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You Can Seize an Outback Adventure Bike and Customize It for Anything You Have in Mind

While looking around for amazing bicycles that can go the distance and bring you home after, I've run across a crew dubbed Page Street Cycles. Here, I locked eyes with the stunner before you, the Jrdn's Outback adventure bike.
Jrdn's Outback Bike 9 photos
Photo: Page Street Cycles
Outback 650bOutback 650bOutback 650b DrivetrianJrdn's Outback BikeJrdn's Outback BikeJrdn's Outback BikeJrdn's Outback BikeJrdn's Outback Bike
Folks, Page Street Cycles is a crew from out in North Portland, Oregon, and run by two gentlemen named Christopher Igleheart and Joseph Ahearne. Together, they boast over 50 years of bike-building experience, and judging by the results we'll explore today, you'll understand precisely what that means. You need to understand that each Outback is built by hand by these crafty humanoids, and depending on your needs, wants, and budget, each unit is tailored to your needs.

Before we go on, take a nice long look at this ravishing creature, and while you do so, I want you to imagine that you own this beast of an adventure machine. Think about all the adventures you'll have, where you'll go, and what you might see and feel. Once your daydream is complete, come back to the text to learn about all the little goodies that make this ride what it is.

For starters, if you ever think of getting your hands on one of these machines, you'll need to have at least $2,950 (€2,950 at current exchange rates) in hand, and even then, all you'll receive for that cash is a frame and fork built out of TIG-welded steel. Don't doubt steel's abilities; this material is favored over aluminum and carbon fiber in some cases.

Outback 650b
Photo: Ahearne Cycles / Flicker
Now, as I explored what the Outback is and what it's designed to do, you can clearly tell that it's built for nothing more than exploration. Standard, the bike is equipped with 650b tires, but Page Street can accommodate 29-inch or 26-inch tires to your build. The version in the gallery also includes fenders and those cargo racks, disc brakes, and three water bottle mounts.

This version, Jrdn's bike, is also equipped with a 3x9 drivetrain, but for $2,500 (€2,500) more, you can upgrade your drivetrain to include an 18-speed shifter, 2 belt cogs, the belt itself, and a mounting plate. No hint as to who the manufacturer behind the system may be. If you want a front rack set from Ahearne's hands, you'll be asked to drop another $680 (€680) on your Outback.

A plethora of other features complete the Outback you see here, but if it was up to me, I'd grab just a frameset from this crew, and beyond that, I'd go nuts with the sort of components I like and love and cut out the middleman and paid manhours needed to put it all together.

Outback 650b
Photo: Ahearne Cycles / Flicker
The result? Nothing more than a bicycle that you'll find in your garage on Saturday morning, packed to the teeth with pannier bags and other cargo kits, only to be taken to the outskirts of town. After riding all day, you'll finally reach that perfect place you had in mind, unload your steel cargo horse, and camp underneath the stars for the evening.

That sounds like the sort of activity to undertake in warmer seasons, but come to think of it, with the right kind of attention and care, your future Outback can easily be prepared for winter riding. You'll have to consider different tires and a solid paint coat, and off you go, exploring winter wonderlands too. Just a little something-something to consider if you're in the market for a steel two-wheeler that can go as far as your legs will carry you.
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Editor's note: Images in the gallery include an array of custom Outback bicycles.

About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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