“Shand is a small independent British bicycle company located in Scotland, fabricating hand-built production bikes here in the UK as well as designing and supplying carbon fibre bikes manufactured by our partners.”
“Started in 2003 by Steven Shand, Shand originally focussed on one-off made-to-order frames, mostly drop-bar off-road bikes but ‘cross bikes, mountain bikes and road bikes too. Originally Steven worked on his own but in attempt to grow the capacity of the business and increase output, the company was relaunched in 2011 in partnership with Russell Stout. This relaunch coincided with a move to larger premises, additions to the team, investment in tooling and the development of a production bike range, hand-made alongside our custom builds. As of 2016 Shand are also deeply involved with the design and manufacture of bicycles using material other than steel.”
The Shand Stooshie pictured above belongs to Paul Errington, creator and promoter of arguably the UK’s biggest gravel event, Dirty Reiver.
Shand tout the Stooshie as “Fast. Steel. Versatile. Awesome.” To build the Stooshie, Shand chooses from a selection of oversize and lightweight frame tubes from renown Italian tubing companies, Dedacciai and Columbus.
The TIG welded, heat-treated frame features S-bend chainstays, designed for plenty of tyre and heel clearance.
Paul opted for a single chainring build, utilizing a Shimano 6800 series Ultegra crank to mount the Absolute Black 1X specific 38T chainring.
Shimano’s XT M8000 11-40 11-speed cassette provides a wide spread of gears. Shifting duties are handled by the latest addition to Shimano’s family of MTB electronic derailleurs, XT Di2. Like its pricier brethren, XTR Di2, the XT model also features a clutch that can be turned on or off at the flick of a lever.
Above, wide 46cm Ritchey WCS Evomax handlebars and Shimano’s reliable R785 Di2 hyraulic brake / electronic shift levers.
Ritchey’s WCS 4-Axis stem connects the handlebars to the Stooshie’s fork steerer tube. Note the heat shrink tubing used to neatly route the system’s Di2 cable along with one of the bike’s hydraulic brake housings. This trick is commonly used by professional mechanics on the UCI Worldtour circuit.
The rigours of gravel cycling sometimes involve a rough ride. Lauf’s Grit fork help take the edge off bigger hits, while remaining sensitive to the smaller ones. Check out our review of the Lauf Grit fork HERE.
Lauf’s S2 springs provide 30mm of progressive travel. In a nutshell, the further the S2 spring compresses, the stiffer it gets. This prevents the fork from bottoming out while remaining sensitive to small bumps along the road.
Saddles are a personal choice, but many riders swear by Brooks saddles. In the case of Paul, he relies on the Cambium C13 model. Observant readers will note the seat clamp is reversed. That’s because the Stooshie features a front-facing binder slot.
Big volume 700c x 45mm WTB Riddler tyres add to the cush factor of the Shand Stooshie.
Specifications:
- Frame: Shand Stooshie, size Large.
- Fork: Lauf Grit.
- Headset: Hope.
- Stem: Ritchey WCS 4-Axis 80mm, 31.8mm clamp.
- Handlebar: Ritchey WCS Evomax, 46cm.
- Bar Tape: Brooks Cambium.
- Brakes: Shimano R785 hydraulic disc.
- Brake Rotors: SRAM 160mm.
- Brake levers: Shimano R785 Di2 hydraulic.
- Front derailleur: N/A.
- Rear derailleur: Shimano XT Di2 GS.
- Cassette: Shimano XT M8000 11-40.
- Chain: Shimano HG701 11-speed.
- Crankset: Shimano Ultegra 6800, 172.5mm fitted with Absolute Black CX 1X Oval Traction 38T chainring.
- Bottom bracket: Wheels Manufacturing PF30 to 24mm angular contact.
- Pedals: Shimano XT.
- Wheelset: Halo Vapour 29″ Stealth with an MT front hub and MT Supadrive rear.
- Tires: WTB Riddler 700c x 45mm with Orange Seal Endurance Formula sealant.
- Saddle: Brooks Cambium C13 145mm
- Seatpost: Ritchey WCS single bolt 27.2mm x 350mm.
- Bottle cages: Bontrager.
