Carbon is real too... Part 4. Back in the Workshop, it’s time to add a brand to our portfolio...
At AEIGHT we’re known for making bespoke, made-to-measure, one-off steel frames. But we appreciate that not everyone wants this - for some, carbon-fibre is a great option and therefore, last year we took the decision to offer carbon frames, and custom bikes, alongside our bespoke steel and custom alloy options. We offer and ride several brands including ENVE, HOPE, Basso, OPEN, and now Fifty-One and to highlight them we’ve decided to document a year’s worth of riding and racing on board our “stock” options...
Fifty-One is a brand I first became aware of about four years ago, when a friend of mine was having a fully bespoke carbon frame made for him. When he first mentioned them, I assumed they’d be like every other so called “custom” brand out there - some bored city guy or a bike industry guy who had bought 500 cheap frames and had them sprayed a funky colour with his own logo. But after some research I realised that Fifty-One is a bit different. These guys came from racing, build the bikes that they actually want to ride, and actually know how to build a frame themselves - they’re the real deal! Everything that I do in steel, in Sussex (making one bespoke frame at a time), they can do in carbon, at their HQ in Dublin, Ireland.
To me, to build a bespoke frame, or even just to assemble a custom build, the builder/mechanic also has to understand how to ride or race the thing they’re making. There is simply no substitute for being the guy in the ring when the punches are being thrown. If you haven’t been 20 hours into a mountain bike race, seeing stars in a road crit as your vision goes grey, or pushed your fully laden bike over that 2000m pass as the snow starts to fall, how can you truly appreciate what the rider will be looking for in their bike? When I build a steel frame/bike, I know why that seat angle makes a difference, why that specific lightweight component isn’t strong enough, and why the spokes are laced in a particular patten. There’s a lot of builders out there who don’t.
Last year Jesse introduced me to Aiden, the man behind Fifty-One, and I could tell straight away that this was a guy who knew how to build a bike for racing.
Fifty-One started when Aiden identified that throughout his racing career, custom and bespoke bikes were the norm, but that in recent years that had disappeared. Even just a few years ago pros were riding custom bikes that fitted perfectly, but were made to look like factory options. That doesn’t happen now, but in the same way that I identified this for steel, Aiden realised that for club riders, amateur racers and domestic pros alike, a custom built bike would vastly improve their experience, especially if it could be delivered in a similar price range to the factory options. Well fitted, well performing bikes really do work better.
So since 2016 Fifty-One have made fully bespoke, hand-laid carbon frames in their own workshop in Ireland. The frames are then painted in house allowing them to offer a range of customisation. In 2021 Fifty-One added a Gravel bike (the Assassin) to their range which is actually factory made to their specification - all the frames then go through final quality control in Ireland. The most recent piece in the jigsaw is the Sika, which is a lightweight road bike, designed for real world roads, much like our HMR frame. Both factory options are available in stock colours, or with custom paint. Options on the custom frames are limitless. All frames are now available via AEIGHT.
The Assassin is the frame that we’ve been racing this year - Jesse has used it to train and race on. We’ve raced it here and in Spain, Kansas and Scotland, and even used it for road sportives like the 312 and Etape du Tour, with various different builds. It’s a super capable all-rounder which is built strong as a tank, but as light as any of the competition - sub 9kg builds with 45mm gravel tyres are easily achievable. Flip chips make adjusting the geometry a really unique part of the frame which is something we see coming over from the mountain bike side of things and that’s also mirrored in the super long wheelbase, which makes the bike really stable at high speed on loose terrain. It’s the same way I build my ONE frame, with definite design ques taken from mountain bikes - the longer toptube and shorter cockpit balances with the long wheelbase to make a bike which is stable and fast to turn. This, in turn, inspires confidence and makes the bike really forgiving and comfortable for long distance rides.
But don’t just take my word for it - we’ve just had our first batch of frames delivered and so on the 17th of August we’ll be taking our AEIGHT BIKE CO “Assassin” Ride out where you can come and see them for yourself. Very soon we’ll have bikes available to demo, but in the short term, come and have a look, and speak to Jesse and Holly who have both been riding and racing the bikes this year. Our ride on the 17th will start and finish at The Junction Inn, which is just down the road from our workshop - meet at 8:30 for a coffee, wheels rolling promptly at 9am. We’ll then showcase some of the best gravel in Sweet Sussex, pop in to the AEIGHT MANUFACTORY workshop to look at some bikes on the way round, and arrive back at the pub for some lunch. A perfect gravelly Saturday!
If you have any questions about the ride, getting fitted for a frame, or the bikes themselves, get in touch using the link on the website.
Photos and words by Glen Whittington
2024.RIDERS - GLENWHITTINGTON
#aeightracer – Glen’s an ex-racer who still finds time to ride bikes as much as possible - follow his adventures on Instagram. He started racing in 1998, initially specialising in XCO, Marathon and Solo 24-Hour Mountain Bike. He became a mechanic in 2002, working in shops and also for professional race teams. During this time he spent more time racing ‘Cross and Road, and then also TT. In 2013 he built his first bespoke steel frame and then spent several years at Roberts learning the art. Since then he’s designed his own range of bikes, frames and wheels which he now offers to the public, alongside servicing and race support, as part of his ÆIGHT brand - you can find his business Instagram account here.
GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO RACE WITH US?
We’re always looking for riders to be part of our ÆIGHT CØLLECTIVE. The #aeightbikeco is about doing things a little differently - Rather than a jersey being the common theme, we kit our riders out with bespoke steel bikes and handbuilt wheels made in our Sussex workshops, the ÆIGHT WHEELWØRKS and the ÆIGHT MANUFACTØRY. We then support each other at events and races regionally, nationally and internationally - whether that’s for mountain bike, ‘cross, gravel, crit, road or TT - it’s what we call, the #aeightbikeco
The best part is that we’re not asking you to leave your team or club - that includes racing in your club/team kit. We’ve got certain brands that we work with, mostly so we can standardise shared equipment, but your own sponsors and clubs are almost always welcome. We have some strict qualifying criteria but don’t be put off by this – if you’re interested in being part of the #aeightbikeco then please get in touch by emailing your racing CV to eightbikeco@gmail.com
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