FiftyOne Bikes might just be the hottest frame-builder you’ve never heard of. The Irish brand is new to the scene, but over the last year they’ve gained a small but dedicated following thanks to their exquisitely hand-built, painstakingly painted, custom carbon frames.
They’re totally bespoke and almost always very colorful. In other words, the anthesis of what modern bicycles have become. Aidan Duff, a former professional rider with a lot of experience in the bike industry, decided to start the company after becoming frustrated with the limited sizing and personalization options that have become the norm thanks to the industry’s shift towards mass-production in Asia.
The brand’s formation took time and a lot of work, as Duff searched first for a producer that could make him the kind of frame he wanted, and then for a selection of experts and artisans who would help him do everything in-house at FiftyOne’s HQ in Dublin, Ireland. The end product is a completely unique frame, built to suit the rider’s characteristics and desires, and to reflect their personality.
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
Photo: deanella.com
So in that context, the beauty they made for Eurobike this year – part of a limited run of 10 frames to commemorate Enve Composite’s 10th anniversary – is positively mass production. Each frame will still be tailored to its owner, but the signature paint job will stay the same, which is no bad thing, because it is cool AF.
Duff is just back a successful trip to Germany, but he took the time to catch up with us and talk a little shop.
How was Eurobike?
“Fantastic. It was great to meet so many people, drink several weissbier and get to ride my bike – not strictly in that order.
“There’s been a lot said about it being too late in the year, not attracting the bigger brands any more, or 50% of the floorspace being taken up by e-bikes. But the reality is, it’s still the world’s largest cycling trade show and industry hub and regardless of who you want to meet in the business, they’re likely never more than a hall or two away. For us, it provides a very good platform to reach out to the industry and build relationships with other companies in our space.”
And what was the reaction to your Enve bike?
“Ten years ago, Enve’s first products were specifically designed to service what they believed was an underserved small frame builder community. Jason Schiers and his team saw that carbon was not being used to its full potential in the majority of components and wheels and that the industry were making aluminium shapes out of carbon, failing to employ the real strengths of the material. With years of experience in aerospace and NASCAR, Jason and his team knew they could fill this gap in the market and Enve was born. They played a crucial role in the early stages of our composites development, so it was a privilege to work with them on the bike and present it to the world on their stand.
“The reaction to it has been awesome. With great coverage by the international media, the 10 limited edition bikes have attracted lots of attention with several being snapped up within the first 24 hours of launching.
“I was actually one of the first distributors for Enve when they expanded into Europe in 2009, and I’ve watched them grow from a fledging start-up to an industry leader. I was at the opening party for the launch of their new facility and to celebrate their 10 year anniversary, back in March, where we discussed possible ideas for Eurobike. The idea of a 10-year celebratory bike was born.
“It’s a limited run of 10 bikes that will all be delivered with custom geometry. Each of them is numbered and will have its own certificate of authenticity, and we’re giving each owner a photo-book of the bikes in development and the finished product. It was also our way of introducing our flat mount disc option, which we designed totally in-house, and our integrated Dominator BB shell.”
This design tips its hat to the Carrera–Inoxpran bike that Ireland's Stephen Roche rode in 1987, the year he won the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and the World Championships
Tell us a bit about your new disc designs. Is it the future or is there still hope for rim brakes?
“As I said, we used the Enve10 as the launchpad for our disc design. We already have a lot of interest in discs in general which certainly motivated us to create our own design. The UCI rollout of discs has been less than ideal but I see the next two years changing the landscape of braking forever. That said, I do still think callipers will appeal to a slightly older rider.”
Bearing the names of past champions, this frame commemorates the 65th edition of the Rás, Ireland's most important race, and was ridden by AquaBlue's Ronan McLaughlin. Photo: deanella.com
Bearing the names of past champions, this frame commemorates the 65th edition of the Rás, Ireland's most important race, and was ridden by AquaBlue's Ronan McLaughlin. Photo: deanella.com
Bearing the names of past champions, this frame commemorates the 65th edition of the Rás, Ireland's most important race, and was ridden by AquaBlue's Ronan McLaughlin. Photo: deanella.com
You’re getting a name for yourselves when it comes to show-stopping bikes such as this and Ronan McLaughlin’s Rás concept. Why is it important for you to showcase your products in this way?
“Well, what motivated us to start FiftyOne? We were tired of safe designs and an underwhelming client engagement. We’ve stripped back all the restrictions on bike design to ensure we create timeless classics. It doesn’t matter how intricate the masking needs to be or how long the construction process takes. We believe we are at the intersection of art and engineering. We want to empower clients to create their dream bikes, creations that rise above model years and trends. Something that will be gifted from one generation to the next.”
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