This here bad boi is my COVID CRUSHER.. Actually this is my “road” bike, my training rig and occasionally my race bike if the shred calls for skinny tires. Right now it is set up for long solo rides. I have to carry all my own snacks because stopp
But my current COVID CRUSHER wouldn’t be here if not for this frame, the first ever CX/Gravel bike Andrew LOW ever made. Back in 2012 I started to bug Andrew about making a CX bike. I had left Cinelli and still really wanted an aluminum CX bike t
The thing with Andrew LOW is… He is a real deal craftsman. He wanted to have custom bent and shaped tubes for his first foray into dirt bikes. Tube shape has a huge impact on how an alloy bike handles. BUT first he had to build the machines to b
The first prototype was pretty rough ascetically, but it’s purpose was not to look fancy. The newly formed TCBCX (TCB Courier Cyclocross) race team was to use this prototype to test the geometry, ride quality, and general shreddability. TCBCX was
One of the things that has always stood out to me about this prototype frame is the welds… You can see them, loud and clear, which for a LOW frame is not normal. Andrew takes such care to weld smooth and then sand and finish his frames so you would
After prototype testing was done this frame went to none other than TCB rider, the “silent killer”, Nick Keane (named for his calm and quiet demeanor offset by his voracious and mildly unscrupulous messenger work ethic). The team originally got the
The Silent Killer hard at work racing the prototype frame in my personal favorite TCBCX kit, “The Sunrise kit” designed by John Reiss.
One of the major differences between this frame and every other LOW dirt frame was the 1 1/8 inch head tube. We knew we wanted to have a tapered head tube for the race frames but couldn’t source a proper fork in time. So Andrew built this around
This was the beginning of the end for rim brakes, quick release wheels and tubed tires. The winds of change were blowing and we were resisting as hard as possible!
It is so rad that the whole TCBCX was able to, as a group, test and prototype this LOW CX frame. Not many frame builders are willing to go through this type of R&D process. It shows a huge measure of trust from Andrew as well as a commitment t
From all the TCBCX rider feedback and his own shredding, Andrew built his first small run of CX frames for the teams 2015 season. John Reiss designed the livery, matching our race kits from Endo customs. I believe the first run was 6 frames.
One of the coolest things about the pro peleton is how perfect, all the teams look. Matching bikes, that match the kit, that matches the helmets, that matches the eye wear.. you get it. John and mine’s plan was to get the TCBCX squad looking as p
The TCBCX team had custom matching helmets from GIRO, matching eyewear from OAKLEY. Color coded race day bags from ILE and fresh components for the new bikes from RITCHEY. Speed came complements of carbon race wheels from ESSOR. City and County,
The tapered head tubes were a game changer for many of us. The increased stiffness and improved handling fueled the stoke. But, like the true messengers we were, we resisted the changing tide of disc brakes. Instead opting for a classic rim brake
It’s the little things that really make a bike for me, the small imperfections or unique touches. So when Andrew realized he had misspelled my last name he immediately wanted to repaint the frame. I, on the other hand, thought it was amazing and
See.. definitely my frame.
TCB had been working with Bobby of Endo Customs since our very beginnings. When John Reiss first gave into our badgering to make us a kit, Bobby was there to take the ball and run with it (the original camo kit is still my favorite courier company
Many of the changes Andrew made to the design of the bike from prototype to initial production run were only obvious upon closer inspection. The bending and shaping of the tubes became nearly as important as the welds that held the frame together.
The extreme bending of the tubes was needed to gain tire clearance while still accommodating the 68mm english BB shell. Not wanting to incorporate a wish bone stay for “ mainly aesthetic reasons” Andrew was forced to use tube shape to gain tire cle
The only real bummer of CX season is that it ends.. no more weekends spent racing and hanging out. But for these team bikes it was only the beginning! For me this bike was when I really started to shy away from standard road bikes and started usi
When the going gets tough, the tough start…walking. This was on a cow trail near the town of Esmeraldas Ecuador. When I dug this frame out of the basement to shoot it for this post, some of this red dirt drifted out.
Geoff Best’s team bike.
Geoffs bike post race. photo : John Reiss
Ryan Gallagher’s team bike.
Andres in action ripping the red tape! photo : John Reiss
For me this project coincided with the beginning of my relationship with ZIPP and SRAM. For the new build they spared no expense.
SRAM Force 22 11spd drive train, Force Cranks, 303 Firecrest wheels with 700x35 Continental tires (with tubes). Ritchey supplied the cockpit and seat post (last non ZIPP build for me since). Selle San Marco saddle with Cadence bar tape. TRP mini
One of my absolute favorite memories with this bike was racing the “Wheelers and Dealers” race at Interbike 2015. I had just got my Subaru WRX and a bunch of us drove down to Las Vegas via HWY 395. I ran the car out of gas about 4 hours outside of
While most of these bikes have since be relegated to racers garages and basements ( a couple have been sold and are floating around out there..) one has continued to shred into the new decade. Geoff Best converted his team LOW to a TRACKCX bike thr
Geoff is one of those guys who will cheerily drink you under the table the night before a race. Then the next day, mid race, pass you with a cheerful exclamation all while sketchily airing some bump in the course. Then be there to offer you a col
There is even a epilogue to the TCBCX LOW team bikes. In the 2016 we brought some new shredderz onto the team and Andrew was willing to once again test some new things with TCBCX. Michelle received a disc version of the team bike, and Cubby conv
The only LOW SSCX ever made.. photo : Aaron Wojack
Cubby is a tried and true shredder, jumping from his BMX bike into CX racing he was the only racer who didn’t want a skin suit.. instead he got a custom printed cut off t-shirt. photo: Aaron Wojack
Andrew took the track drop out from his MKII track frame to build this one off biike. Photo : Aaron Wojack
Custom name stickers are PRO.. custom name stickers with your nickname on a hand built race frame is SUPER PRO! photo : Aaron Wojack
Full Send! photo: Aaron Wojack
Michelle’s team bike is also a bit of an interesting cross over. The same geometry as the other TCBCX frames. This bike came with disc brakes, but still retained quick release wheels. This represents a transition period for Andrew, moving into t
SO, that brings us along to the bike under review. I guess this would be a LOW Gravel MKII, I got this in 2017 for the Transcontinental race, and in keeping with the finest of traditions it was built in Andrew’s shop by Derek Yarra only one day bef
I had never done a race like TCR before, and so it was fitting that this bike was a brand new to me as well. Finally graduating to thru-axle and hydraulic disc brakes, SRAM sent me the newly dropped ETAP HYDRO with WiFli. The WiFli system allowed
Really the only bummer about this build, that would eventually dictated the fate of this bike, was tire clearance. I ran 700x32 tubeless Clement USH tires for the TCR. When Derrek finished the build he notice that there was barely 2mm of clearance
I went with a compact crankset on this build and have never gone back. I find that since i’m not sprinting 6 deep for the finish line very often I had no need for a huge front ring and all the need for more climbing gears! My first TCR I went with
This was also my first build rolling road tubeless tires, and I have never looked back. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, tubeless is the JAM!! Yea, they are tough to mount and get set up, but once they are on those rims tubeless is a tot
This ILE saddle bag was given to me by none other than Steve Blick and it has served me well for years! I used to hate saddle bags and always carried my tools in my jersey, but after numerous saggy jersey bottoms and constant lower back pain I gave
This MASH x Selle San Marco Regal saddle fits in most excellently with the LOW’s paint job. Designed by Al Nelson based on image capturing tools including lens charts and test strips. Slowly wearing the artwork off with hours of sweaty friction…yu
I was a MTB pedal dude for years, it wasn’t until RHC came around that Kyle and Walton convinced me to ride road pedals. I dabbled in LOOK pedals for a short time before settling with the Shimano platform. These Ultegra road pedals are bomb proof,
Part of riding bikes during this time of COVID is being prepared to not stop for supplies so as to limit your human contact. With that in mind I ditched my trusty frame pump for this OuterShell top tube bag. Designed and built in SF by a long time
I am a big fan of ultimate comfort while out training and riding. I prefer to eat real food like bagel sandwiches and fresh fruit rather than bars and gels. “Space food” as we call it definitaly has it’s place in racing, but too much processed rid
This is the normal kit that I carry on the bike while out riding. With the exception of the pump, normally I have a frame pump but opted for the Road Morph in the top tube bag. In the handle bar bag: Kook exchange knife made out of skateboard deck
Some good friends on here..
Always improving Andrew tweaked the tube once again on this frame to increase stiffness and responsiveness while maximizing tire clearance. Only bummer is the FD limits the bike to 700x33 tires.. but them sweet sweet curvy tubes make for a ripper o
I got the frame raw and unpainted from Andrew and knew i wanted something a little more special than I could create with some spray paint. So I sent the frame to Lucas Strain in Eugene OR. At the time he was painting for STOMPER in addition to run
Lower than some... Andrew's buttery smooth welds (welds!?!? what welds? you see any WELDS?!!) combined with Luca's paint job constantly have people thing the bike is carbon..or even titanium.
Please, step into my office.. I was vehemently against cycling computers for a long time ( remember “No Garmin No Rules”?). I thought experiencing the ride was more important that staring at numbers on a screen, still believe that. BUT the more I
From the very beginning the bar wrap has been mismatched, taken from the samples of various MASH bar tapes that may or may not have made it into production. Not a bad place to spend 6-8 hours a day.
Lucas lined up the LOW logo on the head tube and fork as a nod to the green MASHxCinelli Parrallax prototype. It took me a while to convince Andrew to let me try this but I think it was worth it.
I always loved the old Maipei Colonago's and these geometric shapes were a homage to that design.
After racing TCR 2017 Nico and I realized that we needed dyno hubs to power our next adventure. ZIPP was gracious enough lace 30course rims to the SON dyno hubs we picked out. This bike rocked a dyno hub and SineWave cycles light for years.
TCR 2017 set up, my very first Ultra Endurance race, first Aero bars, first full frame bag (custom made to fit this frame by Outershell, as well as the seat bag). This was an eye opening experience for me and set me on the path I am on today. I le
TCR 2018, better, lighter, faster. You can see I learned a lot from the year previous. Same saddle bag, but pretty much everything else has been changed to better accommodate the race and my needs. This was the introduction of the dyno hub, same
Post TCR 2018 Nico and I went on a 2 week adventure in the wilds of Labrador Canada. This set up is more for comfort and supplies than pure speed. Later in this trip bags were strapped to the fork to carry even more gear as we pushed further North
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