@ultraromance’s signature frame from Crust - in UBW’s interpretation
The story began with something as beautiful as a NOS seatpost from Campagnolo. That’s what we call the bike’s “hero piece”: a specific component that you build the bike around. The seatpost sat in the darkness of a storage room for many years, tucked inside its battered box, patiently waiting for the chance to see the light of day on two wheels.
We spent a lot of time with the delighted owner of this Crust bike. The customer wanted to use the seatpost, but that’s tricky when most modern bike frames have adopted compact geometry, with the short seat tubes that come with it.
Romanceür’s geometry is modeled after a classic French randonneur bike with low trail. The bonus of the long seat tube is that you can use short seatposts, as was the standard in the past, and achieve what’s known as a “French fit.” Beauty may be subjective, but we can certainly appreciate the symmetry of having the saddle and handlebars at the same height. We should mention here that horizontal top tubes can be a problem for riders with shorter legs, which is why most bike manufacturers today make fewer sizes in a compact geometry that fits more people. Many of our customers, however, appreciate timeless standard geometry, and luckily, this bike suits the connoisseur in question. For reference, the saddle height is set to 80 cm.
The handlebars were also lying around in our stash: a lovely swept-back bar offering great comfort. We chose Microshift shifters for several reasons: they’re minimalist, have a durable metal construction, and are practical, letting you choose between indexed and friction shifting. Not least, they look better than modern plastic versions. For the grips, we went with Japanese PVC grips from Rindow. The transparent color reminds us of cola candy, which at least matches the frame’s Rootbeer color scheme.
The result was a luxurious commuter bike that isn't afraid to take detours on gravel. We’d argue that a bike like this can handle most things. To keep the dream alive, we left the wheels’ final form for the future, when we’ll likely build a pair of custom silver wheels. The story continues!
Spring 2026 update: the silver jewels (wheels) are installed, and the bike may be as complete as it can get.
The hubs from French brand Aivee shine beautifully in the sun on this warm afternoon in May.
Ron's Ortho Bars are now used, adding comfort and putting you in a good mood.
Specifications:
- Frameset: Crust Romanceür Disc (Rootbeer) 62 cm
- Stem: NITTO UC-2 110 mm
- Handlebar: Backsweep bars (parts bin)
- Grips: Rindow Tarugata Retro PVC Grips - Translucent Brown
- Brakes: Growtac Equal Post Mount - Silver
- Brake levers: Dia-Compe SS6 (Silver)
- Headset: Dia-Compe ENE Ciclo CLA-1
- Seatpost: Campagnolo Athena (NOS parts bin)
- Saddle: Brooks Cambium All Weather C17
- Front derailleur: Shimano Tiagra
- Rear derailleur: Microshift R10
- Thumb shifters: Microshift
- Cassette: Shimano Tiagra 10sp 11-28T
- Chain: KMC X10
- Crankset: Velo Orange Grand Cru 50.4 BCD 46/30T Crankset - 175 mm
- Bottom bracket: Shimano 118 mm
- Wheelset: Hunt 650B (parts bin)
- Tyres: Ultradynamico Rosé Race 584-48 mm
- Pedals: MKS x Crust Super Gordito (Silver/Black)
- Mudguards: Velo Orange 650B Smooth 58 mm (Silver) /w added VO reflector
- Front loader: Manivelle Basket
