Crit racing is a hot and fast discipline, more akin to an Indy 500 than a Grand Tour. It consists of a number of laps around a closed circuit with the general aim of not getting lapped and finishing first.
The equipment is specialised; the bikes are designed for performance over comfort. David Gerth is a stalwart of Vancouver’s crit scene and he commissioned local builder Rob Warren of Whishart Bicycles, to fabricate a hot and fast crit racing machine.
Wishart Bicycles has been turning out mountain bike and road frames for a number of years and although Rob hasn’t a huge online presence himself, the bikes he has created are lauded over by their owners.
Crit bikes are a product of their environment. Typically, they have a short wheelbase to enable greater cornering, responsiveness and agility, often at the sake of a small amount of toe overlap.
David Gerth is a heavily involved member of the Canadian crit scene. When he’s not riding bikes, he runs his own auto mechanic workshop along with Erich Meyer — Continental Repairs, Vancouver’s VW and Audi experts.
Continental Repairs support the local crit racing scene enough to sponsor a woman’s team, called Continental Crit Nasty, which cut a fine and brightly-coloured time. The crit force is strong with these locals.
David’s Wishart is a finely fillet brazed steed, which David ended up painting himself in his shed with rattle cans, and he did a pretty fine job. It only cost him about $80, but I reckon it’s one of my favorite schemes of 2016.
The build consists of a selection from a few years-worth of Dura-Ace catalogues, apart from the Rotor cranks and power2max meters, and a Praxis chainring which was polished to better suit the rest of the components.
David is obviously a bit of a DIYer, building the 20/24 hole wheels himself from a pair of Kinlin rims, laced to Novatec hubs. He’s certainly proved himself as a passionate rider and wrencher, and now he’s got the bike to match.
Whishart Bicycles Website | Instagram
Massive thanks to Dylan Davies of Shred Or Dead for the photos — shot on location at Continental Repairs. Check out Dylan’s t-shirts too — they’re awesome.
