Hello. I’m Ishikawa, and I fall asleep every night listening to Kunichi Nomura’s radio show on endless loop.
Today, I’d like to check out a nice bike belonging to one of our customers.
BASSI Hog’s Back
A familiar face here at Circles, the BASSI Hog’s Back.
It’s an all-road touring/commuter frame from C&L CYCLES in Montreal, Canada.
The owner is a guy.
He used to ride an authentic commuter bike, but after letting it go, he realized he wanted one again and came to see us.
The bike he was looking for this time was mainly for city riding, primarily as a commuter. He was also interested in gravel and wanted a bike he could really have fun with if he decides to try it in the future. Plus, he has a great sense of style and asked for a bike that would fit well with his everyday wardrobe.
After looking through the frames we had in stock, he fell in love with the Hog’s Back for its pop design and the potential for adventure that comes with owning one.
The fact that it’s not a frame you see too often on the streets of Tokyo was also a deciding factor for him.
He gave us a rough budget and told us, “Just make it look cool with silver parts!” Since he left most of it to me, I assembled the parts based on his overall vibe and personal tastes.
It’s honestly so much fun to choose components based on a customer’s lifestyle, personality, and preferences.
First off, since he loved this frame color, I planned the entire build to make sure that pink really popped.
The headset and BB are White Industries.
We chose a different shade of pink to tie everything together! People usually stick to black or silver here, but we took a bit of a risk to make it a focal point.
White Industries is popular for the high quality of their CNC-machined parts and beautiful designs, but the fact that they offer so many color options is a huge draw, too.
With that decided, there was no doubt we’d go with White Industries for the cranks, too. I assembled the G30 Crankset.
The G30 uses a 30mm spindle and is built specifically for gravel bikes, so you can ride on adventures without any worries.
For the crank color, I intentionally went with black.
Matching the chainring in silver would have been cool too, but since the bike already had a high ratio of silver and bright tones, I added black to the feet to tighten up the overall look and keep it from appearing too soft or fluffy.
It was the right choice. It provided some nice contrast without washing out the rest of the bike.
White Industries parts have obvious merits in terms of durability, strength, and performance, but they are just plain beautiful.
I have to take my hat off to a build that feels like it’s been taken to the next level just by adding these parts.
For the handlebars, I chose the SimWorks Ramble Bar.
With a total width of 710mm (center to center at the ends), they have an amazing presence.
The owner mentioned wanting a comfortable ride so he could take his time and enjoy the scenery, so the back-swept Ramble Bar was a natural choice.
With this much width, there are plenty of hand positions, and there’s plenty of room to strap on a large bag.
I left some space for future customization, hoping that eventually, he’ll load it up with a big front bag.
The tires are Bruce Gordon Rock’n Road Tires. A classic choice.
Since city riding was the main priority, I went with 650B x 48 for better agility.
The tread pattern uses short, scattered knobs, which makes them fast-rolling on pavement and grippy on dirt.
They’re perfect for hitting sudden dirt paths mid-ride, offering a great balance between on-road and off-road capability.
The air volume also helps dampen bumps from the road.
Staying comfortable during long rides is super important.
I chose the all-black version. Tan walls can be stylish, but I felt they would have made the look too “sweet” for this build, so I went with rugged black instead.
The rims are SimWorks Standalone 001.
Based on Velocity USA’s classic Cliffhanger rim designed for off-road touring, these feature stainless steel eyelets for added strength and durability, finished in a classic style.
These rims are also on the bike of Taisei-kun, the big eater everyone here at Circles Nagoya loves.
If you’ve met him, you know the strength and durability are beyond question since these rims have been supporting his sturdy build day after day.
For components, we used MicroShift Advent X 10-speed.
With a wide-range 11-48t cassette, he’ll have the right gear ratio for comfortable riding on dirt or climbs.
I built the drivetrain with the confidence that even if he gets deep into gravel riding in the future, it’ll be ready for it.
He’s been riding it hard since the delivery, and he’s already back asking for a front rack!
I’m sure it’ll continue to evolve and really become a reflection of him. I’m looking forward to seeing how it changes from here, and it makes me really happy to be part of the process.
When choosing a bike, the color scheme is so important, as well as fun and sometimes tricky. You can mix in all sorts of colors for a busy look, or keep it simple. You could even get the whole frame repainted! You can change it to your dream color with Kyutai Paint too!
It’s such a great feeling to ride a bike while thinking, “Man, my bike is so cool!”
Even if you’re not riding fast or going long distances, don’t you think it’s amazing how just hopping on your bike to head to the grocery store or commute can boost your mood? (Lol)
Let’s build a bike together that adds a little boost of excitement to your ordinary, everyday life!
Whether you need help with frames, parts, or coordinating colors, we’re pros, so feel free to come talk to us anytime!