Reader’s Rig: Jarkko’s Project 12 Cycleworks patientZERO

Words and photos by Jarkko Juvonen (@agelaonsoikea)

I’m Jarkko Juvonen from Kuopio, Finland. I’m a visual artist and technical analyst in IT. I don’t own a car, so I ride my bicycles almost every day. I rode my first century as a teenager. Commuting, touring, bikepacking, non-competitive cycling events with riders riding at party pace or mundane speed rather than racing. If you have read Grant Petersen’s book defining a rider type called “unracer,” you’ll get the idea of my cycling habits.

I’ve been riding last 30 years touring and bikepacking in Finland, excluding Lapland. From sub-24s to multi-day journeys on gravel roads, tarmac, fire roads, forest tracks, old railroad routes, and so forth. I take pictures and do sketches along the way. I used to carry my tent, but I am totally fed up with it, so nowadays I just sleep in cabins, motels, hotels, or other facilities, so I don’t have to carry so much stuff on my bike. I usually ride alone.

I wanted a bicycle that could handle any weather in summer, autumn, winter, and spring. And also a bike for every type on road and trail. One bike only. Made of premium chromo steel. A-no-race-bike or unracer like the legendary Rivendell Cycleworks bikes.

Michiel Burgerhout from Project 12 Cycleworks built my bike to order. A slack and long geometry rigid bike is the name of the game here. The base model for my bike is patientZERO with a custom geometry: 66-degree steering angle and 74-degree seat tube angle. The bottom bracket is high enough for trail riding and low enough to be nice on gravel roads. The result is a bicycle that is comfortable, easy-going, steady but agile in tight corners. It’s a great bike with every detail just like I want. Even the seatstay bridge and chainstay yoke have been contoured for the rear fender.

• Frame Project 12 Cycleworks patientZERO
• Fork Salsa CroMoto
• Rims Rodi Black Jack 25-622
• Hubs Shimano XT
• Tires Vittoria Mezcal 65-622 (29 x 2.6”)
• Handlebars Surly Open Bar
• Headset Cane Creek Forty
• Crankset Shimano SLX w/ 32T chainring and BSA Shimano BB
• Pedals Shimano XT platform
• Cassette Shimano SLX 11-46T
• Derailleur Shimano SLX SGS 11-speed
• Brakes Avid BB7 with sintered brake pads
• Shifter(s) Shimano SLX 11-speed trigger
• Saddle Brooks C17 All Weather
• Seatpost Shimano Pro 31.8 mm x 400mm
• Stem KCNC Fly
• Rear bags Ortlieb Front Roller Classic 12.5L
• Accessory bags Ace Pack Bottle Bag and Ortlieb 20L drysack for the rack
• Lighting Busch und Müller Lumotec 100 lux front and Busch und Müller Speculite rear
• Other accessories Tubus Vega rack, Crane bell, SKS 75 long fenders

I’ve ridden about 10,000 kilometers a year in the last 30 years, no matter the weather. The coldest days have been -34 degrees Celsius, and the hottest days +34 degrees Celsius. I’ve got a good collection of Cinelli cycling caps, and I’m obsessed with beautiful chromo steel frames like Moné, Rivendel Bicycle Works, etc.

Find more from Jarkko on Instagram @agelaonsoikea.

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