The Demi Porkeur

Photographer Camille John Mcmillan has a deep-seated cycling passion – but anyone who’s familiar with the great European Pyrenees will know that most bikes are not well-suited to the mountainous terrain that he calls home. However, the traditional fat bike is bulky, cumbersome, and lacks the elegant simplicity that draws the photographer to his set of wheels. To protect his precious camera equipment on and off the road, Caren Hartley of London-based Hartley Cycles worked with Camille to build a “porky” bicycle “with the lines of a mid century French porteur.” By creating a “triple triangle,” moving the seat stays slightly forward on the strong and corrosion-resistant Reynolds 931 stainless steel tubeset and using a Boost 148×12 through the rear axle, the designer was able to clear wide, smooth-riding WTB semifast tires that would typically be found on a heftier frame. Straight lines and handmade asymmetric details drawn from maps of Camille’s home – like the seat stay bridge and bilaminate seat lug – give The Demi Porkeur its minimal aesthetic. Complete with a Brooks saddle, black leather bar tape, and Son Edelux II Dynamo Lights, the bike’s meticulous handcraft is topped off with simple, high-quality details. Everything is spray painted in house to match (in metallic turquoise, orange, pale and dark blue with a clear top coat), which the maker finishes with solid silver details that are cut by hand. Hartley’s clever adaptation of the two-wheeled archetype just won her the prize for Best Utility bike in Bespoked, The UK Handmade Bicycles Show, which will take place in April of 2016. Via urbancycling