Zig-Zag Deluxe

13 Jul 2021

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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.