While at the 2026 Brother in the Wild, John managed to document a handful of builds in between the rain showers. Today we’re featuring a trio of special builds, so read on to check them out!
Jay‘s Jayer Gravel
Brother in the Wild brought out some killer builds, and I wish I’d had more time to photograph them all. One that stood out to me was this “Jayer” adventure gravel bike. It reminded me of both the Crust Nor’Easter and Tom’s Dead Forest (more on that to come). Turns out, this fella Jay built it at the Stayer Framebuilding 101 course.
Jay is a tinkerer and a quick learner. “I showed Sam a stem I liked, and he said, ‘Oh, we can build that, easy!’ So we spent an afternoon making the stem. I also taught myself to sew and made the handlebar bag as well.” It’s this DIY attitude that was very prevalent throughout my travels through the UK over the past two springtimes. There’s a small community surrounding this mentality, and in many ways, Stayer is at the center.
“The course was incredible. I learned so much, and it makes me want to get a setup or a shop for myself,” Jay commented. When I noted the Brooks badge, he added, “Oh yeah, that’s my grandfather’s Brooks saddle. The logo was all but gone, so I scratched it in myself.”
Other notable bits on this stunning bike is the fork, which was made by Chris Andrews in Scotland. It has a long axle to crown and a beautiful crown. The scalloped fork ends and brazing is immaculate! Jay joked that the logo was an homage to the Stayer logo, and truth be told, at initial glance, I thought it actually was a Stayer. “Tom at The Woods is a friend and the first thing he said to me when I rolled the bike into the shop was ‘you can fit bigger tires in that frame’…”
Jay also made his own head badge, as an homage to the Jurassic Coast, where Brother in the Wild takes place. The abundance of fossils along the beaches inspired Jay to make a seashell out of brass.
It was a pleasure meeting you, Jay! Well done. You can read all about his experience at his Substack!
Vee’s Fairlight Secan with Wizard Works Bags
Vee and Harry from Wizard Works had a phenomenal display at Brother in the Wild, with a variety of bags for sale and this Fairlight on display with plum purple bags.
Speaking of the real union aspect of the show, connecting with these two is always a treat, and having just seen them at Bespoked UK a few weeks prior, it was nice being out in nature with the two. Wizard Works vibe fits the feel of Brother in the Wild so well, just like how these bags look integrated and sleek on the Fairlight Secan chassis.
The fork is affixed with custom Figwit bags, the handlebar has a Badjelly bag, and the rear rack has the brand’s soon to be released rack bag. Then, to tie the room together, dude, is a custom rolltop frame bag. All in the Ultragrid Very Berry color.
Both brands, Fairlight, and Wizard Works, put so much detail and thought into their products and it shows. I love how the desert tan frame color compliments the bags.
Well done, you two!
Vish‘s Brother Cycles Big Bro Rohloff Touring Bike
By far the most energetic encounter I had while documenting bikes at Brother in the Wild was Vish. “My other hobby is raving” he shouted while vibrating with excitement. Vish is a hype man. If I could talk to him every day, I’d feel so much better about myself. For the twenty minutes we spent together, he just gushed about how much of a fan he is of The Radavist and how his Brother Cycles Big Bro is modeled after Ryan’s Tumbleweed.
“I wanted to buy a Prospector but once I met Will and James, I just had to have a Brother frame,” he shouted across the field at me while he was talking to Cari. “What they have done for the UK community with Brother in the Wild is so important. Look! It brought us together!”
Vish’s energy is intoxicating and his ambitions to take on big, hard routes is impressive. His first tour was the Annapurna Circuit. Literally the first time he’d gone on tour. He commented about how he’d love to do the Tour Divide or other month-long routes and how his Big Bro came together perfectly.
Meeting people like Vish at Brother in the Wild is what made the event so memorable for Cari and I and it’s a big reason why we’ll be returning next year.
Vish, you legend. Keep it elevated! See you soon, brother and safe touring!
We’ve got much, much more on the way this week, so stay tuned!
The Radavist thanks Schwalbe for supporting our 2026 Brother in the Wild content and independent Reportage!