Back in 2022, we published a great story about how the colours and forms of the landscape of his beloved Costa Brava, was the inspiration behind the design of Timo Rokitta's custom custom-painted gravel bike. He developed such a good relationship with the owner of the paint company, that there was only one destination for him when he wanted to get a different bike resprayed. Timo gave us the background to his latest amazing-looking bike build.
In 2020, members of the Rapha Cycling Club had access to a limited special edition of the Allied Able model, a product of the American company Allied Cycle Works. Only 100 frames were produced, each with a distinctive paint job and they quickly sold out. The former professional gravel racer Colin Strickland, who was a previous winner of Dirty Kanza (now known as Unbound), collaborated on the design, creating a rarity among gravel bikes. When asked about the inspiration for the paint scheme he said, "Coming from Texas, I envisioned dry, earthy colors [sic] that would remind me of the roads where I train at home. The color stripes are inspired by geological patterns in rock formations."
Gravel Union author Timo Rokitta already owned an Allied Able gravel bike and was immediately impressed by this paint job. Since the special edition sold out quickly, Timo initially rode a grey Able at many gravel events. The lightweight and fast Able proved itself in various events, including the 300 kilometers of Flatlands in Holland and THE TRAKA in Spain. Timo also won the German ORBIT 360 series in the M50 class with it.
At the time of the launch of the Rapha limited edition bike, their graphic designer, Jess Money, commented on the pattern "The design was really tailored to Colin’s character. It is inspired by the geology and culture of Native Americans. So, we spent a lot of time researching the terrain and surroundings with the goal that the gear and the bike look like they've been cut out of the landscape. The placement of the prints was also a key element to ensure that the final product was connected to the landscape. The placement of an all-around print gave the feeling of being part of the terrain. All of this was part of an overarching geological desert landscape theme."
In the off-season of 2023, Timo began his project to design a special paint job for the Able. Together with the Spanish painter SCOLORS, they discussed and designed the first draft of the paint job. The base design, similar to the Rapha edition, was to feature geological patterns. In contrast to the original, SCOLORS owner Sergio Escribano chose a lighter main colour for increased visibility while gravel riding in the terrain, an important safety aspect.
The result far exceeded Timo’s expectations. With its electronic Shimano Di2 shifting and many high-end components, Timo's Able is actually 1,000 grams lighter than the Rapha original! In the spring of 2024, the Able with its new paint job will make its debut at Irongravel in Alicante and Utopia Gravel in Andalusia.