Marc-André's Black Mountain La Cabra
This is a frame which was brought to us by Marc-André, who wanted a very specific build. Black Mountain Cycles are a shop in Point Reyes Station, California. It's a small town not too far North of San Francisco on Highway One, with lovely galleries, ice cream, and this manufacturer within view of the Black Mountain. They design really particular frames which I can only describe as "What if a road bike could mountain-bike". It's a really fun idea but makes it a little more difficult to build the complete bike. There's not a lot of leeway on which components work with the frame, and together. Honestly, I appreciate their philosophy both as a company and in the way they choose to make bikes. This build wound up being really appropriate to the kind of trail riding Marc-André does, and has zero compromises. We've got Shimano GRX on the drivetrain, with a small mountain-bike crank and a wide-range cassette, superb wheels from DT Swiss (handbuilt by us), and lots of winning Ritchey WCS bits to fill it out. There's no other way to say it: this bike absolutely rips. It's meant to be very stable climbing at low speeds and descending quickly on rough gravel trails.
A beautiful made-to-order Panasonic road bike
Local rider Terry came to us with this gorgeous, brand new Panasonic road-bike frame, welded just for him through Panasonic's famous made-to-order framebuilding system. Check out the factory visit in the video below, it's super cool! For those who don't know, yes this is the same Panasonic that's made batteries, turntables, etc you've encountered before. They also happen to be a huge domestic bicycle manufacturer in Japan, mostly under the brand name "National". Since the 80's they've had an impressive ordering system for specifying your frame model, sizing, and colours. This bike came to us as a frame and Campy groupset, and we supplied the rest of the components, along with our usually thorough assembly. The nice, fast Campagnolo wheels go perfectly with the drivetrain, while the classic-looking components we're known for really tie the bike together. Note especially the Cinelli Giro d'Italia handlebar with Nitto stem, a typical Italy-Japan mix like we've always loved. Terry borrowed one of our loaner saddles to try it out, which you can see in these pictures. See below for pictures of the details, and don't forget to open the images in a new tab to really zoom in! We're thrilled we got a chance to help you build your dream bike, Terry! Happy riding.
Miyata Flat Bar Conversion
If you only know about us from our Socials, it might seem like we’re constantly and exclusively churning out ultra-fancy brand-spankin’ new builds left and right. Though that may not technically be wrong, our real bread n’ butter is keeping decades old machines riding smooth, with everything from minor tweaks to a part upgrade to a full-bore rebuild. One recurring job is the flat-bar conversion. Come in to either C&L location and you’ll see racks of handlebar options, because we believe it’s one of the most important parts that determine how your bike rides and feels! Over the years, we’ve swapped tons of ill-fitted drop bars for wider, comfier flat or upright bars. Drop bars have their place, no doubt. But riding around the city with an imitation race bike fit so commonly found with road bikes is bound to be downright unpleasant for most people after a while. We’ll be occasionally highlighting a few favourite bar swaps from here on out! The story we know of this Miyata Triple Cross starts with a somewhat aggro cockpit comprised of a long stem and narrow, deep drop bars. Florence, wanting to tap into the then-nascent gravel bike craze, requested an adaptation of a very suitable candidate for the job. A quick stem and handlebar replacement and gearing down to a 1x drivetrain did the trick! Fast forward a few years to this summer, Florence came back for it's next transformation: Townie Mode. Same Velo Orange stem, but now with a Velo Orange Curvy handlebar for even more comfort and control on everyday rides. ESI silicone grips add some extra comfort. #savethetriplecrank We know how Bill and Simon feel about triples. They’re great and add a ton of versatility to an already very capable bike. Off with the 1x crank and back with the triple! Smooth friction shifting is provided by Shimano bar-end shifters mounted on Rivendell Silver shifter mounts. Tektro FL540 brake levers and the original Shimano 200CX cantilevers supply the stoppage. Funny enough, this bike has pretty much fully circled back to it’s semi-original state, per the 1992 Miyata catalogue: Though I’m sure Florence is as glad as I am that straight narrow bars get to stay in the past. Photos by Troy
Jamie's Claud Butler rebuild
Jamie brought us this bike for a swap from drops to an upright handlebar. It's a common conversion for us, but we also loved the backstory about and the end result! Here's what Jamie had to say: It was my dad’s bike that he rode from Birmingham to Rome and back in 1992. Before that, he’d done several long tours through France and Spain, but this was his last big trip before I was born the following year. The bike had been sitting in the shed ever since, and I’ve wanted to fix it up for years. For the restoration, my main priority was comfort for riding around Montreal, which is why I opted for swept-back handlebars. I did consider keeping the drop bars for the sake of preserving the original look, but I’ve never liked drops so it didn’t make sense for me. Overall, my philosophy was to do the bike justice—choosing quality components where needed while keeping as much of the original as possible. I was adamant about keeping the old seat even though it’s a bit tattered. When I eventually go on a longer tour, I like the idea of sitting on the same seat my dad used all those years ago. Photos by Troy
Adam’s Bianchi Boardwalk
While not a bike we assembled, Adam submitted the story behind and photos of his Bianchi Boardwalk because he sourced so many parts from our web store. We're thrilled to be able to support cyclists around Canada and abroad with parts for projects like this, and we think this one fits our build vibe just right and turned out great! This bike has been with me for a little over 5 years now, though the only things it has in common with the bike I rode home that first day are the frame and seatpost. Year after year, it’s been the subject of never-ending tinkering and part swapping. I’ve done my best to avoid filling my apartment with bikes, and as a result this Bianchi has had to take on a lot of roles. From weekly farmers’ market pick-ups and party-pace cruises to get ice cream, to long days on rolling back roads of Nova Scotia and overnight bikepacking trips, this Bianchi is down for it all. While I hesitate to ever call a bike ‘finished,’ there isn’t much that this bike leaves me wanting (except maybe a dynamo light setup…). Without further ado, let’s dive into this bike: Wheels Velocity A23 rims laced to Velo Orange hubs, wrapped with Ultradynamico Cavas. If you squint your eyes, this wheelset looks pretty similar to what the Boardwalk came with stock – 700x38 tanwalls and all-silver wheels. Where they differ is the sealed cartridge bearings, supple sidewalls, and the flat-free convenience & comfort of tubeless. The Cavas are particularly nice for rides that start on asphalt and end up on gravel. Drivetrain New Albion Crankset: Nothing really flashy here, this crankset is made from the same mold as the Sugino XD2 according to Rivendell. Brass self-extracting dust caps play nicely with the brass bell up top. 46-34 chainrings give about as much range as I could ever need on this bike. MKS Pedals: These are some nifty hybrid pedals that take a TIME ATAC cleat. The self-cleaning interface is nice for muddy or snowy rides. These pedals also always ‘hang’ the same way, so knowing which way to flip them for flats or clips becomes second nature. Shimano parts-bin front derailleur: One of the last original parts was an Alivio 3x front derailleur, which I could make to work, but was never quite right. It also always interfered with the rear fender. No such drama from this 105 derailleur. Shimano RD M786 rear derailleur: Probably the most modern-looking thing on this whole bike. It’s a 10-speed mountain derailleur on a hanger extender, shifting an 11-speed, 11-42 cassette. Thanks to friction, it works – no muss, no fuss. The clutch is a nice-to-have feature that keeps things a little quieter and leaves a few less chips in my chainstays. Rivendell Silver Shifters + Gevenalle Audax Pods: These shift levers were one of the first things I updated on this bike, and they’re still here today. Though they’re stated to be compatible with 8, 9 or 10 speeds, the Gevenalle mount allows them to have a little more ‘throw’ than they normally get in a bar-end. Infinite compatibility and simplicity make them a delight to ride with – free yourself from the tyranny of groupsets and indexing! Braking Tektro CR-720 Cantilevers: I think these have been unfortunately discontinued, which is a shame (Truly - C&L). If they ever need to go, Dia Compe has me covered (Long Live Dia-Compe! - C&L). Tektro RD-340 Levers: Most of Gevenalle’s brake/shift combos are based on these levers from Tektro. They’re more suited to modern bars than vintage aero levers, with a bit more of a platform for your hands. Hangers: Nitto front and rear – elegant, sensible, functional. Cockpit Nitto FW-33 stem: 4-bolt faceplate makes for great holding power on rides where I’m decidedly under-biked. As the Boardwalk has a pretty short head tube, I actually had the stem cut down to get the right fit. Nitto Dirt Drop RM013 handlebar: A little more flare than the randonneur models, and a little closer to ‘modern’ compact bar shape. When positioned correctly, the ‘HEAT TREATED’ sticker will advise the rider to ‘EAT TREAT.’ Crane ENE Bell: A lovely, polite ding that sits comfortably on the bars & doesn’t get in the way of anything strapped to the bars. Brooks C15 Carved Saddle: I rode with a C17 for a while, but ultimately found it a little wide for how ‘forward’ my position on the bike was. Someday I might give one of the leather models a go, but the durability and ambivalence to water makes the Cambium line very easy to live with. Original seatpost, 26.6mm: Probably a Kalloy. Thankfully haven’t really had a need to replace this, since 26.6mm seatposts are few and far between (Thompson has one, but only in black). Fenders & Rack Velo Orange Hammered Fenders, 45mm: Great coverage and having most of the holes pre-drilled made installation relatively straightforward. There have been a few adjustments over time to dial the fit in, but they’re rock-solid and quiet. Dents and scrapes blend into the hammered finish as well – a nice bonus for a bike that spends as much time in the city as the country. Nitto M12 Rack: A great size for carrying a dry bag, supporting a handlebar bag, or strapping a tin of baked goods to. Also provides a bonus fender mount for a little extra security for full-coverage fenders, as well as threaded mounts for lights. Odds & Ends King Cage bottle cages: Great hold, good looks. Friendship Bracelet: for good vibes Though the tires that came spec’d on the Boardwalk were 38s, I’ve had the chainstays dimpled to more comfortably clear a tire, fender, and any mud that might show up. That’s it! I love that this bike has become a mix of old looks, and new functionality.
Ben's Schwinn Voyager
Way back when, before the days of Bassi, Rivendell, Soma, Tanglefoot, and other shiny frames we build up these days, C&L and its predecessor Vélo Villeneuve specialized in putting together bikes with used, pre-loved, or vintage frames. We still get the opportunity to do so these days, and they always end up being special projects with sentimental value. That was very much the case for Ben, who had a very clear direction with a Schwinn Voyageur frame he’d been hunting down for years and finally got his hands on in his size. A deep dive Bike Forums user’s build was used as the starting point and inspiration. The frame was clean, but Ben needed some eyelets added for a front rack that’d meet his needs. A framebuilder in Portland, Oregon, Mark Gugielmana took care of those, and made him a beautiful custom rack to boot! We then had the fork powdercoated as close as possible to the frame, and the result is a stunning and unique front end. A build of this class needed all the right bits to hearken its 80s rando greatness. We set Ben up with non-aero drillium levers from Dia-Compe, friction micro-ratchet bar-end shifting courtesy of Rivendell’s Suntour-via-Dia-Compe Silver2 project, a wide range of gearing using their crankset and nearly new-old-stock Shimano Deore derailleurs, a powerful polished silver dynamo headlight, the B&M IQ-XS, cotton bartape, and Honjo aluminium fenders. We’re thrilled with the result, and we think Ben is too! This frame is 37 years old, and with this thoughtful rebuild we expect it to carry on for at least another 37 more! Build Spec 1987 Schwinn Voyageur Frame & Fork, Emerald Green, 25” Tange Levin Headset, Steel IRD Tenacity Bottom Bracket Rivendell Silver Triple Crank Wipperman 808 Chain NOS Shimano 600 Rear Hub Shutter Precision Front Hub H Plus Son TB14 Rims Rene Herse Bon Jon Pass Tires Dia-Compe DC202H Brake Levers Dia-Compe 980EX Cantilever Brakes Rivendell Silver2 Shifters mounted to Bar-End Pods NOS Shimano Deore Derailers Nitto Grand Rando Handlebar Nitto Technomic Stem Newbaum’s Cushioned Cotton Bartape Brooks B17 Special Saddle Honjo H1 Fenders Nitto x Rivendell 33R Big Back Rack B&M IQ-XS Headlight Photos by Troy Biliski
Stéphane's Ritchey Outback
Featuring a shiny parts list and some classic Ritchey styling, this Outback is fit for just about anything! Stéphane wanted something that would be at home on fast road rides, gravel rides, the occasionnal bikepacking trip and everything in between. Gearing choice was thus one of the finer points that was discussed when planning the build. We opted for 2x10, 42/26 x 11-32, gearing for maximum range while keeping the gaps between gears relatively small. White Industry's VBC crank and chainrings provide the ability to choose each chainring individually to fine-tune the desired ratio. Classic Ritchey stylings include the hourglass-shaped headtube and seattube cluster. Dreamy! Equal's made-in-Japan Growtac brakes provide powerful stoppage. Oh BTW, C&L Cycle is a Canadian distributor! Hit us up if you're interested. Every decision was made with versatility in mind, and we think this spec truly does the frame justice! Photos by Troy @killiskii
Hugo's Sim Works Doppo High Plains Drifter
We've built some pretty intricate and fancy bikes for Hugo in the past, but this one takes the cake! The High Plains Drifter is Sim Works' ode to the early klunker days of off-road cycling, but with a few modern touches. Disc brakes, thru-axles, rocking dropouts and dropper posts seem like futuristic tech compared to the ATBs of old. Hugo decided to keep it classy with a mostly silver build featuring vintage XT derailleurs, cable-actuated brakes and... a leather saddle! With a nifty Problem Solvers clamp, and lots of deliberation, we were able to set up a 2x drivetrain when the frame is only designed to take 1x. We certainly see lots of off-road cruising in this Doppo's future! Photos by Troy
Pietro's Singular Peregrine
Singular describes their Peregrine frameset, their longest-running model, as a bike that takes "big wheels and put them in a classically styled, lugged construction frame". This concern for classic aesthetics along with modern sensibilities really resonates with us, so this build came naturally when Pietro brought in his frameset and got the discussion about how to build it started. After some back and forth with the goal of making a forever bike for him that'd be happy on all road surfaces - with handy features like a rando rack and dynamo lighting - we got to this wonderful configuration. A healthy mix of silver and black parts, forever-proof 9-speed transmission with friction shifting, wide range gearing to get Pietro up any hill, and a focus on comfort made this a joy to build, and we're sure a joy to ride too! Build Spec Singular Peregrine MK3 frameset Dia-Compe CB-2 headset Easton EA90 crank with 46/30 AX Gravel chainrings SunRace CSM980 11-40 9-speed cassette DT 350 Classic rear hub Schmidt Original Nabendynamo SON28 front dynamo hub, wired to an Edelux II light Velocity Blunt SS rims Rene Herse Umtanum Ridge Endurance tires, set up tubeless Rivendell Silver2 bar-end shifters Microshift R9 front derailleur Microshift R10 rear derailleur TRP RRL brake levers Paul Klamper brake calipers Nitto UI-25 stem Salsa Cowchipper Deluxe handlebar, 48cm Brooks Cambium Rubber handlebar tape Nitto S65 seatpost Brooks B17 Special Titanium saddle Nitto M18 front rack Pics by Jean-Daniel @devolution514
Francis' Pandemic 'Noni MTB
Francis came to us to build one of the very last Marinoni mountain bikes ever made. Now, about a year later, he came back to pick up a pair of MKS Beartrap pedals. We love how this one is starting to show signs of wear!
Richard's tout-terrain Ogre
Richard has been bringing his Kona Humuhumu that’s been through the pits of hell and back a few times to the shop for a while now. Anybody that’s seen/worked on that bike knows that he doesn’t go easy on his equipment but will do anything to keep it rolling! So when he came to us to build this surly Ogre this past summer, we knew he’d go for a no-nonsense, built-to-last spec. Pics by @Jochhoo
Zig-Zag Deluxe
Open the pictures in a new tab to see larger versions Éric, a colleague of our beloved Sam M. from his other gig, reached out this spring to get a road bike. His only request? Something that would last a lifetime, with components of the utmost quality. Luckily, Sam is an expert in quality and guided him in his choices so that everything would be just so, aesthetically and functionally. He steered him towards the All-City Zig-Zag, a road frame with plenty of tire clearance, a carbon Whisky fork, and a lightweight but stiff tubeset. Orange and red highlights are everywhere, from the fancy bits like the White Industries crank cap and Paul brake pad adjusters to the matchy-matchy valve caps and cable ends. The result is a dreamy bike that rides like a cloud and looks like an autumn day in the countryside. It's not every day that we build a high end road bike, but when we do you can count on us to do so competently and tastefully. Our priorities in this kind of custom assembly are largely informed by our preferences in touring bikes and city bikes - durability and comfort have got to be a priority. The Zig-Zag was an excellent candidate here because of its tire clearance. Gone are the days of 25mm maximum width tires. Quebec countryside roads, with their nefarious rough surfaces, call for the extra cushion these 35mm Soma Shikoros. Along with a comprehensive M.U.S.A. component kit, a wide gear range for climbing or descending anything that might tempt Éric, and a bombproof handbuilt wheelset, this bike should outlive and outlast ninety-nine percent of off-the-shelf road bikes sold in 2021. Catch this fireball rolling through the country, and until then, enjoy the photoset below! Specs All-City Zig-Zag frameset White Industries headset White Industries bottom bracket White Industries R30 crank, 48/32 chainrings MKS Gamma pedals SRAM Force22 and Rival22 drivetrain Paul Klamper brakes White Industries CLD hubs Sapim Race spokes HPLUSSON Hydra rims Soma Shikoro tires Sim Works Anna Lee Stem Sim Works Marcella handlebar Fizik Terra bartape Sim Works Beatnik seatpost Brooks C15 Carved saddle Atwater Booty Bag Deluxe pics by @jochhoo