Oisin Sands from Sportive.com knows everything there is to know about cycling from events, best rides, right through to brands and bikes.
Therefore, it has been a great privilege for this formidable editor and industry stalwart to buy his own Pashley Roadfinder X frameset created in a distinctive colourway and share his insights on his build and next adventure...
Q: Oisin, first off - what drew you to Pashley and the Pashley Roadfinder X and what inspired that distinctive custom colour? We are all very excited to see what you decided on as a final build - please do talk us through your bike, your build and component selection?
Final build - ha! I do a lot of tinkering with my bikes, swapping out parts here and there - whether it’s to test a component, or with a view to an upcoming event. So, my Roadfinder has been set up in a few different guises already. That’s part of the joy of the frameset, it’s such a versatile platform for road or gravel. But what has stayed constant is the groupset: I went for Campagnolo Ekar, which to my mind is the best all-road group on the market right now. It’s a little old school - no batteries or wireless - but I like that. Less maintenance, no batteries to charge, just refresh the chain and shift cable once a year and you’re done. It’s also lightweight, looks good, the 1x13 gearing offers an ideal range for everything from road to gravel mountain tracks, and Campagnolo’s hydraulic disc brakes are fantastic.
So, Ekar is there to stay. For the rest of the build, I was shooting for a neo-retro look - the colour is inspired by an old 1980s Claud Butler Sierra I once owned - so I went with a polished alloy stem and titanium seatpost to match. (Actually, it was a black stem originally, but I dunked it in oven cleaner to strip off the anodising.) The saddle is from Artax, it’s super comfortable - even over the all-day rides the Roadfinder seems to lure me into.
I’ve paired the Roadfinder with several different wheelsets, before settling on the Campagnolo Bora X which are on there at the moment. At 50mm they are probably a bit deeper than I need, but there’s a nice wide rim for 45mm gravel tyres. And like all Campagnolo wheels they spin so smoothly, I think they’re a nice match for the bike.
I’m delighted with the (non) final result. The frame is really a piece of art. It’s also deceptive: I initially got some curious comments when I turned up for club rides on the Roadfinder. Steel, really? I think there’s a tendency to equate steel frames with heavy or somehow outmoded bikes of the last century. But the Roadfinder is very much a performance bike: it retains the looks, the hand-built quality and ride feel of a classic steel bike, while being thoroughly modern in performance. It’s the best of both worlds, I love it.
Q: Based in Ireland you have access to the most stunning landscape and rides - where do you plan to put this bike through its paces?
One of my first rides on the Roadfinder was a coast-to-coast from my home in County Down on the east coast, across to Rossnowlagh in Donegal. It’s a little over 100 miles each way, and something I’ve always wanted to try. After one test ride on the Roadfinder I knew it was the bike I’d been waiting for. It turned into a really memorable day out; the bike performed so well. I turned around on the sand at Rossnowlagh and rode home again, chasing my shadow as the sun set. You’d often feel a bit beaten up after a day like that but I came home surprisingly fresh - well, relatively speaking!
I also rode the Tyrone Ranger earlier in the year, a wonderful 300km audax organised by my friend Chris Bloomer. Chris enjoys hills and he loves gravel, so the route was a little more rugged than a typical audax - the Roadfinder was in its element.
Aside from that, I use the Roadfinder year-round on a mix of road and gravel (and grass, and mud) here in the Mourne Mountains. It’s like having an access-all-areas pass - I mean, I generally won’t tackle MTB trails on it, but for everything else the Roadfinder is up for it. I’ve already taken it to France, and am eyeing up a trip to Italy next year for the Tuscany Trail. It’s the kind of bike you want to take with you everywhere.
Q: You have undertaken numerous epic ride adventures over the years and across the globe - what has been your most inspiring and where would be your ultimate destination?
I’ve ridden some amazing events in Europe, for sure. The Veneto Trail in Italy and the GranGuanche Audax - an island-hopping adventure across the Canary Islands - would be two that really stand out. I rode the Hope 1000 last year, which I’d describe as a 1000km Swiss coast to coast (albeit lakes not the sea) and it was utterly stunning; I can still hear the cowbells clanging in my ears.
After 12 years running Sportive.com, you’d think I’d have ridden all the sportives but there are still quite a few on my to-do list - La Marmotte and the Maratona dles Dolomites being two. But over the years I’ve definitely gravitated more towards longer-distance, multi-day and self-supported events - preferably off-road. It’s pure escapism, there’s something really liberating about exploring incredible countryside at your own pace, more or less self-sufficient. So my ultimate event would be something like the Tour Divide, from the US-Canada border all the way south to the Mexican frontier.
A little closer to home, the Pyrenean Rally from Girona to San Sebastian and back looks incredible. The Roadfinder X would be ideal here, since it uses gravel pistas on the way west before switching to iconic Pyrenean road climbs for the return leg. Just bring a change of tyres, and you’re sorted.
As for destination, I’m tempted to try the Unionsleden between Norway and Sweden after reading Alex’s report on it. And then another pal, Rowan - organiser of the Lakelander gravel event here - has also put together a nice route taking in much of the Camino de Santiago…. So many rides, so little time!
Q: With all your experience could you share any advice for someone looking to get into their next cycling adventure, sportive or challenge?
Yes: if you’re tempted, do it! It’s easy to over-think things and worry about what might go wrong. But it’s not that complicated: pack a sandwich, bring a jacket, get on your bike and go! The rewards of getting outside are so worthwhile, even if it’s just to escape the screen for a few hours.
If you’re looking for routes, whether locally or abroad, apps like Komoot can be really helpful. Your local cycling club should also be a first port of call if you’re looking to connect with other cyclists and explore. And for events, of course I have to give Sportive.com a plug, but there’s also a fantastic array of audaxes here in the UK, run by passionate volunteers with entry costing just a couple of pounds.
A bike is the best possible way of getting out there and exploring the world. You’ll find a welcoming community of wonderful fellow cyclists out there too, so go for it. And the Roadfinder X makes the perfect companion.
FIND YOURS...
Each one crafted by hand to order in our Stratford-upon-Avon workshop, our framesets combine time-honoured British craftsmanship with thoroughly modern performance. Find out more.
