Rides: Razzle My Dazzle
2020 was a pretty messed up year. I think we can all agree about that. But as we roll our way through opening back up in 2021, it still feels like there are some things missing. For me, a big one is all the hype and excitement around NAHBS, the North American Handbuilt Bike Show. But just because the 2020 edition didn't happen, doesn't mean that all those creative builders and alchemists weren't busy building dream bikes right up until the moment the plug was pulled. In fact, many of them kept projects going. Bringing their intentions to fruition. This little build from FiftyOne and Blacksmith is one such build. And I'd hate to see it not get the attention due.
Mike had started dropping hints and teasers about this build to me in mid to late 2019 as he started scheming and plotting for another NAHBS takeover. And when Mike talks NAHBS it's always big energy because he goes all out. He said the idea this time was to really mess with peoples heads. He said it would be with FiftyOne and that it would draw inspiration from the shop managers love for F1 racing, but I'd have to wait to know more. Now that the bike is out, and I've finally had time to photograph it, let's take a dive into the details you came here for.
The Builder
Quick preface, this isn't the first time FiftyOne has appeared on the site. They appeared in the NAHBS 2018 coverage with their Mies Van De Rohe inspired paintjob. In fact, Blacksmith has been working with them for a few years and were one of the first to see the magic in Aidan's work and get on board.
The brand FiftyOne was founded by former cycling pro, Aiden Duff. After the sunset of his pro career crossed the horizon, Aiden set his sights and ambitions on chasing a dream to build what he envisioned as the perfect frame set. But not just perfect for him, but perfect for each individual owner. That's why each frame set is built in Ireland to custom geometry specs using a tube to tube construction method with carbon fibre tubes and custom layups. This combination and attention to detail allows them to fine tune the ride to each riders desires and specs.
Paint for each bike is completely unique. No standard off the shelf schemes here. They are all designed one-off with each owner then custom painted and hand finished.
The Paint
The whole razzle dazzle or drunken zebra pattern has a bit of history in cycling. It's been used in kits by brands like Morvelo and Team Dream over the last few years. But the heritage and history of the pattern is far more interesting. Dating back to the first World War, Razzle Dazzle (It's official name is actually just, Dazzle Camo) is a disruptive type of camouflage pattern. Rather than a means to hide and conceal, the purpose of Dazzle is to confuse the observer by hiding critical detail in plain site.
The use of bold high contrasting colors with intersecting geometric shapes made up predominantly of stripes, the pattern hides important detail such as the shape of the object underneath. And in its military application, it makes vehicles or vessels hard to target by making it hard to distinguish depth, direction, and size.
Dazzle camo never saw the wide adoption that the inventors believed it should have, but the concept did prove interesting and found its way into other applications. An example would be the Red Bull RB11 racing car from the 2015 Formula 1 season. The Red Bull team used the Dazzle camo motif on their car during preseason testing in order to hide what they believed to be key engineering advantages in the aerodynamic design. In fact, this was the inspiration of the shop manager and current rider of the bike.
The Build Out
Anyone who has thrown a leg overtop a dream bike knows that the frame set may be the beating heart, but it's not the whole story. Here is a quick bike check on the full kit;
Fifty-One Road Disc Frame set
SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS Rear Derailleur
SRAM Eagle XG-1299 12sp Cassette
ENVE 3.4AR disc clinchers on Chris King R45 (limited edition) bourbon
Shimano PRO stealth Saddle Carbon
Fizik Terra Bondcush 3mm bartape
If you like what you see, the creativity didn't just stop at the bike. For the 2021 cycling season, the shop built out a whole range of matching cycling kit. So if you want to get your razzle dazzle on, you can. Check it out.
