with turnaround having improved recently due to dispensing with airbrushed/masked lettering and logos in favour of decals. "though it was a much vaunted feature of cielos until recently, in truth, there is little to visually distinguish between a painted logo and the simpler and quicker to apply decals." admiited sycip.
the price of an overlander frame, fork and chris king inset 8 is $1995 (£1300), a highly competitive price for one completely handbuilt and painted in portland, oregon. its versatility will allow it to be used for fast offroad riding across gravel and firetrack, fully-loaded or credit card touring, commuting over less than pristine roads, or simply ridden hard over endless cattle grids for the sheer hell of it. it can be specced with either cable or hydraulic discs, fat or thin tyres, and either derailleur or hub gears.
it seems evolution might just be the one making our choices for us.
sunday 24th march 2013
