Our Reader’s Rig of the week comes from Sam Rice in the UK, who shares the Temple Cycles Adventure Disc he built into what he calls a “vintage-inspired but hugely shreddable Frankenbike.” Learn more about Sam and his classically modern do-it-all rig here…

Words and photos by Sam Rice (@adventuresbycycle)

Hey, I’m Sam! A bike, coffee, and backcountry nerd. In 2018, I set off on an epic two-year bikepacking trip from Australia to the UK. However, in March 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic caught up with me as I was evacuated off the side of a mountain halfway up the Annapurna Circuit, Nepal, and whisked back in Ol’ Blighty.

Temple Cycles Adventure Disc

This summer, after mourning my world tour, I bought a Temple Cycles Adventure Disc. I originally intended to keep the bike stock and enjoy it as a do-it-all fast gravel muncher. But one polished component leads to another, and before long, I’d transformed the rig into a vintage-inspired but hugely shreddable Frankenbike.

  • Temple Cycles Adventure Disc
  • Temple Cycles Adventure Disc
  • Temple Cycles Adventure Disc

The foundation of the build is a beautiful Temple Cycles frame in Slate Blue. The considered, skinny tubing gives the frame a classic and refined aesthetic. While the nuke-proof Reynolds 725 brings strength, smoothness, and the supple frame-flexing characteristics steel riders swoon and hashtag about the world over.

  • Temple Cycles Adventure Disc
  • Temple Cycles Adventure Disc
  • Temple Cycles Adventure Disc

Up front, I run the Salsa Cowchipper Deluxe (46cm, polished) with Shimano 105 levers and the awesome Newbaums milled cotton bar tape, which I absolutely love. Probably the most noticeable customisation is the wheelset; a pair of handbuilt 650b Halo Vapours with Hope Pro4 hubs front & rear and Sapim race spokes, of course, all polished… are you noticing a theme yet? Those shiny dazzlers are shod with Rene Herse Juniper Ridges in 650b x 48mm, which in my opinion, offer the perfect balance of speed, grip, and suppleness off-road and unbelievably on the road too!

Temple Cycles Adventure Disc
  • Frame/Fork Temple Adventure Disc
  • Rims Halo Vapour
  • Hubs Hope PRO4
  • Tires Rene Herse Juniper Ridge 650b x 48mm
  • Handlebars Salsa Cowchipper Deluxe
  • Headset Temple Stock
  • Crankset Shimano 105
  • Pedals CrankBros Stamp 1
  • Cassette Shimano 105
  • Derailleur Shimano 105
  • Brakes TRP Spyres with SwissStop Rotors
  • Shifter(s) Shimano 105
  • Saddle Brooks C17 Cambium
  • Seatpost Temple Stock
  • Stem Temple Stock
  • Front bags Framework Designs Sight Seeker
  • Frame bags Porcelain Rocket 52Hz
  • Rear bags Revelate Designs Terrapin
  • Other accessories BlueLug USB Koma Light, 2x Velo Orange Retro Cages

I’ve left the Shimano 105 Groupset stock as the shifting is crisp, predictable, and capable. TRP Spyres and SwissStop rotors stop me, and a Brooks C17 is where I perch.

Temple Cycles Adventure Disc

See more from Sam on Instagram @adventuresbycycle.

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