People often talk about building a 'dream bike', carefully curating parts over many months to give the look and feel that you're after - often with a large budget to play with. At the other end of the spectrum is the 'parts-bin' bike build, a motley collection of parts that are thrown together to complete a build, often with little to no budget to speak of. My gravel bike falls somewhere between the two.
The frame, a custom titanium design from Hunt Bikes, came to me unexpectedly and, at the time, I didn't have a huge budget for building a new bike. This meant that much of the build was pieced together from the shed. A 12 speed SRAM group set was coupled with a Gevenelle friction shifter, budget wheels were chosen, cased in fresh Ultradynamico tyres. An old saddle matched with new handlebars. A mix of old and new to get me rolling, you get the idea.
This mixing and matching of parts got the bike up and running, but it always felt like it was underperforming. Putting it simply, it never felt fast. By comparison, I do a lot of my long-distance gravel/mixed terrain riding on a truly ultralight cross country mountain bike that I'd built when I did have a decent budget to play with (it weighs under 8kg). As they say, comparison is the thief of joy and while I enjoyed outings on the Hunt, it never quite lived up to its potential.
A new wheelset has long been on the cards and when the opportunity arose to try a fresh setup from Light Bicycle I jumped at the chance, keen to see if upgrading the wheels would make a wheely big difference.
The Wheel Deal
When you buy a wheelset from Light Bicycle you can either piece it together yourself, choose from a selection of quick buy options or go for the full custom experience. Wanting to really get to know the company, I went down the custom route. I've been down the custom route before (on the aforementioned xc build) and it's an option that I really value as it helps ensure you're getting the best setup for your budget and for your riding style.
As the custom conversation began, I described the intended purpose for the wheels. Light Bicycle partnered me up with the member of their team that best understood my riding style and needs - a big tick from my point of view. It's easy to say that the wheels are for a gravel bike, but (at least in Australia) gravel riding can look very different for different people and in different places. There's a few sections of champagne gravel near me, but by and large my gravel rides are more akin to mountain bike trail riding, with many of the dirt roads being littered with jagged rocks, technical descents and rough terrain. To be blunt, my gravel riding is basically cross country mountain biking.
With this in mind, Tatiana, an experienced gravel rider and bikepacker, suggested we choose the Light Bicycle XC725 carbon rims. These were to be paired with a set of Hope Pro 5 hubs and Sapim D-Light Spokes.
Zoom In
The XC725 are very much geared towards cross country racing and are part of a flyweight series. These rims have a depth of 23mm and a width of 30mm (25mm inner) making them an ideal fit for the relatively narrow 2.1” Vittoria Mezcal tyres that I favour. The front rim is slightly lighter than the rear rim as the rear uses a stiffer reinforced design and continuous spoke bed; they weigh in at around 285g for the front and 345g for the rear and are $259usd for rim only.
Light Bicycle offer a variety of hub options and I went for my personal preference of Hope hubs, with Tatiana recommending the Hope Pro 5. In addition to being reliable and versatile, these hubs are fully serviceable and come in a variety of colours. We went for the anodised orange versions and colour-matched these with orange spoke nipples. The wheel build was finished off with Sapim D-light spokes, rim tape and valves and the total weight is around 1400g.
It's probably worth noting in this section that these rims come with a five year warranty (which can be extended to a lifetime warranty for an extra $100usd), reassuring for an expensive upgrade.
The Look
Remember when you were young and you got new shoes, without fail a grown up would loudly admire your new footwear and loudly comment: 'They look fast!'
Well that's how I felt looking at these new wheels. When building a custom wheelset with Light Bicycle you can choose the decals and I went for a clean white sticker set with a bold full lettering of the Light Bicycle name and a small logo. With a crisp black finish and clean stickering the wheels really look the business. The extra width and depth to the rims lends a solid stance that compliments the Mezcal mtb tyres and sits nicely together to present a capable appearance.
I'm quite inconsistent when it comes to colour, with one bike completely black and another bright pink, so it's nice to meet somewhere in the middle on this wheelset as the orange hubs and nipples add a splash of colour to the sleek combination of titanium frame black carbon forks.
And, I'm pleased to note, just like a six year old in new shoes, more than one of my riding buddies commented that my new wheels really did look fast!
The Performance
Recently I made the change of tyres from Gravel Kings to Mezcals and the change in ride comfort and control was immediately noticeable. I'll admit that I wasn't expecting the change in wheelset to feel quite as dramatic, but you can colour me surprised because the difference in the ride was immediate. I'd barely taken a couple of pedal strokes out of my driveway before a wide smile spread across my face as the bike finally felt as lively as I'd always hoped it would do. I mentioned before that comparison can be the thief of joy, but not this time around. Now I'm on an upgraded wheelset, it's the comparison that is bringing the joy. Compared to my previous wheelset, the bike felt more responsive, both in handling and acceleration; it really felt like a new bike.
Now I'm not saying that I'm actually riding faster, I don't ride my bike to look at and compare stats on strava, but I definitely feel faster, and as a recreational rider that's just out there to have a good time I think that's important. There's nothing worse when you're out on a long hard ride than having a nagging voice in your head suggesting that you should have ridden a different bike, or that you'd be feeling better if only you had better wheels. If you feel good about your equipment, then mentally you're feeling better and that's more than half the battle.
Loaded up with the extra weight of bikepacking gear, the wheels continue to deliver agility and responsiveness and I've got no worries about tackling the rockiest of terrain on offer. I'm glad to have gone for more of a mountain biking rim than otherwise as I like to be confident pointing my wheels in whichever direction I feel, including the off singletrack detour. After months of testing, my only real complaint is against myself for not prioritising this upgrade sooner.
Wrapping Up
Spending money on bicycles is an incredible luxury and often a very personal choice as it's easy to spend vast amounts of money chasing the perfect ride. However, if it's within your means, I reckon that spending money on a decent wheelset is a great place to focus your attention. While my bike did everything I asked from it on a cheaper, heavier set of wheels, it's now delivering an upgraded experience and I'm riding the same trails with greater confidence, a greater sense of control and with a bigger smile on my face.
| ✓ Pros |
|---|
| Lively Ride: The bike feels more lively and responsive with the new wheelset |
| Improved Control: Offers unparalleled control and stability, enhancing the riding experience |
| Lightweight and Durable: The wheels are light yet robust, ideal for rough terrains |
| ✕ Cons |
|---|
| With any custom wheelset, they can be a bit pricey |
