Donard Bikes

10/09/2025

What a great summer of racing by Ards Cycling Club and North Down Cycling Club from the ICL, Kirkistown series, NDGP, Ards town centre races and Ards hill climbs.
Thank you to all the organisers, marshals, officials, time keepers, photographers, pushers-off and general hangers on and great riding by all.

Bike: unpainted Reynolds 631, Dura-ace 9000, Campag wheels, etc etc.

(appropriate credit to whoever took the photo)

18/04/2025

Customer reports... "On the beach at Bray... Super spin, somehow the bike rides better than anything I’ve even dreamed of; feels like it was made specially for me, can’t believe how lovely it is to ride…"

12/04/2025

Some details:
1: Exposed Stainless Donard contours on seat tube - Awesome paintwork by Velopaintworks
2: Handmade stainless rack with light mount, USB charger mount, including a 3D printed holder by South West College
3: Chainstay protectors
4: Lasercut stainless tabs for the demountable low riders and all mounting points on the racks (thanks to DM Laser-Fab LTD)
5: Handmade light mount with wiring routed through the seatpin to the front hub dynamo
6: Splitt-able mudguard for easy travelling.

11/04/2025

David's bike

Handmade Donard lugged steel frame and forks with internal wiring for dynamo and rear light.
Handmade rack and detachable low riders with internal wiring for lamp and bracket for a USB charger.
rear derailleur plus many other parts.
1 million other details you can't even imagine.

17/12/2024

Reynolds Reydrive X20S Mahle drive system on a Donard 931 stainless demonstrator frame. Check out the video at

13/11/2024

08/11/2024

Terry's frame.
Custom steel disc road frameset with a Whisky fork

painted by

29/10/2024

Here's how to work out where to put front derailleur braze-ons based on shimano spec and chainring size. Or close-enough.

17/10/2024

A recent photo in from John " This was from a ride in the summer up to the base station at Aviemore... fun ride that, bike was epic both up and down it! "

04/10/2024

Julian's hand made lugs.

(Lugs = tube joints for those unfamiliar)
These are definitely not off the shelf - such things don't exist. Inspired by the Passion Facade of the basilica of the Sagrada Família in Barcelona.
Exceptionally difficult and challenging project to make these - made for modern tube profiles, made from stainless steel which doubled the complexity compared to if I had made them from non-stainless.

(Vastly oversimplified) process steps for the nerds:
1: Source appropriate stainless tube stock
2: Mill to correct OD/ID
3: Mitre joints
4: Weld
5: Carve to shape
6: Then start the normal process of making a lugged bike.

I'm afraid to count up how much time it took. Totally worth it though.

27/09/2024

Customer picked up this bike today.
Stainless steel frame with hand-cut stainless steel lugs.

Shimano Dura-ace DI2 with fully integrated brake hoses, full Enve finishing kit, forks and wheels.

21/08/2024

Handmade stainless lugs.
Stainless steel tubing blanks turned to the correct OD and ID, then welded at the exact angles required for the frame, then the design is cut out by hand, and they are silver brazed into the Columbus XCR frame.
To fit 44mm ID headtube, 35mm downtube, 32mm top tube and 28.6mm seat tube with a T47 bottom bracket.
Which understates the amount of work that went into these by about 2000%