Hampsten / Tournesol

[fixednwinter]

Sorry to be late to the party. Great, great MAX bike. It's great to see more riders on this great tubing. Even more important, pairing it with Steve's Classic geometry.

A lot of enthusiast riders would benefit from that '70's style geometry, rather than what's available stock on today's racing bikes. That touch of extra stability, and the versatility of being able to use tires beyond 23 or 25mm can make all the difference.

Beautiful paint, great choice of steel fork too.

[mumbleypeg]

I received this just about two weeks ago. I told Steve what I wanted the bike to do. The hardest part was color. I hadn't thought about it. We talked about Masi, he showed me his Team Pro and I really liked the color. The details were up to Steve and the craftspeople at IF. I love this bike.

[mumbleypeg]

Couple side shots.Matisse does such great work, my brother and I copped some ideas.

[Blue Jays]

Straight steel forks? Looks very cool from this angle!

[SeanEasley]

looks like a 'french fit'. very cool and I like the color choice. Those iris king cages are the best in the biz MHO

[mschol17]

Very nice photos.

[mumbleypeg]

Straight steel forks? Looks very cool from this angle!

Yes straight steel forks. I have straight steel forks on my Serotta and really like the feel and look. I believe Martin made the fork.

looks like a 'french fit'. very cool and I like the color choice. Those iris king cages are the best in the biz MHO

I have been admiring Rene Herse bikes for a while and this had some influence. I chose the combinations with an eye towards the great Masi bikes I used to see riding around San Diego in the late 70's and early 80's.

I also wanted a sort of gentlemanly vibe, just to remind me that this is a bike to get on, ride all day, enjoy the scenery and the company I keep.

When the bike was ready to ship, the email from Steve simply said " It looks bitchen"... He was right. I can add It rides bitchen too.

Kudos to all that had a hand in fabrication.

My brother is the photographer. It's his day job. I sorted the location and before I could even turn my camera on, he had banged out some great shots.

[Fourflys]

any new pics? Come on, I need bike porn! :D

[SteveP]

looks nice
ride it hard and plenty

[happycampyer]

Hampco knocks another one out of the park! That is a real beauty. Steve has said that he's going to stop making white/light bikes because the iridescence gets lost in the photos. Your bike isn't quite white (as the close up shows), but I bet that the color is even more stunning in person. You did a great job capturing it in the photos. Keep 'em coming, Steve!

Beautiful shots btw, you definitely got the Matisse vibe. Now that I know how to post hi-res pics, I need to post some new ones.

[stever]

Rode the blue bike up and over Mt Hamilton yesterday.
The bike is a great descender.
The Paul Racer brakes modulate better than any I've experienced.
Thanks to Hampco & DBRK for their expertise.

incredible, incredible bike.

[mschol17]

Here's the "final" setup of my Tournesol that I've had for about 1k miles.

There are more photos here
See the general forum for a ride report.

[John M]

Michael, the internal headlamp wiring on your front rack makes for such a smooth look. Also very cool how the bag support is integrated into the headset spacer. Looks like it also incorporates the cable stop for the brake. Clever, clean, and excellent all around.

[mschol17]

Michael, the internal headlamp wiring on your front rack makes for such a smooth look. Also very cool how the bag support is integrated into the headset spacer. Looks like it also incorporates the cable stop for the brake. Clever, clean, and excellent all around.

John, don't spread the rumor they do internal wiring... I asked and they don't. The wire is 3M taped to the inside of the rack strut, which works nicely.

The decaleur is slick, and the bag is really stable now that it's supported in two places.

[MIN]

michael, is the decaleur/cable stop from hampco? the proportions of your bike is lovely. alex singer would approve, i bet.

[mschol17]

michael, is the decaleur/cable stop from hampco? the proportions of your bike is lovely. alex singer would approve, i bet.

Yes, that's from Hampco. Thanks for the kind words; Steve is the one responsible.

[John M]

John, don't spread the rumor they do internal wiring... I asked and they don't. The wire is 3M taped to the inside of the rack strut, which works nicely.

The decaleur is slick, and the bag is really stable now that it's supported in two places.

OK. The tape job looks equally slick from a distance.

[DCT]

probably the smartest bike purchase ever

love love this bike

[mrowland]

Here's mine sans Honjos. Thanks to Steve for the great ride.

[John M]

This was Steve Hampsten's Strada Bianca that is pictured on the Hampsten Cycles website. I purchased it from Steve as part of his end of year clearinghouse sale and have been riding it near daily for the past couple of weeks. It really could have been made for me. If Steve drew up a custom for me, this is what it would look like. Steve had this set up with the Bontrager fork, which gives a different look than the wound up. We agreed to try it out for now. It seems to ride well and I think it looks fine with the Ti. It has lots of clearance, which I like since I may run this with some larger tires sans fenders. Fluted Honjos, long reach Shimano Brakes, King HS and SS cages are from Steve, and a the rest is a mishmash of parts I had on hand. I don't think this will be it's final configuration, but it is getting me around for now. Crappy Bontrager wheels get the job done for commuting

This is the bike I should have gotten when I first moved to Seattle. Impervious to weather, versatile, and very smooth riding. I am definitely now commuting in style. Fortunately, I have a secure place to park it at work.

Thanks Steve and thanks to my wife for allowing the financial end of this deal to happen.

Updated with better resolution pics.