Bikes & Bags United: A Visit To Goodday + Curiosity

There have been a number of great custom frame builder/bag maker collaborations over the years, but we haven’t seen many teams who live under one roof and strive to create bikes around bags and vice versa. In fact, Goodday + Curiosity might be the first outfit we’ve seen that exists to purposefully integrate the two in a utilitarian and aesthetically pleasing package. Based in Gunnison, Colorado, they position themselves as “a place to commission artistic, handmade, custom bikes and bags.”

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Neil recently toured the Goodday + Curiosity shop space to get the backstory of their businesses and see how they work. Watch the video tour below, then scroll down to learn more about two of their entirely custom creations: the Gunsmoke Singlespeed and Bluebird Ti.

“I want people to always be discovering new little details about the things I make.”

Goodday Gunsmoke SS

Words by Chris Besnia

The Gunsmoke was inspired by the Clint Eastwood westerns of my youth. I wanted to build a single speed that could handle the rugged terrain of the Mountain West, specifically the terrain around Gunnison County as well as the Colorado Trail. It also had to look timeless and use my signature curvy lines and twin top tubes.

I designed the front triangle to be enormous (but appropriate for my 35” inseam) with a bucket bottom downtube so that I could fit most of my gear in the center triangle, keeping the weight low and balanced and also negating the need for anything on my body for day rides. Also, I wanted to have the largest dropper post possible. Notice there is very little wasted space between the seat tube and dropper collar.

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The Gunsmoke is built around Boost axle spacing and features my standard long and low geometry, creating unrivaled stability and efficiency on steep climbs and descents. It has a 475mm seat tube length, 660mm effective top tube length, 500mm reach, 130mm head-tube length, 445mm chainstays, a 60mm bottom bracket drop, a 1,290mm wheelbase, a 75.5° seat tube angle, and a 64° head tube angle.

• Fork Customized Fox 38 150mm fork with a 51mm offset
• Wheels Onyx Hubs (gunmetal), Derby i35 32 hole rims, DT Swiss silver spokes
• Tires Maxxis Minion DHR II 29 x 2.6″, Cush Core, Orange Cush Core Valves
• Crankset Raceface Aeffect CTR crank 175mm
• Bottom Bracket XT shimano bottom bracket
• Handlebar Goodday Spacemoose bar/stem combo, 760mm, 0mm stem, 9° backsweep
• Bar ends Goodday trifecta bar ends
• Grips Ergon GA3 Grips
• Brakes Magura 4 piston MT7 brakes, Magura 180 mm rotors
• Saddle WTB Volt
• Seatpost Bike Yoke 185 mm dropper, Wolf Tooth lever
• Rack Custom Goodday bolt-in bar bag cradle

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Arly took inspiration for the bags from the floral embroidered pearl snap cowboy shirts I like to wear mountain biking. To complement the orange accents, we did copper mallow flowers that grow among the tumbleweeds. The smoking gun on the bento is a fun and literal take on the bike’s name. It’s also ironic because I would never actually have a gun.

For the paint job, I drew inspiration from a 1992 Diamondback Ascent. I powder coated the chrome base, then using my welding torch, I wafted the smoke texture onto the frame. Then I airbrushed the decals and did a clear powder coat over that. People think of powder coating as a glossy single-color finish, but I’ve had a lot of fun pushing the boundaries of what’s artistically possible with powder. I can do flat texture, hombre fades, and sparkly bass boat finishes.

Goodday Bluebird Ti

Words by Arly Landry

The Bluebird was designed to be a lightweight shredder hardtail with a large enough triangle to fit everything you would need for an all-day ride in the triangle and bento bags. I wanted it to look classic but also have modern long and low geometry for the steep climbs and descents characteristic of Gunnison Valley trails. As a smaller person at 5’3”, I wanted a 27.5 to keep the bike lighter, more agile, and have room for a 150mm dropper post, which also means more clearance for a saddle bag. We decided to make the bike out of titanium for weight and strength.

I actually anodized the frame myself. I had some decals made of bluebird silhouettes and then arranged them in pleasing places along the frame before dabbing in the blue crystals with the alternate current machine. I love that with anodizing, you’re able to achieve some of the iridescence and blending of birds’ feathers. I see Rocky Mountain bluebirds almost every day from late April to September, and the saturation of their feathers is mesmerizing. I get some of that same thrill when I look down at my bicycle.

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For the bags, I wanted to have bluebirds mimicking the reductionist illustration style of Charley Harper. Also, the highway from Gunnison to Lake City is called the Blue Bird Highway because of all the birdhouses lining the road, so I had to add a birdhouse. For bikepacking, I made matching seat and bar bags.

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It has a 400mm seat tube, a 550mm effective top tube length, 420mm reach, 90mm head-tube, 423mm chainstays, 55mm bottom bracket drop, 1,170mm wheelbase, 76° seat tube angle, and a 63° head tube angle.

• Fork Rock Shox Yari 150mm, 46° offset
• Wheels Onyx front hub, Race Face Turbine rear, Syntace 27.5 32-hole rims
• Crankset Raceface Atlas 170mm
• Derailleur Micro-shift Advent X 10-speed
• Shifter Micro-shift Advent X 10-speed
• Cassette Micro-shift Advent X 10-speed
• Bottom Bracket Cane Creek Hellbender
• Handlebar Thompson Ti bar 735mm
• Grips ESIgrips Extra Chunky
• Headset Wolf Tooth
• Brakes Magura 4-piston front, 2-piston rear, 180mm rotors
• Saddle Terry Galactic
• Seatpost Bike Yoke 150mm dropper, Wolf Tooth Lever
• Rack Custom Goodday Spacer Bar Bag Cradle

For more on Goodday Bikes and Curiosity Bags, head over to gooddaycuriosity.com

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