Mclaren Belize Blue Izoard RR with DA R9100

Spoon Customs Izoard RR in Mclaren Belize Blue, shot by Simon Eldon at Goodwood circuit

When James first came across Spoon Customs at Bespoked in 2018 we were showing four bikes. 

It was back in the days of the Brighton shop when I worked on my own. Every single one of the show bikes had been built in the alley way at Orange Row Speed Shop under the street light, after hours. The last one was finished at 3.30am the night before the show.  

Unsurprisingly I was late for set up at the event. Three of the four bikes still needed bar tape which at the time I hated doing anyway.  But, I made the deadline, opened the stand and started talking to people. 

I went home exhausted and we didn’t win anything that first year but people liked the bikes and it felt like I’d won the lottery. I’d also ‘got away with it’ in that they didn’t know how close I came to not making it and no one noticed I screwed up the bar tape on one bike. Or if they did no one mentioned it. 

James (the owner of the Izoard RR in this post) was one of the people who came by that weekend. 

The Mclaren 720S, the inspiration for the paint on James’ Spoon Customs Izoard RR. Picture via McLaren.

Months later he called me and said he was interested in a bike. He told me how he’d retained a flyer he’d picked up from my stand. He’d kept it despite putting everything else in the recycling and that’s why he’d called me. 

When I recently asked him why he choose us again he immediately sent me a picture of the flyer which he’d kept with a message;

“The things I remember most were the paint finishes, the neatness and intricacy of the welds, and the basic concept of the bike being designed by one guy, welded by another, and painted by a third. Completely custom made. ”

TiG welded Italian Columbus HSS Steel, using our progressive geo, matched to their outstanding Futura fork. Pic Simon Eldon.

James is a consultant engineer and specialises in reliability, in defence. This guy makes sure military hardware works and never stops working when it’s needed. He knows how to stress test designs to make sure they don’t let you down.

Mclaren Belize Blue Spoon Customs Izoard RR with Dura Ace 9100, rolling on Mavic Cosmic Pro Carbon wheels, with Ritchey finishing kit. Pic by Simon Eldon.

Every project is a journey of some sort. The process and learning about the design decisions that go into your custom bike is part of that. James’ involvement - thanks to his background - was a level of scrutiny I’ve never experienced and no stone was left unturned. It was a proper journey for me too. 

With any customer we always discuss gearing, tubing, geo and component choice. As part of that we talk to major design decisions made in the context of each customer but it’s the first time I’ve been THAT FAR down the design rabbit hole with a customer.

Chris King’s Inset 7 bearing up front. Standard fitment on all Spoon Customs bikes. Pic by Simon Eldon.

As the project progressed we would spend evenings discussing cable routing and the potential stress risers caused by holes and fittings; the way water would ingress and egress through the frame; how we’d ensure resistance to corrosion; which paint finishes would be most robust, and which route cables should take to remove ANY chance of cable rub. Things I kinda hoped I had covered already but you don’t really know until someone really shines a light on it. His light made me feel like a rabbit stuck in the middle of the M25 at night. 

DuraAce R9100. External cables and rim brakes for ultra reliability, and ease of maintenance. Pic by Simon Eldon.

Stripped back to perhaps an even purer position than the first Izoard RR this one is a rim brake bike too - we make so many disc bikes now - and this one comes with Shimano’s DA mechanical gearing too. No Bluetooth or batteries in sight. 

The brief for paint was simplified too. With a result we need not have worried about. Sam Weeks at Gun Control Custom Paint worked his magic with this custom mixed Mclaren-sourced Belize Blue. 

I asked James for a few words about the process and project. He said: 

“The outcome I’m still in love with. I’ve been knocking PR’s out going uphill by minutes, not seconds. The machine is literally a rocket.”

Thanks, James. From David, Sam, Luke and I. It’s been an absolute blast building this one for you. 

Enjoy the bike mate.

Sam Weeks at Gun Control Custom Paint executed the flawless paint, in Mclaren Belize Blue, mixed in house. Pic by Simon Eldon.