Quirk Cycles

I just wanted to give you some feedback after putting some decent miles on the bike and overall I am loving it. I can’t see that I would ever go back to a carbon bike now. It rides really smooth and getting a bike made to fit rather than fitting yourself to a bike is a real luxury! You cannot underestimate how different and less fatigued this makes you feel on the bike. It is just a smidgen heavier (tiny bit so I am delighted with that) than my carbon bike albeit the weight is carried a bit differently ie more weight around the bottom bracket. The only time I notice this is when you go to a café and hang the bike and being a small frame the front wheel floats off the ground which makes me smile but overall you would never notice.

As a slight downside of a small frame is toe overlap and I know that we discussed this and you tweaked the design to lessen this as much as possible without comprising the feel of the bike. The only downside to this was when I have a bigger tyre in and I am more off road technical terrain so you have to be a more cautious when turning sharply.

I have recently purchased some Hunt 650's to take care of this and to really tackle the mixed terrain riding. I have put some 40mm Terra Speed on them and had a great time in the New Forest on them with absolutely no overlap - amazing. It really does turn this into a do it all of me and the type of riding I want to be doing. Great on the road and gravel.

So overall very happy. You clearly have a real skill and the finish of the frame is lovely. I am glad I went for the di2. It wasn’t something I was planning but now I have it I wouldn’t want to be without!

This Quirk Cycles frame set was made during the 2020 pandemic. Despite being local to the workshop our communication was 100% via email. I reached out to Rob with a simple brief: a rim brake steel frame that I could blast around on my local lanes -- 100 emails later is the result you see in the pictures.

Having never gone custom before, it can be a leap of faith at some points during the build process. For me, it was deciding on the paint scheme, and this felt like the hardest part of the entire experience. I remember changing my mind at least 3 times before going with the Quirk Paint-Haus Nant I scheme. Rob and the painters were (very) patient to ensure I was involved at the design stage to make sure I was happy with the end product. I even added a personal touch on the down tube.

Pandemic restrictions had eased by the time the frame was ready for collection, so I was able to visit the workshop, and finally meet Rob in person for the first time; this is an experience in itself. I had opted to build up the bike myself, but when things did not go to plan, Rob was happy to lend a hand.

Fast forward a year, 11000kms, Yorkshire's hardest climbs, TTs, fast pace lines, 1000s of cafe rides, this bike can do it all! Thanks to Rob, and everyone who made this project come to life!

Rob's knowledge and interest in tackling a challenge is nothing short of astounding. I am fortunate to have just finished building my third Quirk Cycles bike and each time the experience has been great.

The process begins with a conversation that outlines what the purpose of the frame is and then the finer details.

The first frameset was a fixed gear criterium specific geo and Rob researched and composed a dissertation about what characteristics were currently being used within the niche before determining what would be the best for our purposes. This combined with his expert choice of tubing made a frame that boosted my confidence and performance far beyond what I thought was possible.

The second frameset was designed as a do it all road and gravel bike that would fit a tyre up to 700 x 40c and 650b x 47c. I have used this bike in different iterations to both cross the Pyrenees on road with a 700 x 32mm set up, and cross the length of Spain following an infamously tough Montañas Vacias route, meaning a tonne of technical singletrack and gravel, with a 650b x 47c set up. This bike never fails to impress me and with the diversity of terrain and roads available here in Catalunya, I know that if I am ever unsure of what to expect, this bike will be able to handle it.

The most recent frameset is a pure road bike with caliper brakes and skinny tubes throughout. My main aims were for a comfortable but nimble frame that was incredibly light, and Rob more than met the challenge. With a full custom geo it fits better than any frame before, it handles above and beyond my expectations, and coming in at 7.24kg for a full build it has more than met the lightweight category.

Each time working with Rob (because it is a collaborative process) has been great. From working on geometry to me obsessing over paint and details (graphic designer woes), Rob has always been exceptionally professional and offered input and advice wherever necessary without steering away from the concepts I was so eager to fulfil.

I am from London but no longer live in the UK, thus everything has been done via email with no problems in communication. With regards to collecting the frame, I did so in person and flew with the frame checking it into the hold as a bicycle.

I hope this review can help persuade anybody on the fence, because I have never enjoyed riding my bikes so much as I do now.

Thanks again Rob!

Met Rob in 2015 and have ordered 3 immaculately built frames through him. A steel crit track frame and 2 steel adventure bike packing bikes. Great service from start to finish and I've had no issues since. An absolute gent to work with and I'm very content with my frames

Rob was great throughout the process. My build was during a period of significant supply chain issues. Rob kept me informed of progress. Needless to say, the bike is beyond awesome (in contrast to the rider).
I've used the bike in a couple of ultra events: All Points North (1000km) & Pan Celtic Race (2500km). It performed immaculately. Comfortable, responsive and beautiful! My new best friend.

The decision to have a bike built from scratch Vs some hot looking titanium masterpiece was fairly easy and knowing Rob and him knowing me made my decision that much simpler, not just because his care for me as a friend but as a valued customer too. His understanding of how to make a bike feel super comfortable for someone who had recently suffered a broken vertebrae was vital to working with Rob, he took time to truly get to know my injury which filled me with confidence, knowing that he'll deliver what turned out to be the stealthiest, most nimble bullet of a bike I've ever ridden. Hats off to that frame builder! Badass

Rob built me a track/fixedgear criterium frame a few years back that I used to race the Red Hook Crit series. I recently took it back to him to have some dents removed from the top tube following a nasty crash. Great follow up service and Impeccable craftsmanship from a master framebuilder.

I’ve known Rob for over a decade, before he started Quirk Cycles.
I was lucky enough to get the second ever frame he made all those years ago and am riding it to this day! He made me my dream bike with one of the most amazing finish paint jobs. He even helped me get it repainted when the old finish was looking a bit tired.
I’ve seen him work hard and be so passionate about his business, going above and beyond to make his costumers happy.
Cannot recommend him enough!!