Zukas Cycles

I've known Nate for about 7 years now, he's the head mechanic at my favorite LBS.  When he got into building frames I really wanted one, but, my wife was going back to school to get her master's degree so we didn't have the funds for a new bike.  So, I waited.  She got done with school, got herself a job she likes, and I put in a deposit to get in line, and waited some more.

Well, I'm up now, and the bike is under construction! WOOOT!  Fillet brazed steel frame, Ritchey's new 1.125" carbon disc fork, Di2 Ultegra, hydro disc, room for 40's.  This will be my anything-that's-not-MTBing bike.  Geometry and tubing selection was left up to Nate.  It's got a low BB, which he and I both like, with a beefy-ish downtube and CS, with a skinnier/lighter seat tube, top tube, and SS's.  As for the actual tubing diameters and thicknesses, I couldn't tell you.

Some pics from Nate's Flickr.

Brake hose and wiring go into the frame on the downtube.
IMG_3627 by Nate Zukas, on Flickr

Bike has 3 sets of water bottle bosses.
IMG_3564 by Nate Zukas, on Flickr

BB is lugged, makes it easier to route the brake hose/wiring internally since it gives you more room to work in.  Signature Z cutout, it'll get a mesh screen to keep big stuff out.
IMG_3639 by Nate Zukas, on Flickr

IMG_3684 by Nate Zukas, on Flickr

Tidy Di2 wiring to the RD.
IMG_3624 by Nate Zukas, on Flickr

Main triangle brazed up along with the CS.
IMG_3697 by Nate Zukas, on Flickr

Nate does amazing work! You are lucky to be next in line!

That is going to be a beautiful bike! I have been on my new Zukas for about 3 weeks now and I am loving it. Mine is also a versatile design, but aimed more towards pavement and smoother dirt roads than for real gravel like yours. It was almost as great an experience working with Nate on the design and watching the progress of the build as it has been to build it up and ride it.

 
 

^Your bike turned out great BluesDawg!  I'll get to ride with you eventually, I want to get out there for the Red Clay Ramble one year.  The wife and I have also talked about eventually moving to your part of the state, that would put us about 2hrs from both sets of families, right now we're 3hrs from my folks and 4 from hers.  Probably be a couple years before we move though.

Stays are in!

IMG_3702 by Nate Zukas, on Flickr

That's a 40mm Clement MSO.

IMG_3700 by Nate Zukas, on Flickr

Some fillet clean up.

IMG_3699 by Nate Zukas, on Flickr

Stunning, dgaddis. I saw it posted on Facebook. Love the color! Is it a dedicated gravel rig, or will you join us for some GACX this year?

Sadlebred wrote:Stunning, dgaddis. I saw it posted on Facebook. Love the color! Is it a dedicated gravel rig, or will you join us for some GACX this year?

It's my not-MTB bike.  So road, gravel, or the occasional CX race.  Probably very few CX races, if any, simply because they're not close (unless Ross does another one here in Augusta, which every year he says is the last one lol) and I'm not interested in spending 4+hrs in the car for 45mins of racing.

I broke it in this weekend and it's AWESOME.

Wow! That's a beautiful bike! Nate is really hitting his stride lately.