Custom steel frame complete with Zipp, Enve and SRAM components
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Dhani Jones' custom Speedvagen for SBT GRVL(Image credit: Dhani Jones)
Complete with SRAM Red eTap AXS(Image credit: Dhani Jones)
Specialized's Power Expert saddle provides the perch(Image credit: Dhani Jones)
The saddle sits atop a carbon fibre seatmast, supplied by Speedvagen with the frame(Image credit: Dhani Jones)
Steel construction is famed for offering a compliant ride, and the curved stays will no doubt aid that(Image credit: Dhani Jones)
Up front, the frame is paired with an Enve carbon fork, custom painted to match(Image credit: Dhani Jones)
The junction where the axle, derailleur and two stays meet is classy and minimalist in its design(Image credit: Dhani Jones)
Shifting is wireless, and brakes are hydraulic, courtesy of SRAM(Image credit: Dhani Jones)
Wahoo's Elemnt Roam will supply the navigation while tracking Jones' data(Image credit: Dhani Jones)
Speaking exclusively to Cyclingnews, former NFL linebacker Dhani Jones enthused about his lifelong passion for cycling. How it led to the most unorthodox of cycle-commutes in which he would ride his fixie to the stadium on game day - wading through the tens of thousands of fans - as a way to warm up; and how he finds himself "mesmerized" by the scenery when riding gravel.
That passion has led the former New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints and Cincinnati Bengals player to ride 150 to 200 miles per week in retirement, and to ride SBT GRVL - Steamboat Gravel - later this month. He will do so aboard his custom made Speedvagen frameset - a brand that features in our own guide to the best steel road bikes - complete with an Enve carbon fork, SRAM Red eTap AXS groupset and a host of components from Zipp.
Referring to his stature - at 1.85m and 107kg - Jones describes himself as a Clydesdale on a bike, stating this as one of the motivators for going for a custom Speedvagen bike.
"Being a Clydesdale on a bike, knowing that they had the engineering and the tools where I wouldn't lose any power, the bike would look good and perform beyond my imagination. It's lived up to all of that."
And the decision to choose Speedvagen over another custom brand came through the bike's builder and founder of the Vanilla Workshop, Sacha White, who Jones describes as a "legend".
"I've been a fan of Sacha White for a very long time. And when I heard about Speedvagen, I knew that that was going to be the next bike that I wanted customized."
Tech Specs: Dhani Jones' Custom Speedvagen
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Dhani Jones' Custom Speedvagen
Frame
Speedvagen custom
Groupset
SRAM Red eTap AXS
Brakes
SRAM Red eTap AXS
Wheelset
Zipp 404 NSW
Stem
Zipp SL Sprint
Handlebars
Zipp Service Course SL-70
Power Meter
SRAM Red AXS Power Meter
Pedals
Look Keo Blade Carbon
Saddle
Specialized Power Expert
Tyres
Specialized Roubaix Pro 2BR
Computer
Wahoo Elemnt Roam
Bottle Cages
Zipp SL Speed
Computer mount
K-Edge Aero Wahoo Roam mount
Headset
Chris King Tapered Nothreadset
Bar tape
Lizard Skins DSP V2 3.2mm
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Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews.
On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.
