We Couldn’t Find a Gravel Bike We Were Happy With. So We Made One. After 20+ years of fixing everyone else’s problems, Gothic Cycles is South Australia’s only in-house gravel bicycle brand. (Gothic Cycles may be based in South Australia, but they can likely ship overseas to you).
Adelaide, South Australia – After more than 20 years of running Bio-Mechanics Cycles & Repairs, one of Australia’s most respected independent bicycle workshops, Pete Hague and Lia Weston have launched Gothic Cycles, South Australia’s first and only in-house gravel bicycle brand.
“We’ve got to be honest,” says Weston. “This wasn’t part of the plan.”
Why exactly was Gothic Cycles created? Because Hague and Weston couldn’t find a carbon gravel bike that met their exacting standards.
“We’re mechanics, first and foremost,” says Weston. “From service to sales, we look at everything from a mechanic’s perspective, not a marketer’s. We’ve spent our lives working on other people’s bikes, fixing problems, pulling things apart, and always searching for ways to make things better. After working on literally thousands of bicycles, you learn what actually works in real life, and what should be shot out of a cannon into the sun.”
When customers asked for carbon gravel bike, the Bio-Mechanics team went searching for a brand to stock. They found a market full of bikes built to a specific price-point—and compromised as a result: too heavy, too fragile, crammed with gimmicks and proprietary tech. Many high-end models were also eye-wateringly expensive. “How is it that you can pay over $15K for certain bikes and still end up with a stock, off-the-shelf model?” says Hague.
“We weren’t going to bring in a brand we didn’t believe in just because it’d be easy to sell,” says Weston. “We’ve never been that kind of bike shop. We wanted something better, something we could be proud of.”
So they created it themselves.
Gothic Cycles reflects the aesthetic and philosophy of Bio-Mechanics Cycles, from the geometry and design down to the cable routing. Every decision is made for performance, not marketing spin. “We are slaves to no brand masters,” said Hague. “We aren’t tied to a larger company’s limitations or trapped into a proprietary system. We are free to create what we know works.”
Another rarity: Gothic Cycles bikes are fully customisable. Each one is unique, built to order in their Adelaide workshop to suit to its new owner’s riding style, budget and taste.
The assembly process is driven by the attention to detail and expertise that has cemented Bio-Mechanics’ reputation since 2004. There are no assembly line builds, no shortcuts or compromises, no weird rattles that drive riders (and their friends) insane.
“After decades of seeing what works and what definitely doesn’t work, we knew we could do better,” said Hague. “As a small independent business, we’re not trying to be the next monolith bike corporation. We’re just passionate bike mechanics who wanted to offer a carbon gravel bike we could be proud of.”
The Gothic Cycles team has built bikes for record-breakers, a Tour Down Under winner, world explorers, urban commuters, and purists. And now, they’ve built one for you. Gothic Cycles are now accepting custom orders.
About Gothic Cycles
Gothic Cycles is South Australia’s only in-house gravel bicycle brand, creating custom carbon bikes built to exacting standards. Welcome to the dark side of gravel.
Learn more at the Gothic Cycles Website
About Bio-Mechanics Cycles & Repairs
Since 2004, BMCR has been Adelaide’s premium bicycle workshop, providing high-quality specialist repair and service work to Adelaide’s dedicated cyclists. With friendly and professional service, we solve problems that other bike shops can’t. And now we have a bike brand, too.
Learn more at the Bio-Mechanics Website