We are pleased to unveil this beauty of a Baum. An Orbis to be exact. A disc equipped steed, teetering the line between an all-out road machine and an all-terrain shredder. Rather than trying to label what kind of category it falls into, I think we’ll just simply call it a bike. Albeit, an incredible one at that. A bicycle built for a gentleman with a passion for educating and supporting the fight against Cystic Fibrosis and with the goal of completing a century ride in every state. Jerry Cahill is extremely active within the CF community specifically with his involvement with the Boomer Esiason Foundation and has just recently completed the 5th Annual Bike to Breathe across the Midwest. Jerry’s commitment within the CF community has been inspiring. It’s great to see someone with his passion and drive to go out and make a difference. Now back to his beauty of a bike, the Orbis.
There’s something about this bike that makes it feel like an instant classic. The frame handcrafted, of metal no less, but built for the modern age of bicycle technology. The smooth white base pops on its own right but leaves plenty of room for the metallic red details and subtle grey striping to stand out. Simple yet unique, and sporty without crossing into gaudy. It’s a truly beautiful machine. A place where simplicity meets function.
Part of the beauty of a Baum frame module is the paint matched cockpit. It keeps an incredibly unified aesthetic throughout the bike without the limitations of sticking to a particular brand to look in sync. The Enve handlebar is a common favorite of ours and perfect for a bike like this. Light weight, a comfortable compact shape, and just enough forgiveness to take the edge off when taking a turn down a rougher path. In this case it’s paired with a 3T stem with the Bar Fly compatible faceplate, allowing for an even more integrated feel for the computer mount. The anodized red dot on the Spurcycle bell perfectly ties together the red details in the paint. Out back, a custom painted Enve seat post provides a perch to the Fizik Arione saddle.
It’s hard to imagine selecting any other drive train for this bike than E-Tap Hydro. Of course, the performance is tops – the braking impeccable and the shifting flawless. That aside, on a bike, this clean wireless is really the only way to go. This bike is meant to go everywhere, so compact chainrings and a wide range cassette were in order to keep things going, no matter how steep or loose the terrain.
A bike this special was no doubt worthy of a custom set of wheels. Kicking up the red accents we laced a pair of Chris King R45s to a set of Zipp 202 tubeless disc rims. Silver Sapin CX rays with red anodized nipples hold it all together. Schwalbe G-One tires manage the contact to the road. A little larger and little more grip than your typical road tire.And the icing on the cake? Got to be the Ceramic Speed bits. Black pulleys in the rear derailleur and the T45 bottom bracket. The buttery smoothness this combination provides is something to behold.
This Orbis simply checks all the boxes. Top-notch performance, immaculate craftsmanship, modern technology, and proper small details, all wrapped up in an elegant package. We loved working with our client through the process the build and we love the final outcome even more. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this Baum so feel free to chime in down in the comments.
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