It’s been some time since my last bike update, and a lot has changed — so here’s my take on a do-it-all bike.
After doing only gravel riding for a while, I got invited to a build-up race for an upcoming UCI event — and I was honestly surprised to find out how weak I actually am. So I started doing more Zone 2/3 rides, and it quickly became clear: I need a road wheelset.
Long story short, I started working with a coach and focused on building both stamina and power. That’s when I realized that my 1×11 SRAM Rival setup had become the limiting factor — both on road and gravel. I constantly had the feeling that I was in the wrong gear: either it was too hard or too easy, never just right.
Unfortunately, my Tambora G4 didn’t have an option to go 2x. But luckily, a friend of mine really liked my bike and asked me to sell it to him. At the same time, the local shop where I originally bought the bike — and did all the upgrades — offered me a very good deal on a full carbon G5 frame.
So here’s my current custom build:
Frame/Fork: Polygon Tambora G5 (carbon fiber)
Groupset: Shimano 105 Di2, 50/34 chainrings
Cassette: Shimano 11/36
Power meter pedals: Favero Assioma Pro X1
Handlebar: RPANTAHI Integrated Carbon
Seatpost: Ergon CF Allroad Pro Carbon
Saddle: Fizik Argo R1 Tempo, 160 mm
Bottom Bracket: CeramicSpeed BB T47/86
Road Wheelset:
SCOM VOSO Lite 50 mm carbon wheels
Wrapped in 32c Panaracer Agilest TLR (tubeless)
Gravel Wheelset:
HUNT 35 carbon gravel wheels
Wrapped in Panaracer GravelKing tyres — 43 mm front / 40 mm rear
(Had to go from 45 to 40 at the back due to Di2 clearance issue.)
To summarize:
I’m super happy with my bike, which now allows me to participate in whatever activity I’m interested in — road or gravel. The Di2 shifting took everything to a whole new level: it’s fast, precise, and smooth.
Basically, I ride road and do most of my workouts in the 50T front ring, and switch to the 34T front for most gravel rides — which lets me use about 90% of the 12-speed cassette effectively.
Cheers!
by prostochester