Readers’ Rigs: Baum Orbis from South Australia

Today’s Readers’ Rig is a real ‘beaut’ from down-under. Nic had a Baum Orbis frame hand-made in remembrance of his grandmother and then shod it with SRAM Etap and a pair of Schmolke wheels. Nic tells us all about it, along with some great photos.

Name: Nicholas Zuraw aka Baron ZuZu
Location: McLaren Vale, South Australia, Australia
Bike: Baum Orbis
Groupset: SRAM Etap AXS 12 speed
Wheels: Schmolke TLO45 Disk Brake
Pedals: Garmin Vector 3
Saddle: Prologo
Other: Enve RD Forks, SRAM HDR Disc Brakes, 3T Handlebars and Enve Stem, Elite Bottle cages, Garmin 520 computer
Weight: 7.6kg

When did you buy it?
I ordered this bike in May 2019 after much deliberation after inheriting some money from my Grandmother. She had always encouraged me to do my best, will still having fun. So having dreamed of owning a hand-made bike for years, I thought what better way to remember my Nan, than getting a custom bike made by craftsmen and adorning it with her name. Being hand made it would take a while before it would be ready, but the wait was worth it and in mid-December 2019 my Baum was born.

What modifications/additions have you done?
After reading about Stefan Schmolke in 2003, I decided that it would be great to have something made by this entrepreneurial engineer. My Grandfather had been a precision engineer (before becoming a professional magician) and induced a love and appreciation of engineering in me. Hence I bought Schmolke TLO45 disk brake wheel-set. I’ve also moved to Zero Frictions wax chains, so no more chain tattoos and silent running and the drivetrain stay cleaner for longer and reduces wear and tear.

What components are you running?
SRAM Etap AXS 12 Speed. After a serious bike crash in 2016 I moved to SRAM Etap Red22. It was a good move from a mechanical groupset and one I would never go back, and now with the AXS gearing it’s even better! Spinal Tap could only go up to 11, I can go up to 12!!!

How many kilometres do you do in a year?
Its varying, alas. Especially with kids, but anywhere between 8000-12000 kilometres per year.

What do you love about this bike?
I love the feel, it’s different to my carbon road bikes, the movement sharp and responsive and the ride smooth and almost silent. Being titanium, this bike will outlive me! It’s certainly more indestructible, which is a good thing being accident prone. Weight-wise it’s almost the same as my trusty De Rosa 888s. The frame may be heavier, but the wheels and groupset offset that. Did I mention that I have 12?!

Favourite ride?
My favourite ride is the Maratona in Italia. It must be the worlds most beautiful loop. I’ve ridden it several times and hope to do it again on this steed – time will tell.

Favourite riding experience on your bike?
My most memorable riding experience… a difficult choice. I’ve ridden across the Sahara Desert 4 times on mountain bikes including getting lost in Chad. I cycled from London to Sydney with my wife on recumbent bikes and ridden most of the iconic race routes in Europe and many other rides. But cycling from London (my home city) to Brighton on a 5 speed road bike at the age of 13 is probably my favourite and instilled a love of cycling and being free. Though I did get into a lot of trouble with my Grandmother.

Future upgrades?
Hmm… Busyman Bicycles bespoke saddle and bartape? They do some lovely work with leather.

Any last words?
Safe cycling…
Oh… and I have 12!

Nic
http://www.lunicus.org: Cycling, Tacx Trainers, Free Tacx Videos and more…
https://www.lunicus.org/Forum: The ‘Unofficial’ Tacx Forum

Thanks to Nicholas for sharing his ride with us. Got a bike that you’re proud of? Well, how about sharing it with fellow PEZ fans and getting it featured in Readers’ Rigs so we can all stare at it! Send us a Readers’ Rigs submission direct to [email protected] and your bike could be featured in all its glory here on the pages of PEZ.