No matter how good something looks or how well we get along with a builder, before we take on a new custom bike brand, it's essential we have a bike of our own built. We need to understand their process from start to finish, and need to experience first hand how the bike proves itself out on the road. Despite the beauty and accolades, Prova was no exception. Today, we dive into Chad's personal Speciale. A mechanical rim brake bike, but by no means is this a "classic." This bike is as modern as it gets.
So many little pieces go into making the whole of a Prova. Some conventional, some not so much... The 3D printed seat clusters are custom designed to meet each bike's unique geometry needs. In the case of rim brake bikes, as was the case for Chad, Prova has some of the most unique and attractive dropouts, also custom 3D printed. While in the jig, a place holder seat tube is used until the bike is ready for the custom butted, hand wrapped carbon seatmast. All things executed by Hester with the utmost attention to detail.
All Provas are entirely custom. For Chad, the fit was based off two of his existing bikes, blending his favorite attributes of both. Mark has his theories on geometry, but he is of course open to the client's feedback. Chad is particular on how his bikes handle while descending, so Mark tweaked the geometry to nail the bike's high speed stability. The icing on the cake? Mark incorporates the rider's name into the serial number, which is embossed on one of the dropouts.
Once the fabrication is complete, it's time for paint. Mark sends the bikes to Steve Gardner, AKA Bikes by Steve, for the final finish work. Steve is truly a master at his craft and employs the same level of care to the paint as Mark does the build. Masking, spraying, sanding, buffing... no bike leaves the shop without every last inch examined under extreme scrutiny.
The end result is what you see here, an absolutely stunning piece of work. Beautiful, vibrant, and immaculate, but don't forget that it's not all about beauty. Every feature and every detail has an explicit purpose for maximizing the bike's performance.
For the contact points, Chad went with some of his favored Fizik components. A 00 Snake bar provides a comfortable shape with a classic deep shape while a custom painted R1 stem keeps the bike aesthetically cohesive. Being a custom Australian built bike, it was only fitting to commission a Busyman wrapped Fizik Antares.
Keeping things classic yet contemporary, Chad built the bike with a mechanical Campagnolo Super Record group. Hands down one of the best performing drivetrains on the market.
Considering the drive train, it seemed only fitting to pair with Campagnolo wheels. The build was a perfect chance to test the new WTO Bora 60s. For years, Boras have been amongst our favorite wheels. The latest WTO versions are better than ever.
The complete build is a superb machine. It's beautiful, it's unique, but above all else it performs like nothing else. Without any hesitation, the Prova Speciale easily passes the AC test. We're quite proud to have Prova Cycles now available in our line up. Remember, these bikes are rather limited and our available spots are filling up. If you've got a curiosity to have one built for yourself, we're here and happy to help!
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