Velow Bikeworks

Super cool retro custom build for . It’s as fast and fun as it looks.

Full restoration on this awesome all-original Cannondale R500. A full strip, clean, polish and rebuild and we’ve managed to keep it that way too. Ready for summer, whenever it might arrive.

A rare ride with retro vibes

A nice end to the week finishing this custom built Genesis Croix de Fer just in time for some summer adventures. This one was a custom commission but we always have more gravel frames and groupsets available to sell or build up into your dream bike.

Carlton Corsair restoration, from the chrome and paint right down to the bearings and bolts. A year in the making but well worth the wait.

Sad to see my Norman Fay go; I have fond memories of riding this bike fixed wheel to a couple of hill climb podiums. He was a flying machine back when I had the legs to do him justice. Happily he’s off to a good home where I know he’ll be ridden well. A proper bit of handbuilt British lightweight bicycle history.

Marco Pantani era Bianchi Alloy Pro (2000) in Mercatone Uno team colours. 57cm Mega Pro concept alloy frame with carbon forks. Campagnolo Calima wheels and 9s Mirage groupset. DM for price and more photos.

A classic Holdsworth Super Mistral getting the full restoration treatment. Vibrant Flam Red paint by , decals by .

A bit of a make-over on this Bianchi Dama Bianca. Equipped with Campagnolo and classic Italian finishing kit, naturally.

Late 90s Bianchi Mega Pro L with Campagnolo Athena 11s groupset. Reparto Corse handbuilt Italian frame, carbon forks and some classic Italian finishing kit this head-turner weighs in at not much over 8kg. It’s a stunning performance road bike oozing Italian flair. 56cm M/L frame. For sale, DM for price and more info.

Latest gravel bike build in custom 🇧🇪 champs jersey colours. Shimano GRX groupset, chainset, wheels and some tasty finishing kit from and make for a sweet all-rounder.

Stoked to have been entrusted with ’s dream build, the iconic Colnago C40. Kitted out with only the best Campagnolo Record Titanium 10s groupset, Mavic Cosmic Carbone wheels and some sweet carbon finishing kit. At a smidge over 7kg, this classic bike stands up to modern standards and goes as fast as it looks.

Luke had inherited his dad’s old 1970s Peugeot but after nearly 40 years of use it was in need of a bit of a refresh (see photos 2 and 5). Frame repaint by , custom decals lovingly recreated by and rare French-fit Mafac brakes sourced from . A labour of love but more than worth it to see it back to its beautiful best.

Fully custom Surly Straggler ready for a life of adventure. A super fun build around this versatile classic frame.
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Full restoration on this lovely 1983 Raleigh Record Ace. Owned from new by John, it had had a bit of a hard life (swipe for before photos) and needed some major work to get it back to how it once was. Before the frame could be repainted it needed a new top tube, down tube and fork steerer. Immaculate work by Geoff Roberts as always. Meantime we cleaned and serviced as many of the original parts as possible including the Weinmann brakes, Campagnolo derailleurs and finishing kit. Rebuilding it was a pleasure and it’s back to looking and riding like new, ready for another 40 years of rides.

A couple of classic British frames were the starting point for these two elegant and practical custom city bikes. A Raleigh Richmond Lady and a Dawes Galaxy, both made with the timeless Reynolds 531 tubing during the golden era of British frame building. Frames and racks expertly refinished by Kris . Handpicked finishing kit from , , and .

Velow Bikeworks founder features alongside a couple of dozen inspiring riders in ’s new book Great British Gravel Rides. The book will be out in July but is available to preorder now, just in time for some summer inspiration. The book features a great variety of rides in all corners of the UK; I took Markus around my boyhood Ochils loop, showing you don’t need to venture deep into the wilds to find some awesome gravel riding. Cheers for the opportunity to show you round my local area Markus

As a teenager in the 90s, the Chas Roberts D.O.G.S. B.O.L.X. was my ultimate dream bike that I never saw in the flesh and had zero chance of ever owning. The next best thing has been restoring this one for its lucky owner who’s had it from new and rode it hard, just the way it should be. Frame repaint by Andy (who did a supreme job as always but the bare frame is a work of art in itself), stem by , decals by and wheelbuild by . We stripped and refurbished the Doug Bradbury Manitou forks with new elastomers from the States to replace the rock-hard originals. Braking is provided by Dia Compe 987 cantilevers. Another crucial element was to replace the 27.2 seatpost with a 27.0 as was originally intended. Deore thumbies working the Deore DX derailleurs driven by Specialized cranks with NOS Tioga rings. Finished off with a Flite saddle, and Billy Bonkers tyres. An absolute dream bike to restore and now back to its early-90s glory.

1998 GT Xizang, the stuff of boyhood dreams. Semi-modern set up with Hope front disc on Pace XC31 forks, 1x9 XT Rapid Rise drivetrain. Other nice touches include a USE Alien Carbon seatpost, Surly bars and DMR Moro DJ tyres. There’s nothing quite like a 90s GT and this one is particularly rad.

Early 90s mountain bikes make awesome custom utility/town bikes. This ‘92 Specialized Hardrock Comp has been reimagined as a solid everyday run-around. Some practical upgrades include a front rack, mudguards and a 1x drivetrain. Our full refurb/custom build means this bike will provide another 30 years of fun. Frame respray by Kris , build by .

A stunning Benotto 3000 now with components to compliment its Italian heritage. This iconic frame was handbuilt in Italy and is in awesome condition for its age. Only classic Cinelli and Campagnolo components would do for a build like this. Nuovo Record, Victory and Gran Sport parts looking and performing as good as they did the day they were made - measured in decades rather than years. The perfect bike for Eroica Britannia and sunny Sunday rides.

Thanks to our awesome customers, friends and partners who made 2021 such an epic year. The workshop is now closed for a wee winter break. We’ll be back on 5th January doing what we love; building and fixing bikes. Hope everyone stays safe and has a braw Xmas and New Year. See you in 2022.

We’re open until 2pm on Thursday 23rd December for any last minute gifts or fixes. Open again on Wednesday 5th January. Exclusive hats by the supremely talented .me, t-shirts, adventure mugs, patches and stickers by local illustrator - check out her latest lovely work .

We also have all sizes of organic cotton t-shirts printed locally by the awesome in Leith. Plus our gift vouchers can be made out to any amount and put towards a custom bike, vintage parts, one-to-one Maintenance Class or Build Your Own Bike session.

1998 Peugeot Performance 5000 restored to its bold and bright original condition; looking exactly like it would’ve when Ken bought it new almost a quarter of a century ago. Photo 2 is the original catalogue picture for comparison. It came to us a couple of months ago a little worse for wear with a seized seatpost, frame rust and components that were either worn or, in the case of the shifters, not functioning at all. A full frame strip & respray by Kris and fresh decals expertly recreated by Steve brought the frame back to vibrant life. Meantime we cleaned and polished all reusable components while sourcing a few necessary period correct replacement parts. Apart from being unable to find a replacement pair of orange Vittoria tyres this fully restored bike is spec’d exactly as it would’ve been when it left the shop in the late 90s. Right down to the impossible-to-find bartape and brake pads. A truly sympathetic restoration of a bike with a personal history for its one and only owner.

Salsa Fargo and Timberjack. A couple of incredible titanium bikes in for a bit of work this week. Both kitted out with nothing but the best components money can buy from the likes of Rohloff, , , , , , , and plus custom bags from the awesome and local . The Fargo (left) will be available to buy shortly and is a whole lot of bike for the money. There’s nowhere this bike couldn’t take you and it might be the last and only bike you’ll ever need. Detailed listing coming soon.

Awesome Shand Stoater rebuild after a custom repaint in Penguin Classics Orange by

Worth the wait getting this classic Guerciotti Columbus frame restored to its stunning original condition. Full strip down of the frame, rechrome, repaint, new decals and lacquer. While the frame was being refurbished we got to work stripping, cleaning, servicing and polishing the Campagnolo groupset, wheels and Cinelli finishing kit. A 12 week project that took over 12 months but it was well worth the wait.

Some nice details on Stuart’s Bob Jackson custom fixie, in for a few upgrades. Handbuilt wheels with PAUL Components Track hubs, Spaim race spokes and H+Son rims. Other highlights include PAUL Components Racer front brake, Nitto Front Rack, Phil Wood fixed sprocket, gold Izumi Super Toughness track chain and gold Dia Compe chainring bolts. Super solid, super silent and super smooth, just as you’d expect.

Bring your kids to work day. Introducing our daughter Molly to the sights and smells of the Velow workshop. It’s a bit of a tradition among the McKay family, isn’t that right Uncle David?

Fermeture exceptionnelle. The workshop is closed for a week or so. We’ll be back soon but meantime we’ve got a couple of nice wheel builds on the go and we’ll try to reply to any queries via the website and on Instagram.