Medusa Cycles

Medusa Cycles Bespoke bicycles made in Manchester, England.

John Watson's () photography style is one of the most distinctive and meticulous in the game, and seeing him going to wo...
14/07/2026

John Watson's () photography style is one of the most distinctive and meticulous in the game, and seeing him going to work at this year's .cc UK show was something to behold. His process was dialed in so efficiently, watching him that weekend as he gave his care to so many bikes and the show at large was mind blowing -- it was like he was in two places at once!
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Here is some some of John's work, capturing the Kangal I built. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about that black background that works so well. Thanks for working your magic John!
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The proudest moment of the year so far; having Annies bike win the award for 'Best in Show' at this year's .cc. At 5'1'...
23/06/2026

The proudest moment of the year so far; having Annies bike win the award for 'Best in Show' at this year's .cc. At 5'1'', Annie is a shorter rider, and finding a stock bike that would give her the confidence to get into cycling was always going to be tricky. I took the opportunity to build her a frameset that was going to fit right and be easy to ride. It also had to be something on that she could leave her mark -- an important trait for a first bike to have, ready to be adorned with trinkets and accessories. It was also a great opportunity for Annie to have a go at working with some metal. Usually, she is knitting or sewing, so filing tubes and cutting out bilaminate shapes was good fun, and something a bit different.
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Thanks a lot to Kata of .cycles for choosing Annie's Brassica to win best in show. Its quite a humble bike, and I think its nice to see a bike like this being so well appreciated.
(also thanks a lot to Kata for her input on sizing during the design process, its very handy that you and Annie are the same height!)
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The Brassica frameset is quite a simple design, made to work with a 650b wheelset, great for nipping about in the city as well as taking on ATB duties. I designed it for versatility, and this model features a T47 BB and mounts for racks and mudguards, it will also accept internal dynamo cable routing. You can order a frameset, including a custom paint job.
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Thanks also again to for being camera genius, my mind is always blown!!

I was lucky enough this year to be approached to build a classically style version of my Deka frameset. Without this opp...
15/06/2026

I was lucky enough this year to be approached to build a classically style version of my Deka frameset. Without this opportunity, being able to display my work at the 2026 .cc UK show would have simply been impossible. But not only did the bike provide the funds needed for the trip down to the big smoke, it also earned itself the award for best finish! This is something I'm immensely proud of and grateful for, given my background working as a painter in various forms.
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The bilaminate work featured on this frame is the most intricate I've done. I cut it all by hand using some rather wee files, and after lining them with the same purple coach enamel paint I used to paint the downtube lettering, they really seem to pop. On the end of the chainstay yoke, I painted a sprig of heather. Considering the limited space on the yoke end, I think it turned out well.
The base colours of the frame were sprayed down by the renowned C&G Finishes, based in Liverpool, and I brush lacquered over it after adding the lining, lettering and other details.
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Thanks a lot to for choosing my work for the award, and thanks to for capturing the bike's likeness, once again in ways I could only dream of doing.

Some more shots of the Kangal here. In my attempt to stiffen up the BB area I had to get creative with the use of bracin...
05/06/2026

Some more shots of the Kangal here. In my attempt to stiffen up the BB area I had to get creative with the use of bracing tubes, joining from the chainstays to the bottom bracket. It had quite a sculptural result, and I can confirm that ride quality is spot on!
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Big thanks to for the Camper Longflap bags in the limited edition Safari fabirc, they live up to the Carradice reputation with robust quality that shows.
Also a shout out to for putting together this top-notch set of hoops, with the help of and their supply of exquisite rims. There's nothing better!
Thanks again to and their time-proven quality, I can confirm that the Flyer saddle makes days over rough chunky terrain a luxurious experience.
The little but essential details brought to you by with the smiley crank bolt end caps, and super safe but stylish rear reflectors by .jp help to give the bike its unique personality that every bike needs.
And thanks a lot to Patch at for being a top level lad and putting together this wicked raindrop camo toptube bag (even knowing you hate making toptube bags), its mint and you know it!
And finally, thanks to .cc for giving me an excuse to make the maddest bike I've built -- everyone should have a 29erPlus bike with elevated chainstays.
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Those of you who are familiar with the breed of dog known as the Kangal might understand why I decided to name this bike...
17/05/2026

Those of you who are familiar with the breed of dog known as the Kangal might understand why I decided to name this bike after it -- they roam the Anatolian Steppe, often in a feral state, and when I first dreamt about riding a bike like this way back in 2018, I was also living in a feral state, roaming the Anatolian steppe!
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As and I rode our bikes across Europe and Central Asia in 2018 in search of India (), we came up against a lot of terrain and surface types that our humble 26'' Long Haul Truckers were just not suited to. Tyres and frames would clog up with mud as the Turkish winter mountain passes turned into fudge-like quagmires. Frame bosses would shear off from the relentless pounding of washboard road on the Pamir Highway and the rocky surfaces of the Kargush pass. These experiences are branded into my memory, so last year when I was trying to decide what show bikes to build for the 2026 .cc show, I had the idea to build the Kangal. It is kind of a concept bike of what I think would have been the ideal setup for the trip back in 2018.
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My experiences showed me that certain features of the Long Haul Trucker I rode in 2018 were actually pretty much perfect -- a 3 x 8 speed drivetrain proved to be absolutely solid, with spare parts cheap and readily available even in the more remote parts of the world. But if I wanted to use a 3 x 8 on the Kangal, I would have to get creative, especially since it would be running a boost back end. I had to build the lower section of the seat tube offset to the right by 3mm in to allow this old-fashioned 3x configuration to work with the boost back end. This was also one of the reasons I raised the chainstays, to allow me to build the upper section of the seat tube central to the rest of the bike. The raised chainstays also leave plenty of mud clearance for the chunky 29 x 3.0 inch Maxxis Minions, and these tyres combined with the sprung Flyer should make any Pamir washboard feel like Sunday jaunt down a canal towpath.

Check them out! I'm now selling long sleeve T-shirts. Some of you may have spotted them at the last .cc show, but now I...
04/05/2026

Check them out! I'm now selling long sleeve T-shirts. Some of you may have spotted them at the last .cc show, but now I've finally got around to making a post about them.
Huge thanks to my pal Ellie for doing a sweet job of designing this gnarly graphic, her skills never fail to impress and I feel so honoured to have her original lettering work feature on these Tees.
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Drop me a message if you'd like one, I've got small, medium and large available.
£40 each.

A few pics from the .cc show this weekend, post exclusive haircut... Mostly captured by .go because I'm rubbish at reme...
28/04/2026

A few pics from the .cc show this weekend, post exclusive haircut... Mostly captured by .go because I'm rubbish at remembering I have a camera.
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It was a great chance to get out of the shire and into the big smoke, with Annie -- I couldn't have done this without you ❤
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It's always very refreshing to catch up with old pals and to see some new faces, and to get some affirmation when the only eyes to see your work leading up to the show are those of the feral cats who use the space outside your workshop as a highway.
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I feel so honoured, as always, to be able to brush shoulders and chat with some of my heroes, to be able to see the best work in the business close up, and to come away with more encouragement and fire in the belly... and this time the awards for 'Best in Show' (thanks .cycles for the vote) and 'Best Finish' (thanks ).
Until next time!

A selection of a few more pics of the classic Deka. As well as the ornate lugs/ bilaminate, I decided to use slimmer sea...
22/04/2026

A selection of a few more pics of the classic Deka. As well as the ornate lugs/ bilaminate, I decided to use slimmer seat stay tubing than usual. I think it looks slightly more refined, be it subtle. Perhaps I'll stick with this diameter for future builds.
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This time, I built a more classically styled version of the Deka, putting in quite a bit of time to cut out some ornate ...
20/04/2026

This time, I built a more classically styled version of the Deka, putting in quite a bit of time to cut out some ornate shapes for some fancy bilaminate parts. The frameset was mostly made from stainless steel, with a mixture of 931 and 953, but I chose a custom 853 seat tube that would better tolerate a small bend.
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The frame features my usual method of guided internal dynamo cable routing, enabling the rigging up of a set of .lights Revo and Red Eye, sticking to its utilitarian nature. A basket up front and R15 rear rack has our rider covered for any eventuality. Custom painted mudguards keep things clean in the damp Manchester weather.
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This is the first bike I've built with a dropper post too, and I think it looks quite well with its neat internal routing solution, as well as been connected up to a bar end shifter to actuate it. I thought the Nitto moustache handlebar was an interesting touch too, and the aesthetic has grown on me!
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Big thanks to for supplying the hoops for the .cc 2026 show in London next weekend, and big up to for putting the wheels together, they look mega pretty with those raw brass ni***es!

Here are some more shots of the prototype for a new model I'm planning to offer as an off-the-peg frameset -- the Medusa...
12/03/2026

Here are some more shots of the prototype for a new model I'm planning to offer as an off-the-peg frameset -- the Medusa Brassica. It is intended as a bit of a 650b ATB type of thing, that would be as much at home on the mean streets of Manchester as it would be out doing some light backpacking or touring.
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I built the bike for my girlfriend, Annie . She is new to the world of two wheels, so I wanted to make something that was going to be easy to ride, especially for someone at 5ft 1inch/ 155cm tall. A stable, low BB for a planted ride, and a low stand-over height inspire a bit of confidence, plus a 3 x 9 drivetrain provides massive range with durability that will survive nuclear Armageddon and not cost a million quid to service. The frame is made from Reynolds 631 and features a chainstay yoke designed by James from -- as can be seen further down my feed -- more pics coming soon!
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Come take a closer gander at this lean, mean, wee green machine at this years UK edition of the .cc show!

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