Medusa Cycles

Those of you who are familiar with the breed of dog known as the Kangal might understand why I decided to name this bike after it -- they roam the Anatolian Steppe, often in a feral state, and when I first dreamt about riding a bike like this way back in 2018, I was also living in a feral state, roaming the Anatolian steppe!
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As and I rode our bikes across Europe and Central Asia in 2018 in search of India (), we came up against a lot of terrain and surface types that our humble 26'' Long Haul Truckers were just not suited to. Tyres and frames would clog up with mud as the Turkish winter mountain passes turned into fudge-like quagmires. Frame bosses would shear off from the relentless pounding of washboard road on the Pamir Highway and the rocky surfaces of the Kargush pass. These experiences are branded into my memory, so last year when I was trying to decide what show bikes to build for the 2026 .cc show, I had the idea to build the Kangal. It is kind of a concept bike of what I think would have been the ideal setup for the trip back in 2018.
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My experiences showed me that certain features of the Long Haul Trucker I rode in 2018 were actually pretty much perfect -- a 3 x 8 speed drivetrain proved to be absolutely solid, with spare parts cheap and readily available even in the more remote parts of the world. But if I wanted to use a 3 x 8 on the Kangal, I would have to get creative, especially since it would be running a boost back end. I had to build the lower section of the seat tube offset to the right by 3mm in to allow this old-fashioned 3x configuration to work with the boost back end. This was also one of the reasons I raised the chainstays, to allow me to build the upper section of the seat tube central to the rest of the bike. The raised chainstays also leave plenty of mud clearance for the chunky 29 x 3.0 inch Maxxis Minions, and these tyres combined with the sprung Flyer should make any Pamir washboard feel like Sunday jaunt down a canal towpath.

Check them out! I'm now selling long sleeve T-shirts. Some of you may have spotted them at the last .cc show, but now I've finally got around to making a post about them.
Huge thanks to my pal Ellie for doing a sweet job of designing this gnarly graphic, her skills never fail to impress and I feel so honoured to have her original lettering work feature on these Tees.
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Drop me a message if you'd like one, I've got small, medium and large available.
£40 each.

A few pics from the .cc show this weekend, post exclusive haircut... Mostly captured by .go because I'm rubbish at remembering I have a camera.
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It was a great chance to get out of the shire and into the big smoke, with Annie -- I couldn't have done this without you ❤
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It's always very refreshing to catch up with old pals and to see some new faces, and to get some affirmation when the only eyes to see your work leading up to the show are those of the feral cats who use the space outside your workshop as a highway.
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I feel so honoured, as always, to be able to brush shoulders and chat with some of my heroes, to be able to see the best work in the business close up, and to come away with more encouragement and fire in the belly... and this time the awards for 'Best in Show' (thanks .cycles for the vote) and 'Best Finish' (thanks ).
Until next time!

A selection of a few more pics of the classic Deka. As well as the ornate lugs/ bilaminate, I decided to use slimmer seat stay tubing than usual. I think it looks slightly more refined, be it subtle. Perhaps I'll stick with this diameter for future builds.
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This time, I built a more classically styled version of the Deka, putting in quite a bit of time to cut out some ornate shapes for some fancy bilaminate parts. The frameset was mostly made from stainless steel, with a mixture of 931 and 953, but I chose a custom 853 seat tube that would better tolerate a small bend.
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The frame features my usual method of guided internal dynamo cable routing, enabling the rigging up of a set of .lights Revo and Red Eye, sticking to its utilitarian nature. A basket up front and R15 rear rack has our rider covered for any eventuality. Custom painted mudguards keep things clean in the damp Manchester weather.
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This is the first bike I've built with a dropper post too, and I think it looks quite well with its neat internal routing solution, as well as been connected up to a bar end shifter to actuate it. I thought the Nitto moustache handlebar was an interesting touch too, and the aesthetic has grown on me!
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Big thanks to for supplying the hoops for the .cc 2026 show in London next weekend, and big up to for putting the wheels together, they look mega pretty with those raw brass ni***es!

Here are some more shots of the prototype for a new model I'm planning to offer as an off-the-peg frameset -- the Medusa Brassica. It is intended as a bit of a 650b ATB type of thing, that would be as much at home on the mean streets of Manchester as it would be out doing some light backpacking or touring.
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I built the bike for my girlfriend, Annie . She is new to the world of two wheels, so I wanted to make something that was going to be easy to ride, especially for someone at 5ft 1inch/ 155cm tall. A stable, low BB for a planted ride, and a low stand-over height inspire a bit of confidence, plus a 3 x 9 drivetrain provides massive range with durability that will survive nuclear Armageddon and not cost a million quid to service. The frame is made from Reynolds 631 and features a chainstay yoke designed by James from -- as can be seen further down my feed -- more pics coming soon!
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Come take a closer gander at this lean, mean, wee green machine at this years UK edition of the .cc show!

Some closer photos of the chainstay details as seen on the frame for Oli from . When compared to my previous Deka frames, I tried out a different method of joining up the driveside dropout to the chainstay, in order to achieve a bit more chain clearance when working with less of a bottom bracket drop and narrower q-factor allowance.
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Last winter, Oli at was looking for a versatile bike that would strike the perfect balance between exploring his local trails, and heading out on adventures with his young son, carrying all the provisions required. He opted for a psychedelically inspired paintjob and the image of a fox's head to be painted onto the end of the chainstay yoke.
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Some rear pannier bosses were added to the seat stays, and a set of matching bags were made by skilled Basel-based bag maker, .li . Oli's bike comprises of a Deka frame made from Reynolds 853 and 853 Pro Team, with a SEIDO Components MGV carbon fork. The bottom bracket height was raised slightly, optimised for use with longer crank arms.
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Do you like yokes? And no, I'm not referring to the yellow bit in the middle of an egg, that's spelt Y-O-L-K. But to be honest, yolks are good too.
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Here are two custom 3D printed yokes that will make up part of two of my next builds, they'll be at the 2026 .cc show in London - all the recent hype on the Dresden 2025 show has been getting me excited, and this time I'm determined not be last minute with anything and save some stress, so I'm starting 5 months early.
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A thousand thank you's to James of for helping to turn my dreams into reality, mate, you're an absolute wizard...🧙‍♂️

Don't worry, I'm still living!
Forgot to mention, I've got some merch... These things have been sitting in my draw for a couple of months, probably about time I mentioned that I have them - Medusa Cycles embroidered patches, normal vs cursed mode, take your pick!
Designed by the one and only - thanks brother!
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£5 each plus £2.50 postage and will ship worldwide.
They are 80mm diameter.
Hit me up!
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Yesterday was a crackin' day! I had the opportunity to have a proper nosey at the goings on in the factory - not only my favourite saddle brand, but also one of the most iconic manufacturers in the UK bike scene and the world over. What an honour it was!
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The day was spent amongst some lovely folk, faces old and new, and having the rare chance to activate full nerd mode with some top people was an absolute pleasure (even with just one working ear 😅)
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Thanks so much to everyone at Brooks for making this happen and inviting me along.
P.S the curry was next level 🙌