Saffron Frameworks frame

Outrageously beautiful, in my opinion anyway, this Saffron Frameworks custom build road bike offers a supreme ride and performance.

There's an exciting resurgence underway in the UK. Away from the glare of the mainstream, where the likes of Cav and Froome are regular fixtures in the sports pages of the national newspapers, there's a thriving bespoke framebuilding industry. There's even a dedicated show that attempts to display the most interesting creations, Bespoked UK, held in Bristol every April.

Saffron Frameworks was founded in 2009 by Matthew Sowter. He is just one of a growing number of framebuilders who specialise in made-to-measure frames, crafted to the exact requirements of each customer and finished with a custom paint job. It's a very different experience to walking into a bike shop and buying an off-the-shelf bike from a large manufacturer. And, like most of these (typically young) framebuilders, he solely works with steel.

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The level of quality, for someone who has only been building frames for a handful of years, is exquisite. He has won various awards over the years, testament to the quality of his workmanship. As a result of his growing reputation and the popularity for going custom, there's a long waiting list to get a Saffron frame.

If you want to see the man in action, this nice video adds a bit more background. Wondering where the Saffron name comes from? 

A personal build

The Saffron tested here is Matthew's very own personal bike, built up as a dedicated winter bike. Every frame he builds is the result of a collaboration with the customer, but this bike has been assembled to his very own wishlist of requirements. It features colour-matched mudguards, integrated lights, disc brakes, space for 28mm tyres and some smart equipment.

Suffice to say, the bike hasn't been customised for me in any way, but as luck would have it, Matthew and I must be about the same height because the bike – a 56cm frame size – fitted me like a pair of well-worn slippers. All I had to do was set the saddle to the correct height and off I went.

In a world of carbon copies, the Saffron really stands out. Many of the test bikes that pass through the road.cc office turn heads but few receive as many admiring glances and comments as the Saffron. One reason for buying a bespoke bike is the opportunity to get a custom paint job, and the finish on this bike is first class. The custom painted mudguards are the icing on the cake, and lift the aesthetic appearance of the bike into another class. It's probably the nicest looking mudguard-equipped bike I've ever clapped eyes on.

Saffron only works with steel – this one is made from Columbus Zona tubing – but the colour-matched Kinesis Tracer fork is carbon fibre. While the fork has a conventional quick release axle, the rear dropouts accommodate a 142x12mm thru-axle, an emerging standard on disc brake-equipped road bikes.

The bike has been built up as a durable and versatile bike for the winter, but also with an eye on summer riding. It's a year-round bike, effectively, intended to be practical and comfortable, whether it's for winter commuting or summer audaxing.

As a Saffron customer you would choose your own components, but here a Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset provides the reliability and shifting performance we've grown accustomed to with the Japanese company's electronic drivetrains. There are also Shimano hydraulic disc brakes with 140mm disc rotors at both wheels and the latest flat mount fixings.

The build features Kinesis RaceLight Disc tubeless-ready wheels with Schwalbe Pro One tubeless tyres, in a fashionable 28mm width. The frame will take 30mm tyres with the mudguards removed.

A smart demonstration of the attention to detail offered by Saffron is the neat integration of the Supernova Airstream 2 light and matching Tail Light 2. The front light is fixed to a small bracket mounted to the fork, and houses the battery that powers both lights. The front light projects 205 lumens with a run time between 2.5 and 7 hours, with three brightness modes available.

All the wiring for the Di2 drivetrain and the Supernova lights has very neatly been routed inside the frame.

The complete bike weight is a respectable 9.71kg (21.40lb).

Ride and performance

I've ridden a fair few steel bikes over the years, and the Saffron provided the predictable ride character that I love about a really well-made steel road bike. With the large volume tyres run at a low pressure, the comfort was supreme, the bike taking care of horrible road surfaces and providing much smoothness.

It's a lovely bike to ride at a leisurely pace, taking in the scenery on a longer ride and deciding which pub to stop at for lunch. But there's more to the Saffron than a gentle touring or audax bike. Push a little harder and you can detect a stiffness in the frame that allows you to make rapid progress. The steering is light and it turns into corners with tight control and precision. Short lunchtime rides are fun and exciting on the Saffron.

There's a lovely marriage of frame and equipment that makes it a really practical bike for everyday riding. Each component has been carefully chosen and it all shines individually but comes together really well. There's really nothing I would change about the bike if I were to own it (apart from the fork, see below). The brakes are firm and powerful and the Di2 is quiet and crisp, while the integration of the front and rear lights is beautifully done, the front providing a good beam and brightness for night time country lane cycling.

> Check out 15 of the best steel road bikes here

It's a really good all-rounder. It was right at home in the steeper Cotswolds hills, though the weight does rob you of some pace when the gradient increases. On the descents, it tracks sharply with a precision from the frame that allows you to move the bike around the road, such as lining up for a hairpin corner, with great confidence. It filters out much of the harsher bumps and retains composure even at higher speeds.

My only real grumble about the bike is the rotor rub from the front disc brake, most detectable when climbing out of the saddle. I'm not a heavy rider by any means, but a switch to a fork with a thru-axle might reduce this symptom.

The bike is a fine expression of Matthew's skills and attention to detail, and the finish is stunning. Let Matthew build you a bike and you certainly won't be disappointed. I really liked riding the Saffron and could quite happily have kept riding it into the spring. Now, where's my wallet...

Verdict

Beautifully made and finished bespoke steel bike with a fabulous riding quality