Simon Usborne a long time customer of Cyclefit's rode a landrace Boxer from London to Paris last Autumn for a feature in the FT with Lead Out Events:
When I popped down into the Cyclefit basement a few months ago, I was, in some ways, back pedaling through time. My relationship with Phil and Julian started in 2009 when the British cycling scene was about to explode in the run-up to 2012. I was then a young journalist of 27 and a new convert to the road, riding an ex-display Trek Madone I’d bought on a whim from a long-gone bike shop in Sussex (I’d only popped in for a pair of socks).
Phil popped me and my new bike on a turbo trainer and determined that my impulse buy had been a mistake. The fit was all wrong (too aggressive for what were already then tight hamstrings and relatively short arms). So he stuck me on the old Sizecycle jig, made some custom footbeds, told me not to slouch and created the geometry for a gleaming new Guru (RIP).
More than 15 years later, having worn the same insoles and applied that geometry to a succession of road bikes, I’m 43 and firmly locked into my midlife cyclist era. This time, it was a better fitting gravel bike I was interested in trying for an off-road London-Paris ride in late September. And that’s where the time travel came in.
As Jules put me back on a jig, I was interested to know what a decade and a half of sitting at a desk had done to my form. Then, out of nowhere, grainy video clips of me that Phil had captured in 2009 appeared on the screen. There I was in an early Rapha jersey, some old Assos shorts and some very low black socks. I couldn’t help noticing that I still had hair.
Jules needed new measurements for a Landrace Boxer that I hoped would get me to Paris. A new, gravelling sister to his and Phil’s acclaimed Landrace Tupelo all-road frameset, the Boxer is designed with comfort in mind. It has a sensible stack height at the front and a slightly shorter frame than some bikes on the market, so as not to ask too much of the back or arms. There’s also a steeper seat angle to make life easier for the hips.
Apart from the hair loss and dated outfit, I was relieved to observe in the live view of my contemporary form that I did not look like a completely knackered version of my 20-something self (rather, I still look like a slightly awkward lanky man). Even so, Jules made some tweaks to my old geometry, swapping out 175mm pedal cranks for a shorter pair of 165mm cranks that would provide even more relief for my hips, and making a new set of footbeds that would support the slight outward roll of my feet.
A few weeks later I was back to borrow a Boxer built for my frame, with big 45mm tyres. Looks may matter less as we age, but this was a stunning machine, with full internal cable routing, a sleek integrated stem, silver painted carbon forks to match the beautifully welded frame, as well as Hope hubs in a head-turning orange. I was smitten before I’d done my first kilometer.
The affair only deepened after some day rides during the summer as I trained for London-Paris, for which I had signed up with new outfit Leadout Events. I had so far only ridden my own budget Vitus gravel bike, a reliable but uninspiring steel bike to which I had added a rising stem to ease an uncomfortable reach. Even after that bodge, I’d still end up with an aching lower back after longer rides. It’s also a good kilo heavier than the Boxer.
On the trail to Paris, I was doing about 100km a day over four days. That’s the longest time I’ve spent in the saddle for years. But as I pedaled south, via Dieppe, Rouen and Vernon, I felt comfortable from the first pedal stroke to the last. The Boxer was also a joy to ride, whether I was zipping through forests at 30kmh or slogging up flinty climbs. I somehow felt comfortable and stable, yet also almost like the 27-year-old wide-eyed newby who walked into Cyclefit all those years ago.
By the time I rolled into Paris, much of the titanium and those sparkling hubs were hidden under layers of mud splatter, but the bike’s qualities shone through. I almost felt good enough to ride it.
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Big thank you to Matt Buckley for the photos: mattbuckleyphoto.com
