Our garage · Concept build — drafted, not built
A $6.5 k crit machine — long, low, slammed
What we'd build for the masters crit racer — aero where it matters at 45 km/h, stiffness at the BB for the sprint, integrated cockpit at exact race fit, brand chosen for a documented crash-replacement program.
This is a concept build. It's a bike we'd love to do — same spec discipline as our personal builds — but no rider's name on it yet. When someone commissions one, the photos and the real ride notes replace this page.
Another concept — drafted, not built. Same spec discipline you'd see on a real Provara build, but the rider isn't real yet.
Devon's archetype: 41, 82 kg, masters crit racer, just got an insurance check from a corner pile-up that totalled his last bike. He's done two years of quiet research; he knows exactly what he wants. The job here is to deliver it without him spending another weekend on the forums.
Everything on this spec is built around three race-day decisions. The frame brand is chosen because they have a real crash-replacement program at a real price — Devon's going to crash this bike at some point and the right brand turns that from a $4,000 disaster into a $1,500 swap. The wheels are hooked because the temperature in a Pacific Northwest morning race can take rim pressure to places hookless doesn't approve of. The cockpit is integrated at his exact dimensions — 40 cm bar, 110 mm stem, -17° — because his fit is settled and he's done compromising.
Power comes from his existing pedals. We don't sell him a meter he doesn't need. That's the only line on the spec where we'd be saving him money on something obvious.
The chainstay protector and the spare derailleur hanger ship in the box. Because he's going to want them and he won't think to order them until the first wet corner.
The build
| Frame | Aero direct-buy frameset with aggressive geometry — 55-56 stack/reach band, brand chosen for a documented crash-replacement program |
|---|---|
| Groupset | SRAM Force AXS or Red AXS — wireless, no cable stretch to think about in race week |
| Wheels | 60 mm hooked carbon — confidence at 90 psi in a cold-morning race scenario, not hookless roulette |
| Cockpit | Integrated, 40 cm bar / 110 mm stem / -17° — speccable at exactly his fit numbers because we know them before ordering |
| Power | Brought from his existing power pedals — saves the meter cost |
| Tires | 28 mm tubeless, race compound |
| Spares | Chainstay protector + a spare derailleur hanger in the box, before the first race |
| All-in target | $6,500 including build, sourcing, duties and QC |
What we'd change next time
- When we build it, the integrated cockpit dimensions should come from a fresh fit, not a guess — even if his fit is "settled", a $200 fit session before a $6.5k build is the cheapest insurance available.
Want one like it?
Spec yours in the configurator — we'll propose a final build to approve before anything's ordered. Orders open July 2026.