Friday 21 August 2015

Aske Bikes

Aske is a new brand of frame, hand made at Colin Lewis Cycles in Devon by Simon Aske. Simon offers something very special, the frames are made to measure. Using the Bike Cad software the exact characteristics of the frame can be created, that will perfectly fit the rider. The software produces the manufacturing plan and frame geometry outline, created using Simon's knowledge of frame design and characteristics. What results is a stunning frame tailored to the individual, a once in a life time partnership between rider and bike.

The frames are made from Reynolds steel tubing. My frame was manufactured using Reynolds 853 steel. I asked for a bike that would be a good companion for long rides and one that would handle well when the roads got technical. Using an oversized down tube, thin seat stays, and adjusting the head tube angles and overall wheel base Simon was able to achieve this with my frame.






Simon hand cut the tubes, assembled the tubing in the jig and used some very neat Tig welding to bring the frame together. One very classy touch is the hidden seat clamp which is located between the rear seat stays. These processes take hours of craftsmanship and patient work, precise calculations and engineering to produce the finished product. The frames can be painted in any colour and design. I chose a dark red with silver detail inside the chain stays, seat stays and forks.


The finished bike was build up using Ultegra 6800 11spd, 3T finishing kit, and hand build wheels from Colin Lewis Cycles (Dura Ace hubs laced to Open Pro rims) 

The bike is stunning and rides exactly as I wanted it to, a new companion for those long training miles. 

Follow @AskeBikes on Twitter or Facebook Aske Bikes to find out more.