Big ShrEddy - Hardtail / Bike Packing / ADV

Jack and I met a couple years ago in Revelstoke at an outdoor event, where small businesses show off their wares. I was intrigued to find a local bicycle frame builder. I have been a bicycle nerd my whole life and only read about boutique bike builders in magazines. Jack and I had many long discussions about what I wanted him to make for me. I am slowly approaching the age where you start thinking about retirement. I have always loved the idea of bike packing in style. Not with panniers, not with a trailer, but with modern custom made framebags and all the new items which are available these days. The bike itself is a hard tail Titanium frame with a Pinion Gear box and belt driven. It has a mountain bike front end, built with One Up Components. The wheelset is We Are One, with Industry Nine hubs. Vittoria Tires that are 2.6” x 29”. We put a dropper post on it and a 100mm Rock Shox SID Fork. The big boy Brakes are Sram Code Ultimate. It’s an absolute showpiece. I have not done any touring on it yet, but i do ride it on the local trails, as a mountain bike. It climbs beautifully, rolls like no other bike i have ever had. It’s fast and nimble. I do need to remind myself that it is a hard tail and will feel a little rough on the downhills here on the local trails. The belt driven gearbox is unbelievable, its quiet and quick shifting. We went with newest version of the Pinion called Smart Shift. This version is a 12 speed, with a 600% ratio. It has electronic shifting abilities and is capable of shifting gears without pedaling. It takes a little to get use to, but with some practice you find it very efficient. Throughout the entire building process, Jacks door is always open. Which i love, you can drop in to his shop and he may be in the middle of milling some mitres or sizing up some tubing for the next build. His shop is well presented, in that its laid out nicely, clean and organized beyond belief. He is happy to show you what he is doing and why. As a bike nerd and a Millwright by trade, I love seeing the different machining tools, jigs, technical drawings and raw tubing neatly placed up on a rack. We collaborated on ideas and concepts and Jack made it all from scratch not more than a few km’s from my house. In the future we may address some finish on the frame. Sounds like there are endless possibilities for a finish on a Titanium Frame. I dont need to be in a rush for that. It could be a winter project. When the time comes, i will discuss my ideas with Jack an he will get it done. A few photos taken at Frisby Ridge Vistas, Revelstoke, BC.

Jack brought my dream bike to life! I decided to replace my rigid bike with a steel hardtail, and discovered Jackalope bikes around the same time. The opportunity to have a custom bike built just down the street from where I live was too good to pass up. Though Jack was just starting his company, it was immediately clear that he was an expert - not only in fabrication and welding, but also in bike design and geometry. At times I felt like I was asking for a unicorn, but Jackalopes must be closely related because somehow Jack managed to incorporate all of my requests. His strengths are his attention to detail and creative problem solving. When I felt overwhelmed by the endless choices involved in a custom bike, Jack instinctively refined each detail to ensure the final product matched my goals. A comfortable fit was a priority for me, and both Jack's design and a fitting from team member Brittany allowed for long days on the bike with minimal discomfort. Since getting the bike in summer 2023, I have ridden it over 3000 km on both local mountain bike trails and long-distance bikepacking routes. These have included the Oregon timber trail, high rockies trail in Kananaskis, and the Highland Trail 550 bikepacking race in Scotland, all completed without a single mechanical (or biomechanical) issue, thanks to Jack's meticulous build. I highly recommend Jackalope bikes!