For the last few months, “Pink Pony Club” by Chappel Roan has been playing on repeat out of the small garage doors of Baphomet Bicycles. Behind the little blue Suzuki Jimny with safari windows, Dillen Maurer’s newest creation was taking shape. Bellingham-based Radavist contributor Paul Kalifatidi caught up with Dillen to check out his garage shop and see what he was cooking up for this year‘s Tour Divide. Let’s check it out…
Dillen and Baphomet Bicycles
When I met Dillen, I quickly became enamored with his garage. Wood drawers on soft-close slides hid his assortment of well-used tools. Eventually, I’d learn to navigate them as we built bikes, broke cars, learned to make slingshots (still learning, frankly), and generally made questionable mechanical decisions. The shop’s walls are adorned with trinkets and items from Dillen’s past. Star Wars Legos (previous mechanical conundrums) sit next to the sawed-off exhaust of a Yamaha FZ1 (current mechanical conundrum).
Posters from Dublin remind him of where he went to grad school and the bike shop where he met his wife. License plates from the many places he’s lived shield the wall from the welding table. Dillen’s past is on clear display, and getting to know this shop has helped me better understand my best friend. Over the last two years, I’ve watched him build a few bikes for his wife, himself, and me. But before we get into those, let’s discuss his ambitious summer adventure.
Range of Motion
This June, Dillen will join the Tour Divide Grand Depart as he attempts to be the first person with a lower limb difference to complete the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. With this goal in mind, he is raising money for the Range of Motion Project, whose mission is to ensure access to high-quality prosthetic care for underserved people all over the world.
Donation details can be found on their website. His attempt is supported by these sponsors: Cornerstone Prosthetics and Orthotics, SRAM, Rapha, Wolf Tooth Components, Paul Components, and Loam Equipment.
If you’re interested in learning more about Dillen’s GDMBR attempt and his backstory, there will be a fundraiser night at the Rapha Clubhouse in downtown Seattle on June 8th. Please RSVP at Baphomet Bicycles.
Tour Divide Bike
The bike that Dillen will be riding, affectionately nicknamed “Pink Pony”, is uncategorizable. Frankly, who cares? It rides. Can it fit a suspension fork? Yes. Does it clear a 2.6-inch tire? Yes. Does it have tusks like a prehistoric Salmon? Yes. Yes, it does.
The build kit is a fantastic blend of capable componentry: SRAM XO Transmission drivetrain, Zipp Zero3 Moto wheels, Wolf Tooth odds and ends, Paul Components levers and Klampers, and Bikepacker’s Delight titanium handlebars by Doom Bars. B Vivit of Hot Salad Bikes anodized the handlebars and Salsa seatpost to match the frame.
The powdercoat finish was done by Brandon Waterman of Stunt Doubles Finishing. Bellingham’s LOAM Equipment is providing baggage for the ride. We’ll be doing a full breakdown of the bespoke kit in a separate Shop Visit with Rachel and Allen of LOAM.
For those who love numbers, here’s all you need to know about the Pink Pony geometry:
- Stack: 666 mm (sick)
- Reach: 455 mm
- BB Drop: 75 mm
- Head Angle: 67º
- Seat Angle 77º
- Seat Tube: 600 mm
- Chainstay: 470 to 490 mm using Paragon sliders
- Head Tube: 160 mm
- Top Tube: 500 mm
- Crank Length: 135 mm
Other Baphomet Bikes
When not on his frequent training rides, the Pink Pony hangs next to his wife’s singlespeed that Dillen built for the inaugural MADE show back in 2023. His wife, Jenn, asked for a very compliant tube set and chromoly steel Doom bars for an incredibly smooth ride feel. This thing is comfortable, light, and fast, like the 35 mm f1.4 that Jenn uses for work. She’s a wedding photographer, and some hidden touches like a Kodachrome bottle and camera lens headset spacers are a fantastic touch to the build. I love the look of this bike, but Jenn won’t let me ride it with any gusto. I’m entertaining having Dillen build me something similar, but I already have one frame of his that languishes in an unbuilt state in a corner of my apartment. How many framesets does one need?
Dillen has also experimented with building full-suspension bikes, and his wild high-ish pivot contraption was on display at the inaugural 2023 MADE Bike Show alongside his single-speed we featured. It is thoroughly a prototype; Dillen wants to make a few changes to lower the bottom bracket and increase the rear triangle stiffness. Given that it started its life as a test mule, Dillen opted not to paint or powder coat it. Since then, the pentagram-adorned tubing has acquired quite the patina. I’m still trying to convince Dillen to build another and see just how far he can take this design.
Dillen started Baphomet Bicycles with one simple goal: to do good and have fun while doing it. For a while, that idea was building custom bicycles for clients and donating much of the money to charities. Now, Baphomet Bicycles has been reframed as a conversation starter, as a cave of bad ideas, and as a place where, with enough begging, a friend might get a custom frame. I’m fortunate to have him as a friend, especially knowing that he is no longer taking on new clients.
Dillen is still doing well with his brand, even if it’s no longer the main quest. We all need a side quest, and Dillen’s is as cool as they come. Follow Baphomet Bicycles for an inside look at training for the Tour Divide and to experience Dillen’s general positivity.
Dillen, you are loved.