The Supermarine Spitfire was designed for one purpose: outmaneuver everything else in the sky. Fast climbs, tight turns, unmatched control. That (along with some previous builds) was the inspiration behind this custom gravel weapon.
Josh came to us as a first-time client. New to Above Category. New to gravel. But not new to riding hard. His road fit had been off for years and he wasn’t enjoying the bike anymore. So he made the right call: start from zero, get the fit right, then build the machine around it.
From the start he wanted something that hits different from a design angle. When we landed on the WWII motif he had my undivided attention... so we worked around the Spitfire, and a previous BAUM build from Darren’s client Dave. British roundels. Tactical grey. This time in matte olive. Even the tail number made it onto the seat tube. Josh isn’t a military collector. We just kind of landed on the concept and it felt right.
The result is a perfect wingman.
And the spec might even be better…SRAM Red XPLR with a full CeramicSpeed treatment. Duke wheels laced to Chris King hubs – just like my sarto. HOPE calipers and rotors for consistent braking even on long descents. Tufo 44s to keep grip high and rolling resistance low. ENVE’s two-piece cockpit with full internal routing. And a 3D-printed Selle Italia SLR to keep him planted when things get rough. And they did. So we hauled the bike back in to get some post-ride studio pics.
Orbis looks even better with a few battle scars.
Josh’s geometry came straight out of his AC fit. We dropped reach, widened the stance and gave him a stable position that still feels fast when the pressure is on. Compared to his old setup it’s a different theatre. More predictable and confident in all the right ways.
This bike was made to move between two lives. From the Marin Pave to light singletrack and
back again. Smooth tarmac. Washed-out fire roads. No plan required...
This build happened in June. Since then he’s started a couple more projects and we’ve shared more than a few rides. Welcome to
the AC family, Josh!
I want to build a P-51 Mustang next... Dave and Josh’s Spitfires need a wingman. Is it you? Let’s keep this going...
-Chad
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