We are right in the middle of cyclocross season.
This weekend we have Kansai CX Makino, followed by Nobeyama next weekend—it’s going to be a whirlwind of weekends.
Please make sure to keep the weekend of December 6th and 7th free. When you think of December, those of you with a sharp eye for these things probably know what I'm talking about—it's that annual tradition. Rick will also be in Japan at that time, and we're going to change things up a bit this year!
Now then, in order to make this a breakthrough season, a project we’ve been working on since last year has finally taken shape, and I’d like to introduce it to you.
This latest Sycip is a build with serious character: a Disc CX Racer. As you might have guessed from the raw finish, it’s a stainless steel frame. While it is built primarily for racing, we chose stainless steel with the intention that it will be ridden hard—from off-season touring to winter riding.
It’s a bike that packs Jeremy’s kindness into a Spartan design.
For the brakes—a subject of some debate(?), we went with Shimano hydraulic discs, paired with cable-actuated STIs. This setup guarantees absolute control, not just for racing but for deep-winter rides as well. The touch is exceptionally light, and I think it performs beautifully.
The owner, Mr. H, had been competing in CX races on clinchers until now, but decided to make the switch to tubulars with this bike. For the tires, he chose the same combination I use: Rhino on the front and Typhoon on the rear. I’m sure he’ll be logging plenty of miles on them during the off-season with a set of hand-spun wheels built on Velocity Aileron rims.
| Frame | Sycip Bicycles | Stainless Disc CX Racer |
| Fork | Wound Up | Team X Disc |
| HeadSet | Chris King NTS | Navy |
| Crankset | Shimano Ultegra | FC-6800 46/36T |
| Brake | Shimano | BR-RS785 |
| Rotor | Shimano XT | SM-RT86 160mm |
| Brake Lever | Shimano | ST-RS685 |
| FD | Shimano 105 | FD-5800 |
| RD | Shimano 105 | RD-5800 SS |
| CS | Shimano 105 | CS-5800(11-28T) |
| Rims | Velocity | Major Tom Non MSW 28H |
| HUBS | Chris King | R45 Disc 28H |
| Spokes | DT Swiss | Champion -Black- |
| Tires | Dugast | F:Rhino 33mm/R:Typhoon 33mm |
| Handle | SimWorks | Misirlou 390mm |
| Stem | Nitto | UI-25 90mm |
| Seatpost | Kenteriksen | Rayback |
| Saddle | Fizik | Volta kium |
(Photo by Yoshihide Maekawa a.k.a Kikuzo)
Mr. H has already ridden this bike in three races this season.
A custom-ordered bike that fits your body perfectly allows you to feel the way it accelerates naturally, even if it happens to be heavier than a stoic carbon race frame. Mr. H seems very happy with this race bike, which was built with the intention of being ridden into the ground rather than just obsessing over specs, and I look forward to seeing him excel even further.
The Sycip frame featured here is a custom order, with a lead time of roughly eight months to one year. Jeremy Sycip is a very kind man who builds frames every day based on his own experience. Whether it’s titanium, stainless steel, steel, or aluminum, he knows how to infuse his work with both seriousness and humor, creating bikes that range from pure racers to daily commuters. A bike made by him is sure to be your dream bike.
We are also showcasing Sycip and a variety of other handmade bikes at the SimWorks 1st Exhibition, "What a beautiful moment show," which is being held as part of the "Great Nagoya Bicycle Culture Exhibition" that started yesterday, so please come and check it out!