This client first came to us in 2012 when AC launched its first computer front mount that took the Garmin head unit off the stem. It was $35, and he's been a part of our community ever since.
He'd always dreamed of doing a custom build with us and initially reached out for a Prova. We connected on various other builders, including Pegoretti, before settling on a Scarab.
"My goal was to build a bike that I would enjoy riding both slow and fast but also looked good. Design is everything to me," he told us.
Initially, we zoned in on Scarab's versatile road bike, the Santa Rosa, before moving to the all-road Apuna, which offers greater tire clearance.
"It was equally important to have the bike be enjoyable, but it had to look amazing. I knew I was going to enjoy the bike, I'm ordering the equivalent of a custom suit, so I know it's going to be good, but we can still screw it up. Blackwall/tan wall tires - careful decisions had to be made!"
We worked through various spec iterations together and settled on the following: The purple was an ode to his original Cannondale, and the gold coffee cup represents his love of incorporating coffee on every ride.
To match the gold accents, we built a custom set of Enve 3.4 wheels with Sapim CX ray spokes and gold Chris King ceramic hubs. These wheels paired perfectly with the brand's matching headset and complemented a Wolftooth gold seatpost clamp. To put a bow on it, we used BetterBolts' titanium hardware throughout the build.
We really enjoyed this build and are already discussing the next one for when the time is right.
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