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So far it’s a solo ride.

Bike of the Week: A Black and Bourbon Prova Speciale

Derek Yarra |

This week we unveil a bike that Johnny Cash himself would've approved of. It's metal, dressed in black, and knows the value of fine whiskey - a stainless steel Prova Speciale, built in Australia for the Marin County tarmac. There might not be much room to carry a guitar, but this bike is certainly ready for life on the road.

prova speciale black bourbon header

Part of the magic of a Prova is how elegantly simple the bikes look, deceptively hiding the abundance of technology that goes into each frame. This particular Speciale is built primarily of stainless steel, which is revealed beneath the paint in its polished form. The precision machined head tube, custom wrapped carbon seat mast, curved stays, and 3D printed seat lug, seat topper, and dropouts are all signatures of a Prova Speciale. 

prova sepciale frame details

Clearly, the limited Chris King Bourbon finish was key to the theme on this bike. The full suite can be found on this bike. The headset, R45 hubs, and T47 bottom bracket weren't enough here. We had to go the extra mile with the Peaty's tubeless valves and Spurcycle bell.

king bourbon

An R1 stem and 00 bar has long been a favorite front end for us, and is perfectly at home on this matte black beauty. The Saddle is also by way of Fizik, an Antares 00. Both the bars and saddle are custom wrapped with the finest of leatherwork from Busyman. A close look through the perforations reveals even more bourbon accents to bring tother the build. There's no seat post here. The carbon seat mast is capped off with a custom stainless topper.

prova cockpit

The drivetrain is of course Sram Red AXS. The wireless shifting enhances the clean lines of this Speciale, and the black and silver finish are the perfect fit. 46/33 rings and 10-33 cassette provide ample gearing for the ascents of Marin County while the 160mm rotors keep it under control on the descents. 

sram red axs

The wheels are a custom affair, handbuilt here in our workshop. The bourbon King R45 hubs are matched up to a pair of Enve 3.4 AR rims, and paired with silver Sapim spokes. This rider already has a killer gravel bike, so we didn't feel the need to get too crazy with tire volume here. A set of 28c Vittoria Corsa TLRs are perfect days on the tarmac. 

enve king wheels

We wouldn't end the details there. While the standard Sram rear derailleur is great as it is, we made things even smoother with a Ceramicspeed OSPW kit. The custom bar tape is finished with a set of black EE bar plugs. Oh, and did you notice that front derailleur clamp? Another one of the stellar custom 3D printed bits that Prova has become known for. 

small details

That rounds out the specs on this sweet Prova build. Lucky for us, it's built up for a local rider, so we'll be seeing plenty of this black beauty of a steed. Been dreaming of rolling on a Prova like this for yourself? We're here to help! For any questions at all on the bikes or the process, don't hesitate to reach out!

prova speciale bike profile

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