One-off Spoon Customs Vars Disc designed for Babble to take on the 2023 Ride Across Britain

Spoon Customs & Gun Control produce Babble-branded Vars Disc super bike and matching POC helmets for iconic annual endurance event, Ride Across Britain, which finished last month.

Unified Comms, Contact Centre and Cyber Solutions provider, Babble, who this year became the official cloud partner of the iconic Ride Across Britain (RAB), got us in to design and produce a unique branded helmet which Babble could gift to event participants who help them raise money for charity.

Babble wants to use their involvement in the event to drive tangible, positive social impact as the leading cloud technology company seeks to support young people to achieve their goals. Over the course of the three-year deal, Babble has committed to raising in excess of £500,000 for The Prince’s Trust and The Buffalo Foundation.

The helmets and bike will help Babble incentivise their riders and raise extra cash for their chosen charities. The helmets are customised versions of POC’s popular Ventral MIPS model and were designed in-house at Gun Control Custom Paint, then custom finished by Gun Control’s head painter, Sam Weeks.

The bicycle—showcasing the same Babble branding—is a customised version of the Spoon Vars Disc. Specially designed and fitted for Matt Parker, Chief Executive of Babble, who rode it in the event this year.

The legendary RAB cycling challenge takes 1,000 cyclists 980-miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats, showcasing Britain’s most breath-taking scenery over nine days. This bucket-list cycling challenge is a true test of stamina, attracting both intermediate and seasoned riders, who receive unrivalled support throughout. Over 25% of FTSE100 companies have been represented in the last three event years, with over 600 companies taking part.

The bike itself features a host of custom upgrades including Ceramic Speed jockey wheels, Garmin double-sided power meters and a Wahoo head unit. The bike’s drivetrain is Shimano’s Dura Ace Di2 groupset with wireless shifting, and the custom carbon wheels were hand-built by Ben Sharp of Sharp Precision Wheels onto DT Swiss 180 hubs to cope with the demands of the gruelling event.

Matt Parker, Chief Executive of Babble said: “Having completed Ride Across Britain six times, I’m looking forward to number seven in 2021 on board this very special Spoon Vars road bike. I personally know the huge challenge this event is, as well as the sense of achievement crossing the finish line brings. The right kit, fit for purpose is essential to that. Andy and the team have produced a stunning bike, and I'm proud that our riders will be able to benefit from these stunning helmets, too.”

Commenting on the bike Andy, Founder and CEO of Spoon Customs, said:

“This special Vars Disc—fitted and designed, specified around the physiology of the rider and the physical challenge presented by RAB this year—will ensure Matt is in the best possible situation to finish this event strongly and lead his team across the line and towards that 500k goal. Thanks to the customised POC helmets, they're all going to look awesome, too.”