Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Royal H Cycles Tourer

Royal H Cycles Tourer

The family tree of New England bicycle manufacturing is a twisted and winding plant, and each branch is a story in itself. Bryan Hollingsworth is a significant bough of that tree, working at Massachusetts’ Seven Cycles in their carbon fiber division—while brazing together frames that are fit for a king under his own banner of Royal H Cycles.

Caitlin is a draper and handed Bryan a fabric offcut when she dropped by Royal H Cycles’ Boston workshop to order her touring frame. The colors provided the inspiration for another Seven Cycles alum, Jordan Low, their full-time in-house painter. Jordan originally trained as a hand-painted sign writer and has since pushed a tattoo gun—skills which vibrantly show through on Caitlin’s tourer.

This is Caitlin’s second Royal H, the first being a track frame with the same Long Shen Prugnat lug set used on her tourer. Both sumptuously painted, they’ll make a pretty pair, although the tourer is far more elaborate. It’s ready to carry Caitlin for many years of new adventures, built up with a White Industries and Paul Components ensemble, and topped with Brooks’ new vegan Cambium saddle.

Special thanks to Royal H Cycles and Eric ‘Ride Metal‘ Baumann for the fantastic photography.

Royal H Cycles Tourer
Royal H Cycles Tourer
Royal H Cycles Tourer
Royal H Cycles Tourer
Royal H Cycles Tourer
Royal H Cycles Tourer
Royal H Cycles Tourer
Royal H Cycles Tourer