In 2013 Specialized announced their intention to sell a
heavy-duty ‘all everything’ bike made from Reynolds 725/520 Co-Mo tubing. Referred to as the AWOL, the frame is designed
with a split seatstay for multiple drivetrain options, three water bottle mounts,
and disk brake compatibility. I was
intrigued with the possibility building up a randonneur bike for the 2014
season using an AWOL frame and a mix of new and used components. Realizing that if the bike didn’t work for
randonneuring it could always be used for commuting, I decided to order a frame
after the Munger Bungo. Now, over five
months later, I’m still waiting on the frame, though I have assurances it will
arrive later this month (a novel marketing campaign by Specialized has generated significant interest in the AWOL).
Here’s a photo of the bike (with a non-standard, tripped-out paint job), courtesy of the 'Team AWOL' Tumblr.
