CyclistMeet the maker: Jonathan Thompson of Tomo BikesBe honest. If you had the opportunity to go on a ride with your eight-year-old self, would they be impressed by your slightly above average FTP or disappointed by the lack of skids, wheelies and den-building detours? Bikes are supposed to be fun, but some people seem to have forgotten that. Jonathan Thompson, thankfully, is not one of them.Ask a typical manufacturer why their bikes are special and theyll talk about things such as stiffness, weight and aerodynamics. Thompson, on the other hand, is more likely to start chatting about how good his creations are for riding through puddles or the numerous conversations youre likely to attract while out riding one.I never wanted to make just one type of bike, he tells Cyclist. I like the challenge of figuring out designs and how to make them. Its a big part of my motivation.Andrew GrantIts this curiosity that first drew Thompson to tall bikes, which, for the uninitiated, are exactly what they sound like bikes where you find yourself unusually high off the ground. If youd like to see tall bikes in action, type Frankenbiking into Google and watch the short film that pops up in videos. Its 15 minutes well spent.Thompson had flirted with the idea of tall bikes for a while, but when one particular project left him with a Transit van full of old bike frames he decided to build one for himself by welding an old Raleigh mountain bike and a 531 racing frame together.Andrew GrantI took it along the Thames and I was hooked. It wasnt an immediately comfortable experience. I dont normally ride around looking for attention quite the opposite and you do end up getting noticed, but its generally in a good way. Tall bikes make people smile, and you end up having a lot of interesting conversations.Its funny, he adds. It takes people a minute to work out what to make of them. They often want to have a go. It sometimes takes a little persuasion, but everybody loves them once they get going. It immediately breaks down barriers and promotes just having some fun. And all the better because its with bikes. Related Posts Meet the maker: Sam Alison of Singular Cycles Meet the maker: Pete Alfano of Alfano Frameworks Meet the maker: Alexander Plaisted of Selwyn Bicycles Back down to earthWhimsical as they may be, double-decker bikes arent much good if youre attempting to podium at gravel races. Thankfully, Thompson knows his way around a racing bike too. Thats why he decided to keep things relatively classic (but no less fun) when he designed and built this off-road speed machine for racer Sam Harding. The judges at the Bespoked Handmade Bicycle Show liked it so much they awarded it second place in the gravel category.Andrew GrantThe brief was a gravel race bike that would also be used for cross and some off-road commuting, Thompson explains. The focus was on making something that fitted him properly, designed for racing efficiency but also a bit of practicality.Frame-wise it uses a mix of Max, Spirit and Zona tubing from Columbus. The ovalised down tube aims to give a reasonably stiff pedalling platform, while the flattened top tube makes shouldering the bike more comfortable. This is helped by the positioning of cable guides on top of the down tube, which also reduces mud clogging.Andrew GrantSpeaking of mud, theres room for 50mm tyres, with Thompson noting that its even possible to fit a 650b x 2.25in tyre (as pictured here), albeit with very little clearance.The rear end has a compromise of not being uber-stiff for some longer distance comfort but stiff enough so as not to slow it down, Thompson says. Sam likes to run the front pretty long and low because of his TT and fixie background. The geometry is also fairly slack for a bit more stability and sure-footed handling.Spending time and money on a fancy paint job for a bike thats inevitably going to end up getting a bit of a battering is a fools errand. For that reason Thompson approached this finish with practicality in mind.Andrew GrantThis is a copper-coloured transparent powder coat, which gives better protection than just clear-coat paint and you can still see the brass, he says. I had done another customers frame with a transparent brown and liked the effect, so I thought wed try something similar. Its relatively subtle and has definitely grown on me. Thats one of the things I like about steel bikes ultimately, if the paint gets a bit battered or you get bored of it, its pretty easy to recoat or paint it and hey presto new bike feeling.If you like the look of Tomos award-winning gravel build or even fancy something a bit loftier still, Thompson invites you to drop him a line and talk it through.That build was in the region of 3,500 with some careful parts selection, he says. The frame can vary a bit depending on the tubeset and some of the parts the cost of dropouts can vary enormously, for instance. The build kit has much bigger variability but thats one of the joys of full custom builds: you can choose exactly what you want to fit your budget and make it yours.Tomo Bespoke gravel bike, approx 3,500, tomobikes.co.ukThe post Meet the maker: Jonathan Thompson of Tomo Bikes appeared first on Cyclist.