I believe in minimizing the degree to which my customers need to reorganize their lives in order to ride their bikes. On this project – a short production run of five framesets – I wanted to design a fixed gear bike that would be easy to use on a daily basis. The bike needed fenders, a rack, a comfortable riding position and a bell. It also needed good brakes, generous tire clearance and a reasonable pricetag. It should reward, not punish, you for riding it.

Enter the Realster. It’s an upright, practical fixed gear for urban use. The stock version, shown above, sports swept-back handlebars, natural contact points (cork grips and a leather saddle) and a custom made porteur rack with salvaged cross-sawn hard maple slats.