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Oregon Handmade Show 2013: Ahearne’s immaculate stainless touring bike, Custom XL Cycle Truck

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Ahearne Stainless Steel Touring Bike

I see a lot of bikes in this line of work, and honestly, it can take a lot to really blow me away these days.  One builder has done just that this year at the Oregon Handmade Bicycle Show.  Mr. Joseph Ahearne has assembled nothing short of a masterpiece.  In fact, it was on display at the Portland Art Museum as part of a rotating exhibit during the Cyclepedia show they had.

The bike pictured above is a 26″ wheeled, breakaway touring rig constructed of polished stainless steel tubing from KVA.  Why not XCR or Reynolds 953?  Those tubesets are great for a race bike, but they are only offered in thin walled tubes that would not be well suited to a utilitarian build such as this one.  KVA however, offers a thicker walled tubeset that is perfect for a long haul rig.

The frame is fillet brazed, and it’s one of the best examples of brazing I have laid eyes on.  The fact that the is polished is really impressive,  because now everyone can see the amazing workmanship that goes into each tube joint.  The front and rear racks were custom made specifically for this bike.  The front rack is convertible as well, allowing you to run just the upper, lower, or both sections depending on what you will be carrying.  They are produced from cro-moly, as is the stem, and then the parts were chromed to match the rest of the bike.

The logo panel on the downtube is a laser cut piece if stainless that was left unpolished to stand out from the rest of the frame.  Polished stainless fenders, a custom Black Star frame bag, vintage XTR parts kit, and retroshift round out the bike.  The build took six weeks, working 10 – 12 hour days, seven days a week to completed.  Want one for your very own?  Well, it would take somewhere in the neighborhood of $25,000.  Not bad for a piece of art you can use.

Head past the break for a full gallery of this bike, plus a look at his latest cycle truck in size huge.

Ahearne XL Cycle Truck

Ahearne himself has a strong belief in the utilitarian bicycle.  Thus, he has been producing his famous cycle truck for a while now.  At the show this year was a scaled up version for a customer who is 6′ 6″ tall.  The standard 26″ and 20″ wheels were replaced with 29″ and 24″ versions.  The bike is a little less heavy duty than the standard cycle truck, as this one is meant to be taken off road occasionally.  It’s also suited to more of a daily commuter, as the front basket is removable.  This complete build totals $9000.

Ahearne XL Cycle Truck Rack

 

Ahearne XL Cycle Truck Rack Side View

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shafty
shafty
10 years ago

Dude, MY custom bike has 6 top tubes.

Parkcyc
Parkcyc
10 years ago

Vintage XTR. It’s amazing that Shimano hasn’t learned yet that the M900/910 versions of XTR is a very worked and desired component kit. The shifting was absolutely flawless. The finish was superbe and it lasted and lasted. There are many many road/touring builders who use it still on not only show bikes but customer builds. The cost of it on eBay is insane due to the demand. But it is and was worth it.

icaross
icaross
10 years ago

Vintage XTR M900 flawless shifting? Ride one before giving out your opinion. famous for poor shifter/brake combo. Besides what you may have read on internet. The only xtr part is the rear derailer. Retroshift and drop bars? oxymoron. 25k stainless steel touring bike? lol lol lol. Best part is the lock. haha. 9k utilitarian bike? lol lol lol. However Ahearne makes great bikes, these two are just no sense. no sense=bad design.

MulletRacer
MulletRacer
10 years ago

Pretty execution on that touring rig. I could never afford it, or even want it, but it is a work of art.

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