Rider Profile
Name : Mark
Origin : USA
Information : Filipino American, Height 5’7”, weight 79kg (175lbs). Profession - Event A1 audio engineer. Club affiliations: Crank Revolution, TLEN Cycling, Fil-Am Bikerz (FAB). Yearly distance: 5000 miles/8000 km. Road and trail riding for fitness and recreation.
Specifications
Bike
Frame : 53cm Battaglin SPEED aluminum, Nashbar carbon fork
Groupset : 1X SRAM Rival/GX 10s, KMC X10 chain
Crankset & BB : IXF 170mm, Deckas narrow-wide chainrings (46/48/50T options)
Cassettes : Shimano & SRAM, 11-26, 11-28, 11-36
Handlebar & Stem : Bontrager VR-C, Elite stem
Brakes : FSA Gossamer
Seatpost : Vision carbon
Saddle : Fizik Arione CX
Pedals : Look Keo Blade
Wheels
Rims : Light Bicycle Falcon R45T 3K Satin 16/20H
Hubs : White Industries LTA rim brake with Enduro steel bearings
Spokes : Sapim CX Ray
Nipples : Sapim alloy
Tires : Challenge Elite Pro 27mm (with Orange Seal endurance sealant)
I got into cycling when my physical health was showing signs of being on the wrong track.
I got into cycling in 2013, shortly after I was diagnosed pre-diabetic, and my physical health was showing early signs of being on the wrong track. As my wife and I had just purchased hybrid bikes and acquired a Burley for our newborn daughter, cycling was the obvious exercise choice for me as I hate traditional exercise (I still loathe indoor training, and will only subject myself to it when absolutely necessary). I was soon bitten by the bug and after a few years of exponential mileage and a clean bill of health, I decided to give back to the sport by fundraising for diabetes in my first century ride in 2016. That was also the year that I was introduced to group rides, bike clubs, and cycling communities.
The community became my home away from home. Following my college years, I was never very social, but cycling changed that. It not only got my health back on track, but it paved the way for meeting some of the closest friends I’ve ever had. I was soon leading group rides and putting together ride adventures for our local shop, and by 2019, after our home bike shop closed, I helped establish a large weekly group ride composed of local clubs, race teams, and other enthusiasts. From those new to the sport, to those with years of experience, and multiple groups varying by fitness and pace, all under the umbrella of one large weekly group event. It served to grow the humble beginnings of our local shop ride, to introduce a new upcoming shop venture of my two good friends, and to advocate healthy group ride habits and etiquette for our local cycling community.
I bred a renewed interest in bike tinkering as the pandemic locked down the world.
As the pandemic locked down the world with many unknowns, I chose to ride solo (or only with my wife and daughter) until I could get vaccinated, and out of all the free time, bred a renewed interest in bike tinkering. Since my childhood, I’ve always had a knack for taking things apart and putting them back together. As an audio professional, part of my job involves large-scale-event sound system assembly and disassembly, knowing how all the components work, trying different processes, and coming up with the best solution to deliver the best sound to the event. The same goes for the quest of the ultimate ride.
None of my bikes are stock, and I change out components quite often, mostly to learn and satisfy my own curiosities, but to also chase something unique. One of those wonderings came about at the very start of 2021 when I came across a very good deal on one of these new-old-stock Battaglin Speed aluminum frames. Having never built up a complete bike from the ground up, I quickly embarked on my latest project. This was the chance to go as custom as I could afford (using a rotation of my older wheelsets and other parts old and new) and have a ride machine 100% unique to me and all my quirks. The build was a great experience and is an amazing addition to my stable of bikes.
It was time to bring my custom bike full circle with a custom wheelset.
As a tinkerer, I'm always combing the marketplace for deals on parts. When I came across an old White Industries hubset in excellent condition, I sensed it was time to bring my new custom bike full circle with a custom wheelset. My only criteria at the time were that I wanted full carbon, and (may raise some eyebrows) I wanted to go tubular. I first heard of Light Bicycle while watching one of Ali Clarkson‘s YouTube videos on wheel building. The product reference from someone of his skill and talent did not go unnoticed and my first impression of Light Bicycle as a brand was very good.
I found the website very easy to navigate and understand, and I appreciated the wealth of information on all things carbon wheels. This is clearly a brand that is in touch with its customers and knows how to deliver the custom experience with proven, amazing products, without the high-end price tag of the mega manufacturers. Their customer service is very prompt and knowledgeable. Tina understood what I was going for and everything I was inquiring about. She had my whole order ready in just a few emails. I ended up going with Falcon R45T rims in 3K weave with satin finish, with multi-colored decals, matching nipples, and CX Ray spokes. Once the rims were completed, I was sent high-quality photo proofs of the rims prior to shipping. I found an error in the decal placements on the rear rim and they fixed the issue in a matter of hours. Even down to the last detail like packaging each rim in a soft protective cloth sleeve within the shipping box was a great touch.
Out of the box, it was amazing to see my vision start coming to life.
The rims turned out even better than I expected, as these are my first modern wide U-shaped rims with a grooved graphene brake surface. I considered sending my hubs overseas for Light Bicycle to build with, but as I was ordering close to the Christmas holiday, I was sceptical of possible shipping delays. Instead, since I’m still getting my feet wet with wheel building, I asked my friend TC from Crank Revolution Bike Shop (Hoffman Estates, IL) to grace these wheels with his building skills. January in the Midwest is the dead season for bike shops, and he finished the build in under a week.
I undertook the glueing myself as I’ve done several times before. I went with Challenge Elite Pro Tubular tires in 27mm tan wall, as I’ve run the 23s on my other tubular wheels. They are handmade and with a high TPI. They roll and grip well, are easy to find, while also being affordable and durable. I’ve also had very good results running Orange Seal sealant in the butyl tubes. For me it’s proven insurance for punctures, especially with a tubular. I got several thousand miles on my previous set, with only one puncture that sealed instantly while riding (just had to clean the dried up sealant from my frame and my legs!). I know latex tubes roll better but not sure I’m willing to run any type of sealant in a latex tube. Doesn’t seem to be enough data out there, especially since many are moving to tubeless. I even run sealant in all my clincher tubes, also proven several times to get me home without having to change a tube. The braking confidence is another reason I prefer tubular over clincher. Lots of research there, I won’t bore you. But I do own a set of older carbon clinchers that I still brake cautiously with. Setting up a tubular is a bit more involved than clinchers or tubeless, and not for everyone, but perfect for the tinkerer like me who thrives for the next bike project challenge. It has been a blessing to get back into the cycling community and group rides, especially now with my new custom Light Bicycle wheels. Thank you again Light Bicycle!
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April 15th, 2022 | Light Bicycle
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