Latest Custom Builds — Cyclocross

Matt had decided that one road/gravel bike was needed to replace multiple big wheeled bikes he owned. He was planning to ride this new OPEN Upper for a long time, and approached us to discuss an absolutely "no compromises" build. Specifically - light, strong, fast and able to manage up to a 44c tyre (and also back down to a 28c for the occasional bunch ride). As we often do, we met face to face and discussed the options, starting with hubs. DT Swiss and White Industries nearly made the cut, Project 321 almost got there too, but in the end, Matt just...

We heard from Dylan after an unfortunate accident where he managed to bend the IS 6 bolt rotor mounts on his front hub of his Polygon Bend gravel rig. Polygon were unable to supply a new hub, but we came to the rescue with a quality Bitex BX201FG Centrelock replacement. A step up in quality, and a handy reduction in weight. He chose Centrelock for the replacement as he already had a spare rotor to suit that standard. We laced his original rim onto this new hub with Sapim Race spokes and Dylan was riding again in no time.

Kwesi was piecing together his ultimate road bike - a Wilier Cento 10NDR. Another customer recommended he seek our advice. He needed some light and aero disc road wheels, that would be stiff and super reliable (he's a big guy). We chose the White Industries CLD hubs for this build, as they are light, tough and dependable. The finish is awesome and seems to weather far better than other premium offerings. Add to that an indestructible titanium freehub, simple maintenance, and they're a solid bet if you want to still to Centrelock rotors. The Nextie Classic 45mm deep and 25mm wide...

The brief was simple, could this once ridden pair MTB hubs be reused in a pair of Gravel/Grandfondo wheels for a road bike? At XLR8 we relish these challenges. These hubs had been ridden once on a test ride, and then the wheels parked. They were a 10s hub, but we had the freehub and the hub body machined to ensure that an 11s cassette would clear (note this is not possible on all hubs*), and adapted the front 15mm thru axle front hub to 9mm quick release (using White Industries adaptors). The Hplusson THE HYDRA is an excellent choice for lightweight disc...

Graham called us up and described his new fascination with riding gravel. We concur, it's awesome to get out on the "Strade Bianche" (Italian for "White Road") - less traffic, more challenge! He advised us that he had recently replaced a broken rear rim with and entire wheelset. The old Italian Bianchi Reparto Corse (Miche) hubs were fine, and we suggested they be re-used as a basis for a wider gravel focussed wheelset. Not needing tubeless, the Hplusson Archetype is the logical choice. They are light, wide, nicely finished, and the braking surface is so smooth. Of course, we used...