【BIKE of the YEAR】Best Bike Announced!

Happy New Year, everyone.

We kicked off our business for the year yesterday, and the "Garapon" grand lottery and lucky bags have been a huge hit. It’s Shige here; I was surprised by the incredible luck of the customers I served—with second prizes being drawn back-to-back both yesterday and today—while I, on the other hand, only pulled a "Sue-kichi" (future blessing) omikuji for myself at the start of the year.

Early in the new year, we have seen a series of natural disasters and accidents that no one wanted to see happen. In response to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, Circles has set up a donation box. We have many connections in Ishikawa Prefecture, including the BangKing track race event we held there in the past, and we hope to be of some help, however small.

All donations collected will be sent to the Japanese Red Cross Society for local relief efforts, so we would truly appreciate your warm support when you visit the shop.

On a different note, let's dive straight into our first bike check of the new year. As mentioned in the title, we held a [BIKE of the YEAR] contest during our 17th Anniversary event last December, and I’m excited to introduce the bike our staff chose as the "Best Bike" after a rigorous judging process!

The bike chosen as the Best Bike with an overwhelming number of votes is right here!

A SURLY Steamroller that was repainted by Kyutai Paint and built up by the owner himself.

While being a single-speed, this model has long been a favorite due to its versatility, allowing for wider tires. It didn't have them in the early days, but since the later models started including fender eyelets, I personally feel that its utility has been further highlighted.

Personally, when building a Steamroller, my mood recently has been to set it up as a 650B or fit it with wider tires, but this build reminded me that a classic 700c setup with narrower tires is also absolutely great.

Above all, I have to take my hat off to the inventive assembly, featuring SimWorks titanium fenders paired with a rear bag supporter mounting a no-longer-available PETERBORO basket.

It functions perfectly as a speedy commuter, while also being well-equipped for slightly longer rides—and it can handle those times when your cargo unexpectedly increases.

In fact, they cleverly swapped the fork for a HUNTER Super Crown fork, and didn’t compromise on the drivetrain or bearings, choosing parts that can be used with confidence for a long time, while keeping things relaxed in other areas. I think the overall balance between the parts that are highly curated and those that are more laid-back is excellent.

Even the main down tube decals are asymmetrical on the left and right, showing attention to detail. Above all, while the whole bike is beautifully put together, you can really feel that it’s been well-loved as a functional tool tailored to the owner. It was a pleasure to photograph!

Once again, congratulations on winning!

We look forward to proposing and introducing the perfect bikes to help even more of you enjoy a wonderful cycling life this year, so please count on us!

A photo archive of bikes built at Circles is now available.
Please use it to help spark some custom ideas for your own bike.