Built To Tour - The Touring Club Frame Journey.
Introduction
‘The Touring Club is a collaboration between founders Dylan Griffith, Rowan Hobbs, Grant Maunder and Bryn Williams merge their skills from brand identity, construction, design hotels through to restaurants and hospitality’ - The Touring Club
Amsterdam based design studio Smörgåsbord who are behind the brand identity for The Touring Club reached out to commission a ‘sculptural’ frame for the new space that would both reflect the contemporary interior and also represent & showcase the craft of framebuilding.
The club wanted to collaborate with local designers and makers to create bespoke pieces for its interior & they had been intrigued by the bi-laminated frame we had created for Daves Audax.
‘Exploring ideas is paramount to the process’
Exploration
The main focus of this project was to create a sculptural piece that would work in harmony with the overall aesthetic of the club's interior and also reflect the club's core values. Original, elemental, spirited, simplicity & honest.
Creating the overall look of the frame was our first exploration. For sizing and for frame proportions we kept to a traditional 56cm sized frame, Dylan felt this gave the best look and overall balance.
A spectrum of frame designs were explored from abstract designs, which removed entire tube sections of the frame, to completed framesets, which included front and rear luggage racks inspired by touring bikes of the 80s.
Our design was a fine balance between abstract & obvious.
With all projects exploring ideas is paramount to the process, as this ensures not only we are on the same wavelength but also introduces you to ideas that may not have crossed your mind.
“Our design was a fine balance between abstract & obvious.”
Experimentation
In keeping with the core values of the club we had decided to leave the frame unpainted. However Dylan was looking to add depth to the design and had spotted a bluing in our initial design board that aligned with the clubs colour palette.
Heating the steel to a particular temperature will produce a particular colour. To achieve the dark blue the steel needed to be heated to 290°C.
Consistency and even colour was difficult to produce due to a couple of factors.
The steel is very thin, with a wall thickness of 0.8mm, the temperature and colour change was almost instantaneous. My first attempt at bluing the steel resulted in very uneven and blotchy colouring.
I had found it difficult to control the colour due to how quickly the steel heated and also the fact that the steel continued to change colour even when there was no heat source applied.
After seeing the bluing in the flesh, Dylan and I decided against the colour change.
Photo - Alex Sedgmond
Photo - Alex Sedgmond
Bi-Laminated Headtube
Traditionally lugs were used to build bicycle frames, however the builder would be restricted to the geometry of the frame as lugs came as pre-determined angles.
To allow freedom over the geometry, builders could make their own lugs by mitering and filet brazing tubing to the required angles. These homemade lugs were often carved with intricate details.
The reason behind the unfinished headtube was a way of celebrating the framebuilding craft and demonstrates what goes into creating a handmade bicycle frame.
Blackend Steel
As the frame was not being painted I had the opportunity to explore a method I have been itching to get done. It involves applying logos to the The Touring Club frame with cold bluing.
With the frame in its raw state ’Super Blue’ has been used to blacken the steel.
When the solution contacts the steel a chemical reaction occurs resulting in black oxide to instantly form on the surface.
I used this technique to transfer the decals to the frame which results in an ultra flat transfer that is smooth to the touch.
To finish and protect the frame from corrosion a clear lacquer was applied.
