A bike is a bike, right? Not if you’re a serious road biker from Steamboat Springs, who views what he’s riding like a city guy views a tailor-made suit. Last December, Mike Walker commissioned a handcrafted frame from Routt County-based company Moots. He left his camera at the factory and asked them to photograph the process.

Walker posts regularly on his Instagram account and is always looking for fresh content. “I thought it would be fun to take fellow bikers behind the scenes of building a custom-made bike, and give Moots coverage at the same time,” he says. “If you’re into bikes, it’s pretty cool to have one made in your hometown.” 

Followers from around the world watched his bespoke Routt 45 model take shape. Walker was measured at Steamboat’s Orange Peel Bicycle Service, and together they drew up his specific needs (Moots does not accept direct orders from the public). “I wanted to combine all the properties of a road and cycle cross bike, which the Routt 45 is designed to do,” he says. The bike handles everything from paved road to rough terrain, plus it collapses to fit into a suitcase. Walker’s last Moots bike – which he bought in the ‘80s – has been all over the world at great expense, due to airline costs for checking a bike. 

He bought parts from his regular repair outfit, Wheels Bike Shop, also in Steamboat, and had them assemble the components. He tested it for two weeks before Orange Peel checked the final fit. In February he baptized his new ride, clocking up 700 snowy miles in a matter of months. Like it’s predecessor, Walker’s latest Moots bike is built to last.