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Long-timeroad.ccblogger Jo Burt, the artist and illustrator behind the much-loved Mint Saucemountain-biking sheep cartoons, knew Reilly well, having been a regular customer over the years, with both based in Brighton. Here's his tribute...

Its terrible having a frame builder that lives in the same town as you. Mark has designed and built several frames for me over quite a few years, the single speed town bike thats been in almost daily use for nearly two decades, the magenta road bike, the deliberately twitchy MTB, the single speed cyclo-cross bike, the like a cyclo-cross bike but with bigger tyres before Gravel was even a thing bike that was ridden to the Bespoked bike show in Bristol the day after it was built, the bike-fit that took a lifetime of his experience and three minutes of my time to create the most like-a-glove bicycle Ive ever owned

Mark knew about bikes, hed been dong them all his life, he knew what worked and what didnt and when it came to chatting about dimensions and geometry he was very diplomatic about any ideas you might have but youd always listen to him in the end, because he knew. He also had an eye, that eye that craftsmen have after years of hands-on experience and he couldnt help himself when it came to making a beautiful machine. It was also a pleasure, a privilege and a learning experience to hear his views about bikes especially when at a framebuilding show where he could spot genuine craftsmanship versus a nice paint job covering a multitude of sins at 50 paces.

While I will miss meeting Mark on the odd occasion and cheerfully talking bollocks about bicycles it is through his bikes that he will be remembered by me and countless others. It may be a cliche but he will live on in the miles and adventures his bikes go on and Im pumping up the tyres on his orange one now.

Here's the full story...

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