Frame - Platypus 2025 - Presale

This is a presale - we expect the Platypus shipment to arrive in early August.

Each of our models is our favorite, but the Platypus is the most favorite. It’s perfect for road riding, loaded or unloaded touring, commuting, day rides, fitness-fast rides, shopping, or therapy rides. It’s not a trail bike, but a reasonable rider with half-decent judgment and skill can ride it on fire trails. The recommended max tire is 50mm, and that's a true 50mm tire. James has some knobby Continentals on his that are labeled 2.2; they fit fine, but they actually measure around 52mm. 

It’s common for “form follows function” to be an excuse to tolerate practical bicycles that are borderline ugly. The Platypus isn’t like that. You don’t have to find beauty in its usefulness and comfort, or put up with its dysfunction just because it’s pretty. It’s good all around, and it stands out wherever you go and however you use it.

If you’re against stock bikes on principle or just want to have fun building your Platypus from a frame to a rideable bicycle, it’s easy and there are at least three ways.

(1) Part by part, you pick everything, you assemble it. If you’re a bicycle parts expert and mechanic and trust yourself to put together a harmonious package, go for it—but consider having one of us look it over to see whether it will indeed be harmonious, and perhaps weigh in on whether or not you’re getting a good value on the way. If you want a part we don’t stock, get it somewhere else. This is the most expensive way to customize a Platypus.

(2) Part by part, you pick everything, we assemble it. In this case, the price will be frame + parts + $380 labor before the cost of racks (price + $35 labor per rack) and fenders (price + $100 labor per bicycle). It’s still a good deal, and comes with peace of mind and zero personal stress. If you want to do this, add this build option to your cart. We can add it to an existing order later, so no need to do it at the same time you buy the frame. 

(3) You pick a few parts, we pick the rest. On our site, this is the “You pick the fun stuff” build. You pick the handlebars, gearing, and shifters, we pick the rest. This saves us both time and money and is kind of short-cut to a perfect bike. We put on great stuff that works great, and except for the front derailer, looks great, too (The “You pick the fun stuff” build saves about $300 because it allows us flexibility on parts selection and because there’s less time spent on correspondence figuring everything out.)

Don’t for a second think building a Platypus from scratch is indulgent or spendthrifty. It’s a way to get personalization. Yes, it takes more time, but we don’t rush you through it. And take a look around at what other bicycles cost. Complete carbon fiber bikes can easily cost $6,000. They don’t ride as well, won’t last as long, and aren’t as pretty. A Platypus could easily last 30 to 50 years, with only occasionally replacing parts when they wear out.

Relevant specs:

• 135mm rear wheel spacing
• 27.2mm seatpost
• 28.6 FD clamp
• 68mm BSA BB shell
• V-brake mounts
• Geometry here

A 113mm bottom bracket and FSA Duron headset is included in the frame price, but no seatposts this time. We'll have both Nitto and Ritchey posts to pick from when the frames arrive.