It’s always refreshing to hear of a diehard cyclist’s first custom bike experience. Arnaud Pladys had been riding passionately for eight years before his dream bike came true at the hands of Czech builder, SingleBe’s Tomáš Kutin.
It’s only natural, though. The process forces you to crystallise the vision of your new bike, this vehicle which will please your senses, take you on adventures and be built by a real craftsperson.
Arnaud is 27 years old, lives in France, has been a dedicated cyclist for about eight years, obsessed with exploring the local trails. He’s also obsessed with photography and graphic design and has a Ph.D. in Geophysics.
His requirements rose through the ranks from a Giant hybrid to a Defy Advanced. Frustrated by the limitations of the frame and components, he built up a Kona Rove CX with handbuilt wheels, the rear with a Hope Pro 4 hub and a SONdelux in front.
One night whilst riding home along the bike path, he was hit by a car, narrowly escaping with only a broken tooth, but the resulting insurance payment enabled him to instigate a conversation with SingleBe Bikes of the Czech Republic.
Arnaud had done his research and, if you remember some of the SingleBe builds we’ve featured over the years, you’ll also know of Tomáš’ innovation and willingness to do things differently.
Arnuad went all out and ordered the one bike he had been dreaming about, and Tomáš delivered. A steel frame tailored to Arnaud’s geometry, with a Shimano DI2 GRX group and a full ENVE kit, including a Garmin mount and stem.
Tomáš not only builds the frames at SingleBe, but he also paints them. If you’ve looked through his recent portfolio you’ll be struck by the spectrum and quality of the ombre paintwork. The frame, stem and mount were painted in Porsche’s Wimbledon Green.
Chris King‘s Bourbon range was chosen for contrast, and the 650bx48c René Herse Switchback Hill sidewalls were a lucky match — along with the bourbon Spurcycle bell, Peaty’s Valves and titanium Silca bidon cages.
Arnaud, being so passionate about graphic design, asked if he could design his own SingleBe graphics, and Tomáš obliged. It was the crowning glory for Arnaud, who now has a versatile bike his riding can grow with, along with his taste for adventure.
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