Shand produce handbuilt Hoy keirin bike

Hoy Cycles have commissioned Scottish independent bicycle manufacturer Shand to produce a bespoke handbuilt Hoy Keirin bike to commemorate Sir Chris’s seven Olympic medals. The bike is a one-off.

The announcement of the collaboration during the Commonwealth Games is timely. Sir Chris Hoy represented Scotland at three Commonwealth Games, winning his first major championship gold medal at Manchester in 2002. He is part of the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee as an ambassador for the Games.

The bike was built after Sir Chris met with Steven Shand in Edinburgh last year. The pair discussed their experience of Japanese Keirin racing and the specifics of the steel track bike, and so the idea to custom-build a unique Hoy keirin bike was born.

“Chris’s love of the Japanese keirin was the genesis of this bike and his name in Japanese on the top tube is both out of respect and reference to the importance of the keirin in his career,” say Hoy Cycles.

The six gold bands and one silver band represent Sir Chris's Olympic medals.

The project provided new challenges for Hoy bike designer James Olsen.

“Sometimes costs and timelines have to take a step aside to allow for new methods to shape the brand’s product development,” said James. “It’s a process that is different to our usual production bike design and realisation methods, and one that we’re excited to see the end results of.”

The tubing and geometry was specified by Sir Chris and the construction details are Shand’s expertise. Although they don’t give any specifics, Hoy Cycles say that this maybe the start of more development in this area. If we hear any more, we'll be sure to let you know.