My beautiful Ibis Hakkalugi disc cross bike was born safely at Wheelworks Saturday 24 August.
It’s a project bike from my perspective. I was
pretty tied up with the TDF trip so wasn’t rushing to get it completed,
but wanted to pick the components carefully and end up with something a
little different. A few pieces are recycled
from my other bikes like cranks and saddle but most are new.
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| Ibis Hakkalugi disc |
The Shimano CX75 disc calipers were a bit of a saga
too but Tristan sussed that one. My set sport a stencil saying
‘PROTOTYPE’ which definitely emphasises the newness of the product –
kind of cool if not entirely reassuring. They’re mechanical
disc brakes rather than hydraulic which seemed to reduce the complexity
to me. I chose nice Zipp carbon seat post and stem and the same 3T
Ergonova bar I ride on my road bike. Ben gave me some good advice on
the cables – which are Gore with a sealed inner
to keep the crap out and tyres which are Schwalbe Sammy Slicks which
are a great hybrid for hardtop and gravel road surfaces. Think I’ll
trim the steerer a bit once I’m more sure of my fit.
First ride today – Sunday
– was a small one, but I love it! Descending with disc brakes is
awesome in terms of stopping power and more importantly the control or
modulation you have. Though I haven’t had the wet weather experience
yet
I expect that to be even more standout. The Dura-ace 11 speed shifts
like a dream. It’s almost like Di2 with just a bit more movement needed
for the changes but a very light action. Overall the bike felt
incredibly sure-footed but also responsive and pretty
light. I haven’t weighed it yet but it seems a bit heavier than my
road bike but not that much.
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| Shimano 11 speed |
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| Shimano discs - ENVE fork |
