We’re always excited to see a new Naked roll through Broad Street Cycles. We’d like to say Caleb’s 29+ Naked mountain bike has a more going on than your average Naked but that’s part of what makes Sam’s bikes so special: every one is built to match the person who’ll be riding it, and you can see those stories in all the bikes unique little details. The story to Caleb’s Naked Convoy has several chapters. Caleb is in the process of relocating to Quadra Island, including his wife Hanahlie’s fleet of alpacas that are the yarn behind Hinterland Textiles. Caleb’s also been working with Sam on a rework of the Naked Bicycles design. It’s fitting that Caleb’s own Naked would be one of the first adorned with the updated head badge and new look Naked lettering. Caleb’s also launching a new project, called Convoy, that’s become part of the 29+ build. The myriad details on the frame and paint alone could fill their own post, but Sam and Caleb have put together a killer build that, you know, really ties the bike together. So, let’s dive right in.
I first caught sight of Caleb’s 29+ in Sam’s Naked Bicycles workshop on Quadra Island as were getting ready for the annual NYE Boar Hunt Epic. What already looked very, very fine partially built in Naked HQ absolutely shines in the midst of the moss and lush winter greenery of Victoria’s trail networks. Caleb’s quickly racking up the miles since his Naked’s arrival in Victoria, so I tagged along on one of these rides to capture this beauty where it’s most at home.
The bike is built around 29+ wheels, the oversized version of 29″ mountain bike wheels that employ high volume tyres and low, low pressure for incredible traction and near magical rollover powers on trail. Steel tubing and plus tyres doesn’t immediately shout ‘agile and fun,’ but Caleb let me take a little rip on the Naked Convoy heading down Lighthouse trail and I was surprised by how fun it was to ride. Thetis was the perfect environment for the plus tyres to smooth out the roots and little rocks, and the bikes tight, winding corners let the incredibly balanced, agile Naked to shine. The super light Industry Nine hoops probably don’t hurt the lightweight feel of the bike, and their ‘herd of angry bees’ freewheel sound is certainly distinctive. As are the the wild green spokes, hubs and even valve stem on the I9’s. Beyond colour matching, Industry Nine takes attention to detail to whole new levels: every freaking electric green spoke has ‘Industry Nine’ laser etched into it near the spoke nipple. Every. One.
On top of the beautiful arcing top tube – seat stay look that graces most Naked mountain bikes, Sam’s also included some neat bends in the down tubes and seat tubes. The downtube bends slightly around the front wheel to give a bit more clearance for the tyres as the front suspension moves through its travel. Out back, the seat tube bends as it approaches the BB. This curve allows Sam to keep the back end nice and tight, even with the extra tyre volume.
Caleb’s Naked is built with Paragon Machine Works rocker dropouts which let him easily revert his 29+ to the natural state of all Naked Bicycles, and especially those destined to grace Quadra Island dirt: single speed. To keep with the bikes theme, Sam’s painted the cutaways on Paragon’s dropouts green. Details, people. If you’ve ever been lucky enough to ride Quadra’s wonderfully steep, technical trails, you’ve probably wished for more gears, not less. Quadra-ites truely are a different, unquestionably tougher breed.
Convoy is a new project Caleb’s launching, starting with his own Naked 29+. Caleb had tied Convoy very closely to creating a safe and welcoming space for people dealing with mental health issues. He’s been very public about his own dealings with mental health, and has decided instead of keeping all that private, he’d like to talk to other people going through similar experiences and to try build a community around how bikes have helped him in the hope that others can find similar benefits in life on two wheels. There’s a website and more coming soon, which we will tell you all about as it grows.
A beautiful seat stay junction, Naked man, Sam’s autograph, a matchy matchy seat collar, and a RaceFace Turbine dropper. Details abound
Sam’s customized BB junction to adapt to the clearance 29+ requires, and to just keep it looking gooood
The headtube not only has a killer clean lug, all the way town to the tip, but that fantastic green
Not always obvious is Caleb’s green/black/grey colour scheme. The grey is fantastic detail that can disappear at first glance. But with such clean, swooping lines – why would you ever stop at just a first glance?
Race Face SixC carbon bars, and Atlas grips with green bits work so well with the bike.
Fox boost plus fork leave’s plenty of room, but what fun are factory decals? Convoy/Naked legs
A mix of Raceface and Shimano parts for the drivetrain
Race Face green anno chainrings, w/their cinch chainring ‘standard’
Chupaaaaa-Chupacabraaaaaaa. Reaches out and grabs traction all over the place. 3.00
Bontrager rubber meets some nice, wide Industry Nine wheels