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We love a custom spec at Big Bear Bikes but it’s pretty rare we get the opportunity to do something quite as bespoke as this Stooge Speedbomb for cycling blogger and all-round bike enthusiast Guy Redshaw. If you’re thinking of creating your own bike from the frame up, here’s how it works and why your local bike shop offers great value for money compared to online sellers.
Stooge is a low volume boutique brand of rigid bikes run by Andy Stevenson from his HQ in Shropshire, taking its design cues from the klunker bikes of the ‘70s that preceded the mountain bike explosion of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Guy first heard about them when interviewing the American mountain biking legend Charlie Kelly, who had visited the UK and when Stooge Cycles created the CK Flyer in his honour.
The Stooge Speedbomb frame
Stooge Cycles do short production runs of each model and then they move on to another design iteration. While they occasionally do full builds, most customers will buy a frame and organise the rest of the componentry themselves. It was on release of the Speedbomb frame that Guy got his name in the order book and started to think about the wheels, groupset and so on.
Having researched parts and prices online, Guy decided to visit us and see how we compare to using an e-commerce site. Armed with the frame specification, he dropped in and talked to Mike.
Mike and Guy with some of the components
Guy told us: “When you walk through the door at Big Bear Bikes, it really feels comfortable and inclusive. There’s always someone with a big smile on their face ready to talk to you. Mike was standing behind the counter and I told him I’d bought this frame and I could get bits off the internet, or alternatively, I could get them from Big Bear Bikes. I think Mike was as excited to be throwing some parts on this frame as I was”.
“I gave him a list of the frame specification and Mike said ‘leave it with me’. Over the next few weeks he proposed a specification of parts, which we fine tuned until we had an ultimate list. Mike also offered to build the bike for me but I said ‘No thanks. That’s my bit!’”
Read about the build in Guy’s blog here.
Andy from Stooge and Guy with his Speedbomb frame
Ready to roll in Guy's workshop
This was the final specification based on Guy’s preferences and Mike’s recommendations.
Stooge and other small rigid bike brands are occupying a space left by mountain bike evolution over the past decade or so. While they have become so capable at absorbing the bumps and e-bikes take some of the strain away from your legs, klunker-style bikes are very much in demand from cyclists who want to feel more on their rides.
Guys says: “The bike is fantastic. Why? It’s kind of relaxed. It makes cycling more enjoyable. You’re looking around and you’re just enjoying it. I went out into Dalby Forest last week and normally I’d be hammering down the red and black routes on a full suspension bike. This time, taking it easier, I noticed some wild raspberries and just stopped and ate them all.”
Read about Guy’s first ride on the Speedbomb here.
Guy and Mike with the finished build
As someone who knows about bikes and does his own builds, Guy is very accustomed to ordering components. However, the ground-up nature of this project meant he really appreciated the added value of local bike shop service.
Guy said: “Getting a lot of parts for a bike frame can be very confusing with all the different component sizes, and I soon realised that I needed some help. From a technical perspective, the guys at Big Bear Bikes know what to do, but they also know which parts break early and which ones will last.”
“The other thing is price. You can search around online and maybe save a bit here and there but I prefer the single point of contact for something as complex as this project. If something goes wrong with a part, I only need to go back to one place.”
Mike said: “This was a brilliant project to be involved in. When Guy walked through the door and started talking about Stooge Cycles, it was the kind of thing everyone at Big Bear Bikes wants to come and take a look at. We think Hope make brilliant components so I was pleased Guy went for those and also the SRAM GX groupset will give him very precise and reliable shifting, even under strain.
“Overall, it’s a very striking bike to look at and the components ensure that it gives Guy the ride experience he was looking for. This is the kind of service you just don’t get from an online store so I was pleased to get the opportunity to show what Big Bear Bikes can do!”
If you’d like to discuss a bike build, upgrades or anything else, come and see our friendly, expert team in Southgate, Pickering.
