Headset Bearings

I decided to make things easy for myself here. Fairlight cycles offer a variety of headsets to choose from. Hope bearings are of high quality so I decided to let Fairlight install the bearings.

The bottom bearing is external while the top is integrated. The only problem was to decide on what color to go for.

The frame color is blue with silver and orange graphics so I decided to stay with that color scheme. Must people that get this bike seem to go for the orange.

Admittedly, it does look amazing but I just prefer the silver so that’s what I went for. That’s the best thing about building your own bike. You can do whatever you like.

Stem

Fairlight recommends using a 80mm stem for my size of bike so that’s what I’m going to use.

The only other factors I need to be aware of is the clamping diameter. The handlebars I chose have a 31.8mm clamping diameter and my fork steerer has a standard 1 ⅛ inch diameter.

As some of you may have found out by now that I’m not a brand snob. The only reason I get a particular brand is because they are of high quality or in the case of the handlebars below they offer exactly what I need.

So when I came to the stem I couldn’t see a reason to pay extra for a brand name for something as basic as a stem. So I went onto Aliexpress again and went for a carbon fiber no brand stem.

The stem and the manufacturer had good reviews and at 15 dollars, I couldn’t pass it. It has a 6 degree angle. This isn’t too aggressive so I can use it in a rise or drop position, depending on how I fit the bike.

Spacers

While I was on Aliexpress I also got some carbon fibre spacers so that I can fine tune the height of my stem. Again, these were very cheap at about 3 dollars.

Handlebar

After getting the important shoulder width right and choosing a handle bar to suit, it was then all about finding a handlebar that would offer me the greatest comfort possible.

For me, having more positions is important. After much searching and comparing I decided to go for the “Zipp service course 70 XPLR”.

The 70 in the name stands for the reach from the tops to the hoods. Seeing as I’m a smaller rider, I don’t want larger reach as it would stretch me out too much.

It’s made from 6061 aluminium so it’s relatively affordable. They do offer an SL version which is lighter but it’s over twice the price. It just wasn’t worth it for me.

What really interested me in this handlebar were the angles. First is the 3 degree backsweep on the tops. This offers just a little more comfort when riding the top as my wrists will be in a more natural position.

Next is the 5 degree flare angle. Again, this isn’t an aggressive angle but it is enough to rotate the brake hoods inwards creating a more natural position for my hands.

Next was the 11 degree outsweep. This meant overall width doesn’t increase too much, which wouldn’t be good for road riding but at the same time it would give me more control when the going gets rough.

The drop is only 115mm which isn’t a lot but that’s what I wanted. I found I would rarely use the drop in my last bike as it was just too deep for me.

And finally the clamping area on the bar top is long enough to clamp extra things such as lights, gps computer, aero bars and whatever else you wanted. 

Handlebar Tape

I prefer a cushioned tape. It absorbs vibration and offers good grip. I normally double wrap my bars for even more comfort and the thicker bar means it won’t be “digging” into my hands as much which can lead to numb hands.

The biggest issue I had was deciding on the color. I went for Lizard Skin 3.2mm tape in bright orange. It will go with the orange on the frame but it might be a little too loud for me so I just got one tape for now.

If I like the color I’ll get another and double up. Otherwise I can just cover it with a different color.

Bar End Caps

Bar end caps come with the bar tape. I decided to try a mirror in the bar end. There were a few times in the past that I wanted to have a look behind me but after being in the saddle for 3 day it proved difficult.

It’s also handy to see if there are other faster riders coming up behind you. I’m sure how effective they would be seeing if a car was about to hit you or not. I’ll have to try it and see.

I got a cheap mirror from Aliexpress and if I like it I can upgrade if I need to.