We have long wanted to create something special for our customers and to deliver it with sensible pricing and real utility.
Coupled with our passion for and experience with Titanium, we have begun to build a range of progressive frames built from hydro-formed Titanium with accommodating and versatile geometries to meet the needs of all riders.
The recent surge in the Gravel and Adventure market - a hugely inclusive discipline - has presented us with the perfect opportunity to do just that and to deliver a product (like those we stock) that we ourselves are keen to ride.
It would have been easy for us to brand the bikes with the shop name, but we understand that that isn't as cool as others might think! More than that though, we wanted the brand to signify something a bit more meaningful than just advertising - though there is a little nod to us on the headtube ;)
The name BŌKEN is loosely derived from the Japanese 'to explore'. I chose the name to represent the spirit of cycling at its core - its essence. When we start our cycling careers, be that as children or adults, the immediate reward we receive is one of freedom. The initial pleasure we take from riding our bikes stems not from the numbers that are displayed on distracting screens, but the liberation and exhilaration that the ride affords us. The ability to explore our environment at a pace and in a manner that allow us to gorge on that which surrounds us and that otherwise might be missed, whilst also providing the potential thrill of speed; or even the internal journeys we often find ourselves on whilst riding, are a gift.
BŌKEN is about delivering you the tools to help focus on yourself and on the world around you with confidence, whilst also being technically brilliant. Because as much as we love the freedom, we also love the tech!
BŌKEN frames are manufactured from seamless, aerospace grade (Grade 9) hydro-formed 3AL-2.5V Titanium. This Titanium yields light, stiff and comfortable frame and bikes. Unlike many far-eastern Ti frames, the main frame tubes are double-butted - ie are thinner in the centre where there is less stress - which saves weight.
All tubes are Cold Worked, removing a heat cycle from the titanium and the stresses that places on the material. In addition, by removing a step from the process it is also faster and therefore more cost effective. The tubes are then Stress Relieved to reduce the undesirable residual stresses that result from the deformation of Cold Working. The removal of such stresses helps maintain shape stability and eliminates unfavourable conditions, such as the loss of compressive yield strength. All together the process delivers a consistent, lightweight and strong tube set that will deliver excellent long term performance and durability.
To our minds - Titanium is the ultimate material for bikes and Gravel and Adventure bikes more so. Naturally robust and vibration dampening, it is also stiff and low weight, striking the perfect balance for the rigours of the road or trail while remaining swift and agile. Titanium is also effectively inert (certainly in human timescales) and as such the weather and the corrosion that it can cause, isn't the issue it can be with Aluminium and Carbon tubes. It is also considerably more durable and resistant to impact than both Aluminium and Carbon - perfect for the inconsistencies and perils of the trail, full garages, backs of cars and busy cafes!
BŌKEN geometries are carefully considered to deliver a stable yet engaging ride with agility and control at the forefront regardless of how or where you choose to ride : Road, Gravel, Cyclocross, Bike Packing, or simple exploration.