#1 Stunner - Baum Ristretto Steel "Rapha" Edition
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Hey Gang, been too long!
To catch up, we will be posting detailed photos and specs for 10 phenomenal builds.
We are proud of our amazing Blacksmith customers and their awesome bikes, which caused us to come up with a new rating system that will have us ask:
How many Benzes don't we give a fuck about?
What the hell are we really talking about? Well, "In an April 2014 interview with NPR’s Microphone Check, Future described the song [Benz Friendz] as a protest against “crash test dummies,” those that proudly drove certain cars or wore certain brands in an attempt to fit in."
So we say congrats, big ups, and kudos to our customers who are proud and confident enough to build the bike of their dreams, not some big ass corporation's.
We do our best to lend a hand, some expertise, and lots of experience, but ultimately it is our customers, our builders, and their collective imaginations that help create a Blacksmith bicycle.
In that spirit we start our 2014 Top 10 bike rundown with the first of a number of incredible steel bikes...because steel is actually real, man.
Anthony's Baum Ristretto - #1 Stunner
Frame hand-built in Australia
Custom selected steel tubing
1+1/8" headtube with BSA BB
ENVE 2.0 fork
Chris King Headset
"Rapha" black/pink paint scheme
Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9070
3T ARX II stem + Ergonova bar
Enve 27.2 carbon setback post
Selle Italia SLR Flow Ti saddle
Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimate tubular wheels
So, how many Benzes don't we give a fuck about?
9.5/10 Benzes
Factors: Killer paint scheme, incredible build quality, perfect tube selection, sexy electronic shifting, smart build kit, and the allure of Baum.
Mike's take: A modern steel ride = stiff, smooth, durable and unique, equally capable of long lonely days or shorter friskier sprint sessions. Gorgeous to boot.
Darren Baum is a true master, as good as it gets with steel + titanium custom bikes. For more on Baum visit http://baumcycles.com/ or www.flickr.com/photos/baumcycles/ and check out the titanium version of Anthony's steel dream bike, the Corretto...