NAHBS 2013: Holland Cycles

Holland Cycles’ Bill Holland has licensed the brilliant Ritchey Break-Away travel bike design. But in true boutique builder fashion he’s taken the concept and turned it up to 11. The Holland Jet has an asking price of US$4,300 to US$5,900 without fork or case – it’s on the extreme side but what you get in return is probably the finest travel bike you’ve ever seen.

The concept behind the Holland Jet is the same as the one behind the Break-Away: the segmented down tube connects just ahead of the bottom bracket with a pair of flanges and a clamp, while the seat cluster is cut at an angle and held together with the seatpost and dual binder bolts. Holland says it adds only 80g to a frame but means the disassembled bike can fit in a hard-sized S&S travel case that usually won’t accrue excess baggage fees.

Holland’s version looks stiffer than the Break-Away, however, with its bigger 1 1/2in-diameter down tube and 1 3/8in-diameter seat tube. Also, the seat cluster joint is keyed for easier assembly, and the down tube flanges are secured with a more solid, two-bolt hingeless aluminum clamp, all machined by Paragon Machine Works.

The standard all-titanium Holland Jet is built with straight-gauge tubing and a straight 1 1/8in head tube for US$4,300. All Jets feature a fully customised fit and geometry, plus several top tube, down tube, chain stay, and seat stay diameter options.

The Jet fits into a standard S&S travel case

Particularly well-heeled or frequent travelers can also opt for Vyatek Sports’ striking ExoGrid tubeset, which co-molds carbon fiber and a cutout titanium tube to save weight while retaining titanium’s inherent damage tolerance. That option bumps up the price dramatically, however. An ExoGrid Holland Jet with titanium stays will cost a whopping US$5,900. 

ExoGrid or not, neither version of the Holland Jet comes with a fork, case, or build kit, but BikeRadar still wants one. The collapsible nature adds immense versatility but the handbuilt quality, exclusivity, near-invisible couplers, and expectations of outstanding ride quality should make for a fantastic everyday bike.

Also on display at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show was a custom machine Holland built for basketball great Bill Walton and a gorgeous disc brake-equipped titanium road bike. 

Walton stands at a commanding 2.11m (6ft 11in) so Holland built his bike with enormous titanium tubing throughout, including 1in-diameter chain stays and an oversized 44mm head tube that houses a tapered steerer. 

Huge chain stays on Bill Walton’s titanium Holland Cycles road bike

The disc road bike is much smaller in stature but uses similar tubing sizes plus an ENVE Composites fork and Paragon machined dropouts and disc tabs.

Both bikes showcased outstanding paintwork, too, proving again that just because titanium can be left bare doesn’t mean it should be.

For more information see the Holland Cycles website.