Swobo, a company originally founded on bringing wool back to cycling clothing more than two decades ago, has bikes in the line up that offer alternatives to the run of the mill. Swobo President Peter Discoe, son of cyclocross legend of the 1970’s Danny Nall, conjured the design of the new Scofflaw, a bike he calls an ‘alternative road’ bike. With cyclocross in his blood, we say it certainly looks like a cyclocross bike.
The Swobo Scofflaw says yes to gears, singlespeedng, fat tires and smaller budgets. © Cyclocross Magazine
The Scofflaw was introduced via Swobo’s Twitter feed and Facebook post a week before Interbike 2014, with its official debut at the show. Discoe says the design is pure Colorado and beautifully TIG welded from Reynolds 531 at a partner factory in Taiwan. It uses a 44mm headtube to allow a tapered steerer carbon disc fork to be used—the debut model on display had a Whisky Parts Co. #7 quick release fork painted a matching sky blue.
A 44mm headtube gives versatility with different forks. © Cyclocross Magazine
At first glance it appears to be a disc brake-equipped singlespeed steel ‘cross bike, but closer inspection reveals Tange sliding dropouts with a rear derailleur hanger on the right side, adding versatility and potential to build the bike into a geared machine. The rear brake caliper mount is on the back side of the sliding dropout on the left, so there’s no rotor alignment problems with a a singlespeed gear change. Included are top tube cable guides for full cable housing runs to the brakes and front or rear derailleurs, if you build it up as a geared bike. Double bottle bosses add to the versatility.
The Swobo Scofflaw’s sliding dropouts allow for singlespeed use with the disc brakes. © Cyclocross Magazine
The debut model on display was set up as a singlespeed with a RaceFace GXP crankset with wide/narrow chainring teeth, BB7 Road S mechanical disc brakes, Avid HS 1 rotors, 160mm in front and 140mm out back, and an Alex disc wheelset with Kenda Small Block Eight 35C tires. Driscoe told me he could fit up to 45C tires with a squeeze, and 42c tires easily, past the curvy, indented chainstays.
Discoe, who grew up in Santa Cruz county in California, explained the name with Nor-Cal roots; “A ranger called me a scofflaw when I was caught poaching trails in Nisene Marks forest on a singlespeed ‘cross bike as a kid.” “When I asked what a scofflaw was, his answer was, ‘Look it up!'”
He did and the word, stuck in Discoe’s mind all these years, found its way as the name this bike. Appropriately, Discoe opted for Reynolds 531 tubing, a tubeset that has a history as long as that name-inspiring event.
The Swobo Scofflaw is $1200 as we see it here, built up as a singlespeed. Other build options will come, including some geared builds. Availability by the end of the year.
2015 Swobo Scofflaw Cyclocross / Adventure / Singlespeed / Geared Bike
MSRP: $1200 as shown, singlespeed
Tubing: Reynolds 531
More info: shop.swobo.com
