I first came across Aske bikes while browsing instagram and the above monster gravel bike caught my attention. By now if you follow UKgravelCO on any of our platforms you’ll have seen or heard us use the hashtag #norules and that yellow bike certainly wasn’t following any conventions!
so when I thought of giving a little platform to the less known builders and designers Aske bikes was one of the first I contacted. Here’s what they have to say..
I’m Simon Aske, founder and owner of Aske Bikes.
As a young lad, I had to ride to work on an ‘old banger’ and, even in those early days, I dreamed of creating my own bespoke bike. I have now been in the cycle industry for nearly 30 years. A self-taught student of geometry, I continued to dream of creating a better, more efficient machine. As carbon fibre bike technology advanced, I was amongst the first to select carbon fibre as the new and exciting material with which to create bespoke bike frames. I worked closely with Totnes-based Hotta to design and produce a ground-breaking ‘monocoque’ bike, which revolutionised frame design and won over leading riders such as Graeme Obree and Olympic Champion Chris Boardman, who used the machines in pursuit of records and medals.
After the demise of Hotta I joined ex British Pro champion Colin Lewis at his Paignton Cycle and repair shop and in 2006 my wife, Lisa and I took over the business.
I remained true to my love of bespoke bike design and drew on my racing and experience to pursue my dream of making and selling custom steel bikes from my Devon workshop. Aske Frame No.1 came to fruition in 2015 and Aske Bikes has gone from strength to strength ever since. Building a custom bike involves so much more than creating a fun and efficient form of transport. Each Aske bike design and build is a bespoke piece of engineering; engineering that can take its rider from the daily commute through to racing at the highest level. Working with Olympic, World and Tour de France champions has given me the depth of industry knowledge required to design and build the best bicycle for each rider and required discipline. It started with the desire to go as fast as possible over the cobbles of northern France. The advancement of disc brakes has enabled tyre and wheel size to be whatever the customer wants. I am confident I have found the ultimate wheel and tyre package for the Paris-Roubaux!
The gravel bike can be designed to cover extremes all the way from mountain biking to road. At the Aske Bikes workshop in Devon we hand build steel bike frames and bespoke bikes. We work closely with each client to ensure their touring, mountain or road bike frame suits their requirements when it comes to purpose, design and fit. Today’s serious cyclist is no longer satisfied with off-the-peg design. This is where Aske Bikes have the long-standing experience to help. When it comes to form, function and fit, we are the custom bike specialists in Devon. Every Aske Bike frame is built to a strict set of individual parameters, and then hand created in our Paignton workshop, using traditional techniques. Our high-quality steel frames look and ride better than many carbon fibre alternatives. We use only tried and tested materials including British manufactured Reynolds tubing, which can be customised to build requirements. Customer colour and design specifications are incorporated into each build.
While most of the Aske custom frames built to date have been biased towards road cycling, we can make a frame for whatever flavour of cycling you prefer. We have had great fun building bikes with flared drop handlebars, clearance for up to 2.8″ tyres, integrated dynamo lighting for expeditions and plenty of luggage and water carrying capacity.
Talk to us today about the bicycle of your dreams. We can make that dream come true.
for more info pop along to www.askebikes.co.uk
UK GRAVEL COLLECTIVE 