A grandfather’s service, a childhood memory, and a love of riding come together in Zach’s one-of-a-kind Baum. This was certainly one of my favorite recent customer builds and with Fleet Week underway in San Francisco, it feels like a particularly fitting time to share the story behind it. What struck me most about Zach was how excited he was about the project and how much his grandfather meant to him. He had served aboard the USS Iowa during WWII, and Zach wanted to create something that honored both his service and the connection they shared. The colorways were inspired by the battleship itself, and then the Baum was finished with a series of custom details, including BB-61 worked into the design and “Anchors Aweigh” on the chainstay. It was a lot of fun bringing his idea to life and we hope you enjoy his story as much as we did. - Chad
Q&A with Zach Miller:
Q: Your grandfather was your “favorite person.” What was your relationship like, and what are some of the memories of him that have stayed with you over the years?
Zach: He was a bigger-than-life personality. We lived 5 minutes away from him in Tucson, so growing up I got to go on a lot of adventures with him. A lot of the time we spent together actually had to do with transportation. He was fascinated by cars, new and old. We spent hours looking through brochures, going to dealerships and test driving fancy cars. He also let me and my brother ride on the running boards of his old Oldsmobile like we were Al Capone's body guards. He taught me how to drive a stick shift and most importantly for this project, I learned how to ride a two wheel bike riding down his steep driveway!
But as a person, he had an infectious smile and was a friend to everyone he met. He confidently gave away free advice and counsel on almost any topic, whether you asked for it or not. He was funny, stubborn, curious, protective, bold, and the absolute center of gravity for his family and friends. He was very special.
Q: He was incredibly proud of his service aboard the USS Iowa (BB-61) and had hats made for each of his grandchildren. When you came across yours in the closet while thinking about the bike’s design, what went through your mind? How did that moment with the hat shape the bike’s color palette and overall direction?
Zach: Even before we landed on a Baum, I spent a lot of time looking at their prior builds because I found their esthetic incredibly clean and classic. But while there were dozens of amazing options, I didn't feel connected to any of them. As I was thinking about what to do, I looked into my closet and saw the USS Iowa hat my grandfather had given all his grandkids when we were young. The hat's Navy blue background and yellow lettering really popped and I instantly thought it would look great on a bike. I also really wanted to leave some of the frame in its raw form, not only because Darren's frames are so beautiful but I also wanted people who saw the bike to know it was titanium. The grey ship fit perfectly with this idea.
After seeing the hat, I was only ever going to build a blue, yellow and grey bike.
Q: The bike’s colors and typography are inspired by the USS Iowa. Were there particular details from the ship that you knew you wanted to carry over into the design?
Zach: The ship's Hull Number (BB-61) was always going to be a big part of the bike's design, as well as the font and typography that was on the original USS Iowa ship and hat. Chad and I worked through a few initial options and he reached out to Baum to get their thoughts. They couldn't have been more accommodating to our design, so much so that they allowed us to replace the Orbis+ model name with BB-61 in a Navy-style script. Not only does this make the bike incredibly special to me, but it looks so unique and stealthy. A true one-of-one.
Q: The chainstay carries “Anchors Aweigh,” a song you remember your grandfather singing to you. What do you remember about those moments, and why was it important to have those words on the bike?
Zach: We played around with putting an outline of the ship on the chainstay or one of the tubes, but that wound up being a little too complicated. I knew I wanted one more nod to the Iowa and I remembered the song my grandfather would sing to us when putting us to bed as kids. "Anchors Aweigh" was the 'unofficial' song of the US Navy but my grandfather had the tendency to ad lib most of the lyrics so I never really knew the real words, other than the iconic "Anchors Aweigh my boys, anchors aweigh." I always just thought that was my grandfather making up words about my brother and me. Turns out those were the only lyrics he didn't make up!
I always just thought that was my grandfather making up words about my brother and me. Turns out those were the only lyrics he didn’t make up.
Zach Miller
Q: You wanted to create something you could look down at while riding and feel motivated by. What does having your grandfather represented on the bike mean to you when you’re out riding?
Zach: It puts a smile on my face whenever I look down and see the BB-61 and think about what inspired the bike. The bike itself is always a joy to ride (thanks to Chad and Darren), but on those days when I don’t feel great, being reminded of my grandfather puts me in a really good mindset and reminds me to not take myself too seriously and just enjoy the ride. And on the days when I do feel great, it helps push me just a little bit further.
Q: This was your first Above Category bike. Was it also your first custom bike? What made you decide to work with Above Category, and what was the experience of bringing the idea from your head to a finished bike like?
Zach: This is my first custom bike, and I couldn't be more pleased with the entire experience. I popped into the store when we first moved to Mill Valley because I saw the dozens of bikes in the window and wanted to know everything about all of them. I started talking to Chad about cool local routes and trails and Chad's enthusiasm was totally infectious. When I decided to go in the direction of a custom bike, he was the only person I wanted to work with.
Q: Once you had the inspiration and overall design in mind, how did the rest of the build come together?
Zach: Given the variety of road and gravel routes accessible from Mill Valley, we narrowed our focus on a versatile build pretty quickly. I wanted something that would be punchy on pavement flats and climbs, but could also handle the fire roads of the headlands and Mt. Tam. We settled on the Orbis+ with a clean, classy integrated design. I wanted the bike to look fast and stealthy and at home anywhere in Marin, and the Orbis+ is that bike.
One aspect that leans heavily into the more modern, stealthy look are the handlebars, which I literally copied from one of Chad's bikes. Same with the Tune gravel wheels. The bike looks a little mean, which I love.
For a lot of the little details, Chad pushed me in the direction of a clean titanium/metal - though he presented me with other exotic options - to keep the smaller components in line with the overall aesthetic of the bike. I think that definitely was the right choice.
Q: You have two wheelsets and have been riding the bike on both road and gravel. How has the bike been to live with, and where do you find yourself riding it most?
Zach: Having two different wheelsets has been great. With the gravel tires it's been awesome to see what the bike is capable of on more unforgiving terrain. One of my favorite things to do is to ride up old railroad grade to the east peak of Tam and then take Panoramic Highway all the way down to Miller. It's impressive how well the bike does on those two very different types of terrain.
The road tires are similarly great to ride on and the bike handles exceptionally well. It feels very much like a purpose-built road bike, yet being able to switch back to gravel so seamlessly is very special.
Q: You recently moved to Mill Valley. How has having the bike, and having all this incredible riding right outside your door, changed the way you experience it?
Zach: It's been amazing. One of my favorite things to do is head out without a concrete plan and just get a little lost, finding new narrow steep roads and trails that I didn't know existed before I moved here.
I feel very lucky to be able to experience the beauty of Marin on a bike built to my exact specifications. It's the most fun I've ever had exercising, that's for sure!
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