Welcome to the Pod! Our feed is available on all major podcast platforms and is supported by a small number of advertisers and directly by people like you. If you've made it this far, please consider subscribing to the podcast and if you like what I'm doing, please consider supporting financially via the link below.
Support the Podcast: Buy Me a Coffee
Jul 1, 2025
In this special “lost episode,” I sit down with Sam Alison, the founder of Singular Cycles — a UK-based brand that’s been quietly ahead of the curve since 2006.
Sam shares how his journey from Australian shop rat to UK-based frame designer was shaped by a lifelong love of bikes, and how his early experiments with 29ers and drop bars paved the way for what we now call gravel bikes. We talk about his iconic models like the Swift, Peregrine, and Griffin, the rebirth of Singular with titanium offerings, and his philosophy on timeless design, frame material, and rider-first geometry. Whether you’ve seen a Singular bike roll by and thought “what is that,” or you’re just curious about the origins of modern gravel geometry, this conversation is well worth the listen.
🔧 Topics we cover:
- Sam’s early days in Australia and the 90s MTB boom
- What inspired the first Singular frame Drop bars on MTBs and the road to 29ers
- Why steel (and now titanium) still matters
- Designing for versatility without compromise
- Thoughts on “gravel” as a category — and where we go from here
🚲 Learn more about Singular: https://singularcycles.com
📸 Follow on Instagram: @singularcycles
