This is the bike described above - a Woodrup Chimera.
It was built four years ago and uses decent quality components like Hope headset and bottom bracket. Woodrup use it as a demonstrator and I know that the longest test ride was mine when I was lent it for a weekend and I pedalled it from Leeds to Darlington sixty five miles away. Most of the remaining rides have been along the canal towpath behind Woodrups.
Looking at the picture I might have been wrong about the tubing - it looks like a Reynolds 725 sticker on the frame.
They are building a new display model that will have disc brakes to reflect the increasing demand for disc brake fitted bikes and the above bike will be surplus to requirements. I know that it going to be put on offer at around £3000 a considerable saving over a new build. If anyone is interested, contact Woodrup cycles in Leeds and declare an interest. I'm not sure when it is scheduled to be put out on offer but anyone seeking a bargain piece of handbuilt excellence should move quickly.
From my own experience of owning a Chimera, it really is a wonderful bicycle and is virtually maintenance free. In the past three to four years of ownership I have only had to replace consumables like tyres and brake blocks and change the hub oil annually. The belt tension barely changed in three years and only one small incremental retensioning was needed. I've toured in Germany, Austria, France, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Scotland and the USA with it. I have also used it for 100km Audaxes and shorter leisure rides.
A caveat or two - there is some loss of efficiency in the transmission and some increased drag from the tyres. On audax rides I found that I was a 1-2 mph slower on the Chimera than I was using a 700c wheeled, derailleur geared light tourer/audax bike. Ergo grips are a useful addition to give some variety in hand positions.
My own bike looks like this:
I have a Son delux hub dynamo fitted plus B&M LED lighting.
