Custom Orlowski Workhorse

I've had the same bike (my only bike) for four years now, a Dolan FXE, and we've had some incredible times together. It's been my commuter, my track bike (on the rare occasion I make it down to HH), my tourer (including a year travelling Canada, America and Mexico, and many other smaller jaunts) and for the past year and a half my daily courier steed.

Over the past year I've settled on (what I deem to be) a pretty dialed, comfy position but would still feel pretty beat up after long days in the saddle. I started looking for a new steel frame and almost settled on a steamroller but was heartbroken at the thought of hanging up my beloved FXE with something as ordinary and sluggish as a Surly (I know a Dolan ain't exactly exotic but it's my Dolan that I have a hell of a lot of history with).

This thread will be be a parting love-letter to my Dolan/document the coming together of the new bike.

First the old Dolan in few places and in different guises (in chronological order):

The one at the back, in brakeless commuter mode

In late 2011 I flew to Vancouver and embarked on a year long solo cycle adventure. I left Canada mid November straight into the cold and wet of the Pacific North-West winter. It was about 4/5 weeks of pretty testing riding and conditions to Northern California where I spent the Christmas and New Years period. From then on I didn't see rain for about 5 months as I continued to head South to Mexico. I rode the whole Baja peninsula, about a month of sleeping on beaches, getting chased by wild dogs, putting in the longest day rides of my life and generally enjoying the kind of freedom that only comes with that kinda of desolation. I then took a cargo ferry over to mainland Mexico and headed north back to America, over Arizonas high plains until I hit the Grand Canyon. From there west through Vegas and Death Valley to the Sierra Nevada valley. I rode North along the Sierra Nevada's until I got to Lake Tahoe then west downhill (literally about a 200mile decent) back to North California. I spent about 2 months living between San Francisco and Santa Rosa, cycling between the two every few days.

Here's a rough elevation profile of the entire trip. I include it just to show that it is absolutely possible to tour mountainous areas fixed.

Broken down somewhere along the Oregon coast. A proper wild and rugged, storm battered area. It was around the time that this pic was taken that I got caught in a Hurricane (80mph winds). I camped out for two nights having to get up every 5mins to re-peg my tent and couldn't face a third day of cabin (tent) fever or another sleepless night so made a move. I pushed into a direct and unrelenting head-wind all day, taking many involuntary U-turns as a gust would hit me and send me back the way I came. I was one of the hardest days I've ever had on a bike and I managed the sum total of about 30miles, that's not to say it wasn't a thoroughly enjoyable struggle.

Many months and many thousands of miles later I was finding myself in places like this. If that's not a picture of paradise and tranquility, I don't know what is. Baja, Mexico is so empty and sparsely populated that I had my own private beach most nights.

Although if you're lucky you can stumble upon luxury accommodation like this

This photo was taken near Flagstaff, Arizona. It's high up for hundreds of miles around, the air feels thin so I was puffing and panting and struggling with energy but you become accustomed to it. Then when you get back down to sea level the air feels thick and luxurious and you feel super strong.

I felt, after such a trip, that it would be too much of a come-down to fly directly from San Francisco back to London so I flew to Dusseldorf, Germany, and cycled home from there.

Upon arriving back in London I started working as a cycle courier. Here's the bike as I rode it for about 6 months.

Summer 2013. Me and a friend flew to Berlin and cycled home from there.

And finally after work today. Four years later and it's riding better than it ever did.