Philly Bike Expo Preview

East bound and down, loaded up and truckin'
A-we gonna do what they say can't be done
We've got a long way to go, and a short time to get there
I'm east bound, just watch ol' "Bandit" run

East Bound and Down by Jerry Reed

Driveside! Photo courtesy of Philly Bike Expo, photographer Brad Quartuccio

I recently drove across the majority of the United States in a U-haul van with all my worldly possessions in tow. I had a lot of time to sit and think about the state of my life and, more broadly, the concepts of “before” and “after.” For me, the “before” was my life in Seattle - nearly a decade of self-discovery, growth, and personal development. The “after” was a promise of a better life in the town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Pittsburgh hadn’t been on my radar until my partner suggested it a few years ago when we started talking about where we wanted to settle long-term. We knew Seattle wasn’t the answer - it was only growing more expensive by the day and despite its stunning natural resources, daily life was getting a bit too stressful. I initially had my heart set on a mountain town in the West - maybe Bend, Bozeman, or even Moab. But as those places got inundated with folks relocating with the shift to remote work, they grew unaffordable as well. My partner kept hinting at Pittsburgh being a viable option and eventually I had to ask - what’s the big deal? I learned of Pittsburgh’s history as a steel town, its boom and bust, and the current resurgence of creative energy in the city. I saw that the average home price is a small fraction of Seattle’s and that industrial space is plentiful. I studied maps and saw that the topology was hilly enough to have a good sufferfest every now and again - I was sold.

Fender & coupler detail. Photo courtesy of Philly Bike Expo, photographer Brad Quartuccio

So Pittsburgh it was! And I felt pretty good about the decision, cruising in the U-haul at a top speed of 65mph through North Dakota. The future, full of optimism and open-ended questions; the past, with nostalgia for good times, a few regrets, and everything that’s shaped me to who I am; and me between the two, the now. I also had my mind on a more concrete project - the frame I had built for this years Philadelphia Bike Expo (PBE).

I was incredibly fortunate to be picked for the 2022 SRAM x PBE Inclusivity Scholarship among 3 other builders. When the announcement was made, my brief elation was chased by a healthy dose of impostor syndrome. I had been building frames for what - a year? Did I deserve this? Was I qualified? Those thoughts continue to echo around my brain, even on the eve of the show. The truth is, I don’t know if I’d ever feel qualified - there’s always someone doing it better, longer, or harder than me and comparing myself to them is a losing battle. I knew that what I was building was going to be unique and hoped that by defying comparison in my design, I would build some mental strength as well.

Head badge detail. Photo courtesy of Philly Bike Expo, photographer Brad Quartuccio

The frame I made for the 2022 PBE show is a cross-country mountain bike. Cross-country in the sense that it’s a more reserved mountain bike geometry, but also in the sense that it’s a bike designed to be taken across the country… and then ridden across the country. The frame features a set of Z-Couplers that allow it to come apart in two pieces. Quick disconnects in the rear brake and rear light make for a speedy dis- and re-assembly process. With wide, swept flat bars, aero bars, and SQlab Innerbarends, there are a multitude of available hand positions. This bike would be at home on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, Eastern Divide Trail, or other long-distance mountain bike route.

Brandon at Stunt Doubles helped walk me through the paint brainstorming. I knew I wanted to accent the couplers and compliment the blue of the SID fork and frame bags. We sketched out some rough ideas and he went to work. What I got back was better than I could’ve imagined - the rear triangle is a reflective chrome with glints of rainbow that come out in sunlight. The front triangle and fender is a more rosy silver with some rainbow sparkle as well. Both halves have flecks of the other paint mixed in. To me, this represents how the past and future are always intermingling. The head tube and fender badges are hand-anodized titanium that I made in my backyard. Not technically perfect by any means, but it was a great learning process!

Top coupler detail. Photo courtesy of Philly Bike Expo, photographer Brad Quartuccio

As far as the component build goes, my priorities were comfort, stability, and utility for long days in the saddle. I chose a SID suspension fork to take the edge off big hits, wide Stooge Moto bars to offer control in challenging situations, and high-volume Vittoria XC tires for fast-rolling grip. Luggage capacity was a priority for this build so I worked with GURP Stitchworks to make sure the frame would support enough bags for a minimalist camping setup. A Supernova dynamo headlight and taillight encourage early starts and late nights on trail. The sleek, wide-range AXS XX1 drivetrain adds a splash of panache to the build without much weight. Accents of anodized titanium from Agave Finishworks in the valve stems and bottle cages are reminiscent of ornate gemstones. The unique SQlab 6OX saddle is built for durable comfort and the AXS Reverb helps it get out of the way in steep terrain.

I'm affectionately calling this bike "East Bound And Down" because this frame was my last build in Seattle before my cross-country move to Pittsburgh. It’s also an homage to both the truckin' country song and the mountain bike trail of the same name at Tiger Mountain, my former stomping grounds in the Pacific Northwest.

Head on. Photo courtesy of Philly Bike Expo, photographer Brad Quartuccio

Build:

Frame: Liberation Fab custom “East Bound and Down”
Fork: RockShox SID Ultimate 120mm w/ lockout
Drivetrain: SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS 10-50t
Cranks: SRAM XX1 DUB SL, 170mm
Chainring: AbsoluteBlack 36t Oval, Rainbow
Pedals: Time ATAC XC 12
Brakes: SRAM G2 Ultimate
Rotors: SRAM Centerline X 180mm/160mm
Wheels: ZIPP 3ZERO MOTO, 29”, boost. Front hub swapped with a SON 28
Valve Stem: Terske Titanium, anodized by Agave Finishworks
Tires: Vittoria Barzo G2.0 4C TNT 2.35” (F), Vittoria Mezcal III G2.0 4C TNT 2.35” (R)
Headset: Wolf Tooth Premium, IS52/IS41
Top Cap: Anodized Titanium from Marley Machine Works
Computer Mount: K-Edge Wahoo Boost Mount
Stem: Truvativ ATMOS 7k 60mm, -6º
Handlebars: Stooge Moto
Aero Bars: Zipp Vuka Clip w/ Aluminum Evo 70. 25mm risers
Grips: RockShox lock-on grips on handlebars, Wolf Tooth foam grips on aero bars
Add-Ons: SQlab Innerbarends 411
Seatpost: RockShox Reverb AXS 125mm
Seatpost Clamp: Wolf Tooth, with titanium hardware
Saddle: SQlab 6OX Infinergy Ergowave Active 2.0, 14cm
Bottle Cages: King Cage Side-Loader & Wolf Tooth Morse Cage, both anodized by Agave Finishworks
Front Light: Supernova M99 DY PRO
Rear Light: Supernova E3
Hydraulic Couplers: Zeno Q-Connector
Bags: All custom from GURP Stitchworks, made with ECOPAK
Fender: Honjo H98 650B, cut in half and re-radiused
Bottles: From Good Weather Bicycle & Repair (Seattle, WA) and Unison Bike Lab (Pittsburgh, PA)