We get many submissions for our weekly Readers’ Rides feature. Some range from parts bin basket bikes to framebuilders’ own creations. This week’s feature comes from the latter. Will from Albatross Bikes sent in his personal RD-00 Builder’s Special, along with some process imagery and the bike’s geometry, so let’s get to it!
I built this bike to be a quick-handling and comfortable everyday road bike. I had an older 10spd SRAM Red groupset on the shelf and decided to build up the bike with a “Modern Classic” theme. Rim brakes, mechanical shifting, and with 10 gears in the back and a derailleur for the front chainrings (gasp!) come together for a rock-solid, reliable build that can be pulled off the rack and ridden at any time. Minimal maintenance required!
Other details I worked into the build were a custom-machined seatmast topper with an internal wedge to maintain the very clean aesthetic I was looking for. The rear rim brake was also mounted to the seattube to reduce the loads on the seatstays and let me reduce their size without getting any flex issues when on the brakes.
Lastly, the routing for the rear brake was designed to accommodate a rear brake on the left lever in a nod to my motorcycling past.
Build Specs:
Frame: Albatross Bikes RD00
Fork: Whiskey No.7 Road Fork
Headset: Cane Creek 40
Stem: FSA Vdrive 100mm
Handlebar: Custom Specialized Aerofly 40cm
Pedals: Time XPRO 10
BB Praxis: T47 M30
Crank: Praxis Zayante
Chainring: Praxis 50/34 X-Ring
Chain: 10spd SRAM Red
Rear Derailleur: 10spd SRAM Red
Shifters: 10spd SRAM Red
Cassette: 10-28 PG-1070
Wheels: Rolf Prima Vigor
Tires: Donnelly Strada LGG 700×28
Brakes: SRAM Red
Saddle: PRO Stealth Performance
Seatpost: Albatross Bikes Prototype
Bar Tape: Easton Microfiber
Bottle Cages: Albatross Bikes Prototype
We’d like to thank all of you who submitted Readers Rides builds to be shared here at The Radavist. The response has been incredible and we have so many to share over the next few months. Feel free to submit your bike, listing details, components, and other information. You can also include a portrait of yourself with your bike and your Instagram account! Please, shoot landscape-orientation photos, not portrait. Thanks!
