This article marks the third feature in my ongoing Chainsmith series highlighting Australia’s most skilled handmade frame builders. Over years of visiting workshops and guiding riders toward their dream bikes, I’ve seen firsthand the craftsmanship that sets custom builders apart. After exploring the technical artistry of Sean Doyle of Devlin Cycles and the precision of Mark Hester at Prova Cycles, I now turn to Palmer Bikes—an emerging force in Australian custom carbon bike building. Based in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges, Chris Palmer is redefining what handmade carbon frames can offer, crafting high-performance, rider-specific machines that rival the world’s best.
👉 Read the Prova Cycles Feature
Where Devlin fights for visibility and Prova refines systems of precision, Chris Palmer of Palmer Bikes represents something equally important: a fusion of engineering mastery and creative independence, all scaled within his backyard workshop. And while his workspace is just a few metres from where his children play, don’t mistake the setting for a side project. As we will see, the Palmer frames emerging from this space are serious machines—performance-driven, aesthetically striking, and tailored for each individual rider.
Australian frame builder Chris Palmer and Alison McGregor
A Workshop Steeped in Family—and Focus
There is little mystery as to why the Macedon Ranges has become a cycling haven. Roads twist through dense forest before opening onto vast stretches of pastoral land, making it the perfect setting for gravel events such as the Dirty Docker and Outer Wombat. But the region equally rewards road cyclists, offering an endless supply of routes that cement its status as a destination for Australian cycling—a fitting backdrop for the quiet revolution happening inside the Palmer Bikes workshop.
Out here, on Melbourne’s outer edges, Chris Palmer is redefining what it means to build custom carbon frames by hand in Australia—building machines as in tune with the landscape as the riders who explore it.
After a relaxed train ride from Melbourne’s city centre, I arrived at Chris Palmer’s family home—set on a generous block with an expansive backyard, complete with his children’s swing set. It’s the kind of scene that captures the essence of Australian country life. But step from the grass where his children play and onto the concrete floor of his workshop, and the atmosphere shifts. Here, hours of meticulous work unfolds within a space dedicated to precision and craft. You’re no longer in a domestic space—you’re in a domain of intense concentration, engineered for precision.
The workshop is compact but highly efficient. Tightly sectioned with tools, jigs, and machinery, it’s a space where engineering discipline meets creative freedom. Chris moves between these worlds—family and fabrication—with impressive fluidity. There’s nothing romanticised. In contrast to Prova’s segmented production layout or Devlin’s rugged and utilitarian approach, Palmer’s space feels almost intuitive—shaped by necessity, yes, but also by a clear vision. It's not large, but it's loaded with thought.
The making of a Palmer bespoke carbon frame inside the workshop
This is exactly why I conduct my interviews within the builder's workshop: the space itself always reveals something about the maker. In Chris’s case, the workshop speaks to his engineering rigour, his creative autonomy, and his ability to distill complexity into control.
Engineering Meets Ingenuity: Chris Palmer’s Path to Framebuilding
Chris Palmer’s journey into frame building didn’t follow the romanticised arc of an apprentice turned artisan. Instead, it’s a story of disciplined inquiry, independent problem-solving, and an obsession with performance engineering. A qualified mechanical engineer with a background in automotive chassis dynamics, Chris has long been drawn to structures where feel, function, and finesse must converge — whether in a race car or a bicycle.
Workshop Interior reveals alot about the processes and philosophy behind the frames
“I’ve been interested in designing and making high-performance cars, bikes, etc. since high school. Being an engineer, I know how to design the structures — I just had to figure out how to design plies and layups for carbon fibre.” —Chris Palmer
His knowledge of load transfer, material tolerances, and mechanical behaviour under stress directly informs his approach to building bikes. But unlike most carbon frame manufacturers, who depend on large facilities with automated moulding systems, Chris set out to build everything from the ground up — literally.
When I spoke to Mark Hester of Prova Cycles about the difficulty of sourcing specialised tooling in Australia, he was direct: “There just isn’t that kind of treasure trove of old machines we have access to. You’ve got to be a little more creative with what we’ve got." —Mark Hester, Prova Cycles, interview with Alison McGregor
Mark noted that even experienced builders in Australia have needed to fabricate their own frame jigs or fixtures. Chris followed suit, developing and building his own equipment and processes,
"I have developed my own process to custom design every layup by 3D CAD and cut every piece accurately by desktop CNC cutter – approx 60–70 pcs per frame. All the pieces are hand laid up and I have a custom compression mold method which compresses the layup which is also vacuum bagged for curing. This is placed in a frame-sized oven which I have also made to cure for 2–3 hours at 120°C.” —Chris Palmer
This is a self-made ecosystem — bootstrapped, not borrowed. This isn’t just engineering. This carbon frame production is a marriage of craft and innovation, built on deep technical literacy and sharpened by necessity.
The beauty is in the details when it comes to a Palmer custom handmade frame
The Layup Language: Where Beauty Meets Performance
What immediately distinguishes Palmer Bikes from other carbon frame builders isn’t just the fact that each frame is made by hand — it’s the intimate visual story carried across the carbon itself. Where many brands conceal their layup patterns under glossy paint, Chris Palmer lets the material speak. The textures of his frames are revealed, not hidden — an ode to the structural integrity and visual elegance of carbon done right.
“It’s intense work getting all the layers aligned — but this is where the meticulous design and cutting shows.” —Chris Palmer
Alison McGregor interviewing Chris Palmer
To see one of Palmer’s frames in person is to witness more than mechanical function — it’s to appreciate a carefully choreographed layup where structure and surface become one. There’s a harmony to the weave, a rhythm in the layering that creates depth and movement across the tubing. Unlike the uniform, sanded-smooth finishes of mass-manufactured carbon, Palmer’s frames wear their identity proudly — every contour and visible fibre a testament to the builder’s hand. And when viewed up close, Palmer’s frames say plenty — about purpose, about precision, and about the quiet brilliance of honest materials.
Customised attachment of the carbon wrapped pump is an exclusive personalised feature on Palmer Bikes
Handmade Carbon vs. Mass Production: What Riders Should Know
In today’s market, most riders encounter carbon through the lens of mass production. Global brands like Trek, Specialized, and Canyon dominate with sleek finishes, wind-tunnel-tested shapes, and industrial efficiency. And while these bikes are technically proficient, they tend to prioritise uniformity and cost-effectiveness over individuality or long-term serviceability.
Palmer’s approach is the inverse. Each Palmer frame is built not to a template, but to a person. The layup isn’t pre-determined — it’s custom-designed based on the rider’s weight, handling preferences, riding style, and even terrain. Geometry is refined through direct conversation, not an algorithm.
“Everything from the stiffness zones to the cable routing and mounting points can be customised. The goal is to make something that performs — but feels right for that individual.” —Chris Palmer
This rider-first philosophy informs every detail, from the functional to the aesthetic. Mounting options, pump attachments, subtle internal routing, and even colour varnish are carefully considered and executed to support the rider’s needs — not just the brand’s identity.
Crucially, Palmer’s bikes are built to be serviced and maintained, not discarded. Carbon, when crafted and cured correctly, has enormous longevity. Palmer frames are structurally overbuilt in critical zones, with generous tolerances and finish durability. Where most mass-market carbon bikes are treated as disposable technology (in the hopes to capture a new sale within a few years of a purchase), a Palmer frame is designed for life.
The result is a product that sits closer to a Savile Row suit than a mass-produced garment — tailored, deliberate, and deeply personal. In the context of Australia’s limited resources and expansive geography, that commitment becomes even more impressive. But it also makes one thing clear: Palmer Bikes are not for everyone. They are for those who value performance not as a set of bullet points, but as a seamless integration of design, craft, and experience. This is carbon at its most personal—akin to bespoke tailoring or haute horology in the luxury world. Every frame is crafted with purpose, designed to perform and endure, while telling a story uniquely its own.
Below: Inside the Palmer Bikes Workshop
The Hurdles: Craftsmanship in a Country Built for Big Brands
Building handmade bikes in Australia is not just an act of passion — it's an exercise in endurance. The challenges are layered: supply chain costs, limited domestic manufacturing infrastructure, and a market conditioned by global branding.
“Being out of Melbourne is a bit more difficult to grow—being closer to Melbourne’s cycling culture would definitely help to become more known.” —Chris Palmer
Chris’s workshop in the Macedon Ranges, while offering space, clarity, and freedom from distraction, also isolates him from the day-to-day energy of an urban cycling community. Unlike builders in Europe or North America, where frame building hubs exist and knowledge is shared among peers, Australian builders operate in relative solitude. As Mark Hester of Prova noted during our interview, there’s no abundant ecosystem of equipment here. Much of what builders need doesn’t exist locally — or hasn’t for decades.
“There just isn’t that kind of treasure trove of old machines we have access to. You’ve got to be a little more creative with what we’ve got.” —Mark Hester, Prova Cycles
That inventiveness is a common thread. Chris had to design and build his own moulds, his own oven, and conjure his own cutting systems — each decision a reflection of problem-solving born from scarcity. In this environment, success is not just about building frames — it’s about building the means to build frames.
The Australian market itself adds another complication. Cyclists are inundated with polished marketing from global brands. High production values and pro tour sponsorships generate trust — often leaving the quiet, high-performing work of local builders in the shadows.
And yet, here’s the paradox: the very qualities that define handmade — attention to detail, rider-focused design, exclusivity, longevity — are exactly what many riders truly desire. They just don’t always know it exists. That’s where stories like Chris Palmer’s become vital. Because beyond the brand names and big launches, real innovation is happening quietly. In backyards. In converted sheds. In the measured hands of engineers like Chris who are building world-class machines — one frame, one rider at a time.
Palmer Bikes: Frame detail with visible carbon texture
The Feel of the Ride: From Automotive Chassis to Carbon Craft
Chris Palmer isn’t just an engineer — he’s a rider. And his understanding of performance doesn’t come from spreadsheets alone. It’s been shaped by experience on the road and in the workshop, but also in the garage bays of high-performance automotive firms, where he spent years refining the feel of a chassis under pressure.
“In cars, you’re always chasing that balance — stiffness, compliance, weight distribution — all to give the driver a feel that’s connected and predictable on the road. Bikes are no different. You’re tuning the frame to respond to the rider, not just the terrain.”
—Chris Palmer
That understanding of balance — the interplay between responsiveness and comfort — is woven into every Palmer layup. The weight distribution, the ply orientation, the geometry: each detail is part of a greater system designed to offer predictability, confidence, and pleasure.
Below: Chris Palmer and Alison McGregor in the Palmer Bikes workshop, Victoria
This philosophy places Chris in conversation with some of the world’s great builders — including Sarto Antonio, an Italian brand with whom Chainsmith partners. Sarto refers to the ride experience of their frames as a “mesmeric, elemental feel.” For both Sarto and Palmer, carbon is not merely functional — it’s expressive. The frame is not a product; it’s a tuned instrument.
The Palmer approach is reminiscent of the Italian builder Sarto exactly because of his commitment to both performance and aesthetic purity. Like Palmer, Sarto bypasses the trend to mask the process. Instead, they celebrate the carbon itself, describing their work as designed to produce a “mesmeric, elemental feel” — where the ride experience is inseparable from the frame’s material expression.
Both builders understand that beauty lies not in decorative touches but in exposing the sophistication already embedded in structure.
Below: Close-up of carbon weave on Palmer frame
Looking Ahead: The Future of Palmer Bikes on Australian Terrain
Chris Palmer doesn’t talk in terms of global domination or mass-market expansion. His ambitions are quieter, more deliberate — measured not in numbers, but in nuance. His goal is to refine, not to scale. To deepen, not to widen.
“With robots and AI, the manufacture of bikes could be very different in 10 years. I hope that handmade items will be even more sought after… I aim to straddle that gap with bikes that perform while retaining a classic style.”—Chris Palmer
That idea — to straddle the divide between high-performance and timeless aesthetic — defines Palmer Bikes. It’s visible in every layup, every dropout, every weld. His bikes aren’t designed for mass consumption. They’re built for riders who want something different: a tool of precision that reflects their individuality, their riding style, and their values.
Chris Palmer in his workshop, Vic.
Rather than chasing podiums or billboards, Palmer’s bikes feel destined to trace the ridgelines of the Macedon Ranges, to climb the alpine switchbacks of Falls Creek, to disappear into the red haze of the Outback. These are bikes made for the land — for the long haul, for the quietly ambitious, for those who believe connection is the greatest luxury of all.
At Chainsmith, we believe that builders like Palmer aren’t just fabricating frames. They’re crafting Australia’s cycling future. A future where performance isn’t mass-produced, but earned. Where bikes aren’t sold, but built for independant riders, with individual stories. If you’re seeking a machine built with purpose and soul — one that rides with clarity and lives with you through seasons of change — a custom bike by builders such as Palmer Bikes is a path worth exploring.
Whether you’re exploring the possibilities of handmade Australian carbon or Italian precision, we offer riders expert guidance in selecting their perfect frame. Not sure where to start? Fill in our Best Bike Recommendation form, and let us help recommend your ideal ride.
