Adam checking wheel clearance on a home build gravel bike. The rear triangle can be difficult to bui

Adam checking wheel clearance on a home build gravel bike. The rear triangle can be difficult to build — this is the moment of truth.

The frame lies flat on MDF board, workshop chaos visible around it. Blue painter's tape masks the tubes. Vittoria Terreno tyres wait on the wheel. Measuring tape nearby for the inevitable adjustments.

Clearance matters more than beginners expect. Too tight and the tyre rubs on rough terrain when the frame flexes. Too loose and the bike feels vague, the wheel floating in too much space. Getting it right requires checking, adjusting, rechecking.

Home builds happen in spaces like this. Not professional workshops with perfect lighting and organised tools — real garages with cling wrap boxes and scattered hardware. The bike doesn't care about the setting. Only the execution matters.

That white and blue colour scheme will look sharp when finished. Right now it's process photography — the unglamorous middle stage where patience determines outcomes.

Every finished bike passed through a moment like this. Frame laid out, wheel test-fitted, builder holding breath. Adam's checking. The clearance will be fine. 🔧