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Quirk Cycles takes their next step towards expanding into a global premium bike brand with two limited edition releases. First up is the Founder’s Batch of its Mamtor endurance road bike, with just 25 UK-made production steel bikes on offer. The second is a much more limited run of just 5 fully custom titanium Durmitor Manchester to London road race bikes will be made in Quirk’s London workshop. Developed together with Rapha founder and now Quirk backer Simon Mottram, the M2L Collector’s Edition was created as a no-compromises long-distance road bike.
But, the Quirk news doesn’t stop at these two limited-edition road bikes. Because Quirk has also quietly opened up orders for all three of their steel production bikes, starting at the same £4999 frameset price for delivery this summer – Kegety gravel, Mamtor endurance road & Durmitor race road.
Quirk Founder’s Batch limited edition steel Mamtor all-road bike
The bike that first caught our eye with the Quirk relaunch is their Founder’s Batch Mamtor all-road bike.
In fact, this is the ‘Creighton’ brown bike we saw Rob Quirk holding in photos with Simon Mottram back in December. For years, Quirk had described the Mamtor as “an all-terrain road bike with the ability to run large tyre sizes while keeping its road credentials“. It was a true all-road bike for riding paved or unpaved roads. Now though, as endurance road bikes have evolved and caught up to that versatility, Quick calls it the “definitive expression of a modern road bike“.
Now with stock geometry refined over the years, the new Mamtor will first be available in a limited run of 25 individually numbered Founder’s Batch frames. All will still be designed and made in Quirk’s London workshop.
The limited edition premium steel road bikes feature individually-numbered polished stainless steel Founder’s Edition head badges, a “Build Notes” doc explaining the Mamtor’s design, plus an invitation to a private London workshop ride and evening once the bikes are built. Orders for the limited run are open now through the end of March, with a June delivery date.
Quick Cycles ultra-limited M2L Collector’s Edition ti Durmitor road bike
If the limited run of stock Mamtors isn’t exclusive enough, try this fully custom titanium ultra-distance Durmitor road bike. Originally designed for Simon Mottram to complete the annual 350km Manchester-to-London ride, now 5 replicas are available for regular customers, too.
The £9250 Quirk M2L Durmitor Collector’s Edition frameset was developed to maximize ultra-distance comfort while maintaining race bike light weight and quick handling. Just five individually numbered framesets will be made with a lead time of 13 weeks, with £875 from each acquisition donated to Ambitious about Autism.
“Having ridden M2L ten times, I know what I’m looking for in a bike that will carry me 350km in a day. Comfort was the priority, but without sacrificing ride quality or adding weight. Titanium paired with Enve carbon was the obvious solution — light, smooth and efficient. With custom Tailfin bags and a classic finish, this is the perfect bike for riding M2L and it should last me a lifetime.”
– Simon Mottram, Rapha founder and Quirk investor
Each M2L Durmitor frame is handmade by Quirk in London workshop from Columbus Hyperion titanium tubing with custom fast-endurance road geometry. Like all Quirk frames, they feature 3D-printed dropouts, an integrated seatpost clamp, and headtube. This M2L edition also includes a custom 3D-printed titanium seatpost, especially tuned for this bike “to increase compliance and reduce fatigue over long rides“.
The limited edition frameset also includes an Enve In-Route carbon fork, bar, and aero stem all hand-painted to match in white with signature Manchester to London detailing. “Brushed titanium paired with clean white accents gives the bike a timeless, purposeful aesthetic worthy of a collector’s piece” but in a bike that wants to rack up the miles.
Each bike also comes fitted with custom-fit, bolt-on Tailfin toptube and half-frame bags designed specifically for the bike in custom white with custom M2L graphics.
Quirk shifts to premium boutique steel production bikes
But really, what’s more interesting to me here than 30 limited edition bikes is the fact that Quirk Cycles has now officially made the shift to stock geometry steel production frames for the majority of the bikes they make. When Quirk Cycles told us at the end of last year that they were shifting from one-at-a-time custom frame building to small batch production, we thought that would likely mean lower prices and shorter lead times. Even if the bikes were still being made by hand in the London workshop.
It looks like buyers certainly are not really getting lower prices for these premium multi-butted Columbus Life steel frames with unique 3D-printed stainless steel detailing. The standard edition, stock geometry steel Kegety gravel & Durmitor road bikes are now listed for the same £4999 frameset price as the limited Founder’s Batch Mamtor. To be fair, that’s £200 less than the full custom geo Mamtor frame was selling at the end of last year, but only if you bought a complete bike build.
The bikes all feature Quirk’s signature blend of classic styling and modern tech. You get classic round tube road looks, 1x or 2x build options, and fender mounts. But you also get fully integrated internal routing (electronic shift only), 1.5″ IS52 integrated headset bearings, an integrated seat clamp for a classic 27.2 round seatpost, T47 threaded bottom bracket, flat mount disc brakes, and thru-axles. Plus, the road Durmitor will clear a 35mm tire, the endurance Mamtor a 40mm, and the gravel Kegety a 50mm.
Quick premium boutique steel – Pricing, availability & options
Whether you want a Durmitor, Mamtor, or Kegety bike, you can now pick up a new steel Quirk frame in 6 standard stock geometry sizes (XS-XL). Lead time is approximately 3-4 months, meaning buyers now should expect to receive their new bike in early summer.
That base £5000 frameset price includes the steel frame, painted-to-match carbon Enve fork & stem, one of three ‘signature’ paint colors, a Chris King Aeroset headset, thru-axles, seat clamp, 2 bottle bosses, fender mounts, and a UDH hanger. For £5700 a framekit adds on a carbon Enve handlebar and seatpost. Or for £9000 you can pick up a rolling chassis that adds in a set of carbon Enve SES 3.4, 4.5, G23, or AR40 wheels with tires mounted. Shipping is extra (£50-£200 for frames) whether in the UK or abroad, with international buyers responsible for taxes and duties in their country.
QuirkCycles.com
