Only here in raw-unfinished form for both frame and dedicated carbon fork, Bowman's prototype stainless disc machine based on the Layhams looks like another winner, nonetheless
Only here in raw-unfinished form for both frame and dedicated carbon fork, Bowman's prototype stainless disc machine based on the Layhams looks like another winner, nonetheless - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
We like that Bowman is going to the trouble of adding a classic pump peg (and chain pip) to its stainless frames - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
The standard Stainless Layhams is a seriously good looking machine - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
The Layhams disc prototype has some seriously nice machined dropouts and flat disc mounts - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
12mm thru-axle at the rear and a bolt on replaceable dropout cum-mech hanger - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
Bowman has applied the same style of heavily machined dropout and disc mount to the prototype Palace disc - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
Threaded BB shells are the only way to go for Bowman - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
All of the cable fixtures and fittings are removable depending on what you build with - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
The prototype is raw and unfinished but the aluminium weld quality looks good - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
The sculpted tapered head tube is all-new on the alloy disc bike, and we like how it's shaping up - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
Upstart UK brand Bowman occupied a small corner of the Taipei bike show and we caught up with head honcho and bike designer Neil Webb so he could show us a few of the frames heading our way soon.
Neil’s take on stainless steel in the form of the Layhams has been a big success for the brand. Mixing contemporary road geo with classic slender steel tubes with a £1,333 price tag (complete with carbon fork) has certainly proved popular.
Only here in raw-unfinished form for both frame and dedicated carbon fork, Bowman's prototype stainless disc machine based on the Layhams looks like another winner, nonetheless - Warren Rossiter/Immediate MediaAll of the cable fixtures and fittings are removable depending on what you build with - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
So for 2017 the firm is adding a disc version complete with neat flat-mounts, Di2 routing and external removable cable guides, too.
Like all Bowman frames Webb has also reverted to a threaded BB shell for creak free running however you choose to build it. Pricing isn’t yet set but Webb thinks it should only be around £100 on top of the caliper brake Layhams.
The original aluminium Palace impressed us here at BikeRadar and its aggressive road-race cum crit competing :R version has pretty much sold out on pre-orders alone. We’re sure the bargain price of £579 helped.
Bowman has applied the same style of heavily machined dropout and disc mount to the prototype Palace disc - Warren Rossiter/Immediate MediaThreaded BB shells are the only way to go for Bowman - Warren Rossiter/Immediate Media
Webb gave us a sneak peek of the new aluminium disc race machine. With seriously increased tyre clearance and the same adaptability for drivetrains as the Layhams, the as-yet-unnamed aluminium chassis looks the business, and we’ve already put our order in for test rides on both the stainless and aluminium test bikes.
Warren is our senior technical editor for road and gravel. With 27 years of experience, he’s been testing bikes since before BikeRadar and the internet existed!
With an encyclopedic knowledge of bikes and what some would consider an excessive bike collection, Warren has been the mastermind behind our road Bike of the Year tests for over a decade. He has penned more than 2,750 bike tests.
His words have been published in Cycling Plus, Bikeradar, Mountain Biking UK, What Mountain Bike, Urban Cyclist, Procycling, Cycling News, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, T3 and a whole host of other publications. You’ll also find Warren as a regular on the BikeRadar Podcast and our YouTube channel.
He’s covered all the 21st-century innovations in cycling and ridden in Europe, Asia, Australasia, America and Africa. He’s been a judge for the Eurobike awards and judged handmade bikes at Bespoked.
Height: 6’2”/188cm
Bike size:58cm/L/XL
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