Made in Quincy: Custom Falconer Cycles Steel Gravel Bike
Words and photos by Dave Malwitz
I first met Cameron Falconer in 2019, in Downieville, CA. I was there for the Roval Terra wheel launch, and Cameron served as our guide for the week, crafting routes through the overlooked forest roads of the Lost Sierra. Falconer Cycles, based in Quincy, CA, is where Cameron has handbuilt custom steel and titanium bikes for years. Until that week, I hadn't given much thought to custom frames, so it wasn't surprising that talking with him about his work completely changed my perspective on the process and the benefits of going custom. Taking his own gravel bike for a quick spin around camp made the biggest impression of all, and that week I had a dream that one day I would have a Falconer of my own.
Riding with Cameron turned out to be the first piece of this build story, a reference point he drew on later when designing my bike. From there, he requested notes on how and where I ride, along with sizing and impressions from my past 3 gravel bikes. I wanted a versatile bike built for road, gravel, and singletrack that I could use on everything from big gravel adventures to road commutes and overnighters. We had two or three phone calls to cover the process and key decisions on the frame. I landed on a tapered head tube, external cable routing, an English bottom bracket, 3 bottle cage mounts, and zero rack mounts for a clean, classic, and serviceable build. The frame also comes with his custom designed rear dropout, built as minimal as possible while staying UDH compatible.
The result is my custom Falconer Cycles steel gravel frame, built for rides far and wide and finished in a Light Blue Metallic powdercoat. The geometry balances speed and capability: a 71° head tube angle for fast gravel yet still steady for technical terrain, a 73.5° seat tube angle, and 435mm chainstays with room for 29 x 2.0" tires. Columbus steel tubing gives the frame the all-day comfort and durability.
Highlights of the build include a full ENVE front end, the Gravel Disc Fork, Road Stem, and Gravel Handlebar, wrapped in my favorite new bar tape, Ergon's BT OrthoCell. For navigation, a Wahoo Roam 3 sits on a K-Edge mount. The drivetrain pairs a SRAM GX Eagle Transmission rear derailleur with a wide-range SRAM XO Eagle Transmission cassette, 10-52T, matched to a SRAM Force 1 Wide crankset and 40t X-SYNC chainring. Wolf Tooth shows up in a few key details: ALT pedals in Ultraviolet Purple, a pair of Morse Ti bottle cages in Teal Cerakote, and a black seatpost clamp to match the Chris King headset. ENVE Hex tires in 700x52 complete the look, offering speed and traction while fitting the frame's clearance just right. Finally, a Roval Terra carbon seatpost with 20mm offset is light, compliant, and easy to adjust, and a nice callback to our week in Downieville. Special thanks to Gordon at Velo Hangar for meticulously bringing the whole build together.
MATERIALS
FRAME Falconer Custom Steel Gravel
FORK ENVE Gravel Disc
HEADSET King Tapered NoThreadSet
STEM ENVE Road Stem
HANDLEBAR ENVE Gravel Handlebar
GRIP Ergon BT OrthoCell
SEATPOST Roval Terra 20mm Offset
SADDLE Ergon SR Allroad Pro
BRAKES SRAM Rival eTap AXS
SHIFTERS SRAM Rival eTap AXS
ROTORS Shimano Deore XT
CRANK SRAM Force 1 Wide
CHAINRING SRAM X-SYNC 1x 40T
PEDALS Wolf Tooth ALT Ultraviolet Purple
BB Enduro Bearings BSA Thread-In Ceramic-Hybrid, XD15
REAR DERAILLEUR SRAM GX Eagle Transmission
CASSETTE SRAM XO Eagle Transmission 10-52t
CHAIN SRAM GX Eagle T-Type Flattop
WHEELS ENVE AG25 Foundation Gravel
TIRES ENVE Hex 700x52
SEALANT Orange Seal Endurance
VALVES Reserve Fillmore
BOTTLE CAGE Wolf Tooth Morse Ti
COMPUTER Wahoo Roam 3
COMPUTER MOUNT K-Edge ENVE Road Stem
What I appreciate most about my Falconer is the connection between the bike and the builder. Hand made by a friend right here in California, then built up with all my favorite components to create the ultimate ride-any-road machine. If you haven't yet met a custom frame builder, or thrown a leg over a custom metal frame, I encourage you to do so. You'll thank me.
During a recent conversation with Cameron while writing this story, I learned that Falconer Cycles closed this spring, as Cameron moved on to a new chapter outside the bike industry. He'll continue supporting owners of his bikes in any way needed. Farewell, Falconer Cycles, and thank you for bringing this dream to life.
2026 Gravelstoke x Voler Super Cargo Bib is a high performance bib short with a 6+ hour chamois, integrated leg grippers, wide bib straps, and three cargo pockets for comfort and durability on long rides.