There’s not too many carbon fiber bikes on The Spoken — or maybe that be rephrased. There’s not enough carbon fiber bikes on The Spoken. Richard Craddock, of the UK’s Craddock Cycles, is changing our perception of carbon frames, offering a completely custom, British-made product.
This blue beauty was exhibited at the recent Bespoked Bristol UK Handmade Bicycle Show, where it stood apart from the steel frames, but the common denominator was that they’re all upholding the indomitable tradition of English engineering.
Craddock frames are already very distinct: big, bold and understated. There’s minimal branding, but their fat tubes are a customer’s blank canvas for their own creativity, allowing your own choice of paint and graphics.
Richard himself is an ex-pro racer, born from a cycling family, and there are pure racing genes flowing through his frames. They all meet UK standards of manufacturing, with each laminate laid in particular to the customer’s desired riding characteristic.
The ordering process begins with a conversation and fitting, the final result being a racing-standard frame that is perfectly constructed to the individual’s measurements. Each frameset has a Hope integrated headset bonded into the frame, and a Pressfit bottom bracket is installed by Richard at the Worcestershire workshop.
We might describe carbon frames as having an impersonal ride quality, but that can be overcome by one that is moulded completely to your own physique and constructed by a human being. In that case, such as a Craddock Cycles frame, you can expect a responsive and distinctive ride that’s worth your pride and passion.
Craddock Cycles are available in Australia via Goldstein Cycles.