After three years of growth and streamlining production and suppliers, Namibia-based framebuilders Onguza are introducing a new way for riders to design and order handmade steel bicycles. The first customizable model is a race-worthy Fast Gravel frameset: the Bliksem. Let’s check it out…
Because the Onguza factory workshop is in-house, the brand is uniquely able to offer truly customisable, handmade framesets at a price much closer to mass-produced brands. Essentially, the frames all have standardized geometry, but beyond that, riders get to customize almost everything about their bikes. This is the business model Onguza has been working toward, and finally, it’s in a position to bring it to life.
The customer can select which of three different cable routing options they want installed on their frame, extra bottle and luggage bosses add-ons, all before your choice of paints and special graphics go on. They offer a plethora of Namibian-landscape and culture-inspired colours to choose from: 18 frame colours and 10 graphics colours.
The Onguza Bliksem is a responsive fast gravel bike, with a 50 mm tire clearance, designed for high-paced training and racing, while keeping the adventure fun on brutal terrain. It has a subtly aggressive geometry, without going too low on the stack figures for all-around great riding capabilities.
The frames are completely hand-mitred and then fillet brazed with a mixture of Columbus Life and Zona tubing throughout. The T47 bottom bracket shell means Onguza can offer three different cable routing options while using one consistent chassis. Each frame is made with stainless steel flat mount bosses and touch points to protect from wear and tear.
Fully “custom” bikes are still available for riders who want the above and beyond, but more people should have access to the truly special experience of riding a customized, hand-made bike. Adventure Gravel, Fast Road, Adventure Road, and Trail are waiting in the wings.
Onguza Bliksem frameset pricing starts at $3,032 USD, 2890 Euro, 2490 GBP – the price includes shipping, duties, and taxes (US prices exclude State Sales Taxes).
With current international duties and shipping challenges, Onguza believes this is a necessary step to ensure bikes arrive with no hassle. To bring customers this new way of ordering, the brand has rebuilt its website with a frameset-builder feature, so you don’t have to wait for a conversation to design your dream bike and get a price estimate; it’s all at your fingertips.
Once customers place an order, they receive an estimate that is as accurate as possible, along with a photograph of their selected paint choices on tubing and confirmation of their chosen specification.
And if you’re wondering, “Bliksem!” is the Afrikaans word you’d say as you smash yourself up a hard climb or send an attack up the road. It’s akin to shouting “dammit!” but with a lot more character and panache. It was, incidentally, the name of Dan’s Grandfather’s famous dog (so famous you can visit his statue in Stellenbosch). And it also, literally, means “lightning.”
See the Bliksem at Onguza.
