2026 Bespoked Osaka: Significant Other Rad Max Hardtail Gravel Bike

At the inaugural Bespoked Osaka handmade bicycle show, we partnered with Denver-based builder Ashley King of Significant Other Bikes to put some finishing touches on her show bike. 

Known colloquially as the Rad Max, this custom hardtail gravel bike is meant to demonstrate maximum versatility for a wide spectrum of riders. Shown here in its single-speed mountain bike incarnation, the Rad Max is designed around either drop or flat bars, one gear or twelve, and a suspension-corrected fork. Exemplifying King’s manufacturing expertise, it's built with an understated, human touch; the bike showcases her brand's philosophy of making bikes hungry for extra miles.

Ashley King is no stranger to the intricate nuances of custom framebuilding. Before launching Significant Other Bikes in 2024, King refined her craft across several legendary Colorado institutions. Her resume includes time spent alongside the crews at Mosaic, Merlin, and Dean, where she mastered the temperamental art of welding titanium. She also built mountain bikes for REEB Cycles. 

While Significant Other has gained recognition in recent years for its linkage-driven, single-pivot full-suspension models like the Ded Reckin, the Rad Max approaches the dirt from a different angle. Primarily a capable hardtail gravel bike, it bridges the gap between a responsive all-road machine and a comfortable bikepacking rig. The frame utilizes King's preferred titanium tubing, blending lightweight resilience with targeted stiffness to damp chatter over rough roads and techy double-track without sacrificing power transfer.

Designed with suspension-corrected geometry for up to a 60mm travel fork and clearance for 29 x 2.2" (700 x 55c) tires, SILCA outfitted the build in our Protocol RCG-4 tires, which offer the perfect blend of speed and durability for the type of terrain the Rad Max will be encountering. 

Currently set up as a flat-bar singlespeed hardtail using an MRP Baxter fork, the frame integrates Zeno hydraulic brake line couplers to allow easy transitions between flat and drop-bar setups. The bike is equally adaptable on the drivetrain side, accommodating either a single cog with built-in sliding dropouts or a traditional derailleur; pairing an electronic drivetrain with quick-disconnect brake lines makes cockpit swaps quick and clean.

Visually, the Rad Max features a unique finish achieved by hand-sanding a base layer of Cerakote over the raw titanium frame for hours to create a distressed-looking patina. The build also serves as a testbed for production components, featuring King’s handlebars and a custom 44mm headset inscribed with her "Significant Other" branding. By exploring manufacturing partnerships in Taiwan and China for these components, King aims to grow her brand by offering riders a more accessible entry point to Significant Other beyond full custom frame builds.