Photo of the HBR20

Don’t like the look from above…

+$70 if you choose THIS one.

The quote I got was indeed $719 (with the gravel handlebars) UD RAW + $153 shipping to Europe.
Carol didn’t say anything about a surcharge for UD RAW GLOSSY finish instead of matte

I’ve also seen this riser handlebar in a few YouTube videos, and I actually prefer the way it looks. Does anyone know what model it is?

TL;DR — building a fast do-it-all gravel (races + bikepacking + winter, Riva del Garda, Italy 🇮🇹) on a Chinese carbon frame. The idea: assemble a SRAM AXS 1×13 group piece by piece (used / on-sale / third-party) to match a stock Rival price — or less — but lighter. Curious if you'd spec it better for the money.

Big thanks to this forum btw — a lot of this came together from the Zen and LightCarbon threads here. 🙏

⚡ One wheelset, two setups: 32–35 mm slicks for a super-aero all-road ride (37 mm external rim = within the Rule of 105), then swap to 45–47 mm gravel tyres for races.

🖤 On the frame: I love the LightCarbon LCG072-D — quality, finish and comms all excellent. Only niggle: at my size (170 cm, 711 mm saddle height) size S has a longish seat tube, so only ~230 mm of exposed post (aesthetic only). For the price I doubt I'll find better.

THE BUILD (weights & prices estimated, USD):
FRAMESET  LightCarbon LCG072-D S, raw ............. ~2280 g / $900
           (frame+fork ~1530 g + cockpit/seatpost)
WHEELS    Zen 50/29/37, hidden nipples, ALL-SILVER
           + H-Works SR318 hub + Sapim CX-Ray (DDP) . ~1420 g / $749
GROUPSET  SRAM AXS 1x13, piece by piece:
           - Levers: Force XPLR AXS (used, Bonus Button)
           - RD: Rival XPLR AXS
           - Cassette: Red XG-1291 (used/sale)
           - Chain: Force/Red Flattop
           - Crank: Force D1 165mm (used, no PM) + AXS ring
           - BB: DUB T47
           - Rotors: Ashima/KCNC centerlock 160
           => ~2600 g / ~$1000  (target $900-1100)
TYRES     Slick 32-35 (aero) / gravel 45-47 (race) .. ~1080 g / $120
SADDLE    S-Works Power 143 (transferred) .......... ~150 g / $0
PEDALS    Favero Assioma (transferred) ............. ~300 g / $0
FINISH    tape, cages, sealant .................... ~260 g / $90
--------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL (with gravel tyres): ~8.1 kg / ~$2860

The question: for this money, could you do better on quality and weight? What would you change?

I made a fill-in template — grab it, drop your build, screenshot it, and post it below 👇
Config template (Google Sheets)  (File → Make a copy → fill in → screenshot)

Cheers 🚵

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to build up the new LightCarbon LCG072-D aero gravel and I'd love some advice before I commit. I want a great value-for-money, do-it-all build: gravel races, bikepacking trips, and winter riding so I can spare my race bike. So it needs to be fast-ish but above all versatile and reliable, not a weight-weenie special. I'll probably run SRAM 1×12 or 1×13 (XPLR AXS or a mullet setup — still deciding), so I'd need an XDR freehub.

1) Size: S or M? (my main question)
I'm 170 cm, ~70 kg, right on the S/M border. My fit numbers from a pro bike fit (currently on a Tarmac SL7 size 52, reach 374 / stack 524):

Saddle height 711 mm (BB → saddle), 165 mm cranks
Effective seat angle 74°, saddle setback ~78 mm
Bar position to replicate: BB → bar 473 mm reach / 594 mm stack (110 mm stem + 35 mm spacers, 400 mm bar)
LCG072-D geo: M = reach 377 / stack 565 (HTA 71.5°); S = reach 368 / stack 547 (HTA 70.5°), both 74° seat angle.

M: reach 377 ≈ my Tarmac 374 → keep ~110 stem, few spacers.
S: needs ~120 stem + ~25–30 mm spacers, but more exposed seatpost (which I like) and more standover — shorter front-center though (toe overlap with wide tires?).
What would you pick at 170 cm for a do-it-all bike that'll also carry bikepacking loads?

2) Availability
LightCarbon (Jim) told me size M can be booked now (~1–2 months), but I'm unsure about S — worried it might be M-only for a while. Anyone ordered an S, or knows the real lead time for the smaller sizes?

3) Budget wheels (XDR, ~50C max frame, winter + bikepacking proof)
Looking for good-value gravel wheels that are durable and easy to service (winter grime + loaded trips), not the lightest. Got a quote from Zen for a 45mm-deep, 32 mm internal superlight set. My frame maxes at 50C and I'll run 40–45C, so I worry 32 mm internal is too wide (better for 60c frames?).

Would 25–28 mm internal be the smarter pick for my tire range?
For winter/bikepacking I'm leaning to 24/24 Sapim CX-Ray over carbon spokes — agree?
Recommendations among value brands (Zen / Winspace / Yoeleo / Farsports / Elitewheels), XDR, ~1300–1400 g, bombproof?
4) Cockpit / handlebar problem
The dedicated integrated gravel bar for this frame (HBR18) is currently only available in 40 cm (other widths = much longer wait), but I'd probably want a 38 cm (my road grip width is fairly narrow). So I'm considering alternatives: another LightCarbon integrated bar (the HBR08 gravel comes in 38/40/42), or a separate stem + flared gravel bar from another brand for more fit flexibility.

With this frame's full-internal routing, can you actually run a standard stem + bar (does the headset/top-cap allow external-to-internal cable entry), or are you locked into LightCarbon's integrated cockpit?
Anyone running an alternative cockpit on an LCR/LCG LightCarbon frame? Recommended 38 cm flared gravel bars?
5) Anything I'm missing?
Open to any advice — the proprietary seatpost, tire choice, bikepacking mounts, or general build tips for best bang-for-buck on a do-it-all rig.

Thanks a lot in advance! 🙏

So, I'm finally done 😄

And yes, I've gone in a completely different direction than everyone else I've seen so far 😉

-LightCarbon LCR-018 frame, size 50, raw carbon matte finish
-LightCarbon HBR17 handlebars, 380/90mm
-XMCS 50/36/28 wheelset with Sapim CX-Ray spokes and In-House hubs
-Schwalbe G-One R Pro tires, 45mm front and 40mm rear, tubeless mounted with Orange Seal Endurance Sealant
-SRAM Rival XPLR derailleur, brakes, grips, cassette, and chain
-SRAM bottom bracket DUB Wide T47 / 85.5
-SRAM Red Dub Wide crankset, 165mm, with Raketa Components 46t chainring
-Chaser Ultra Light brake rotors, 160mm/140mm, with Absolute Black Center Lock rings
-Ryet Ultimate Carbon saddle
-Wolf Tooth LoneWolf Aero Chainguide from Rose BACKROAD FF
-Wolf Tooth del Gravel Pedals
-Elite Leggero Carbon Bottle Cage
-SYNCROS Handlebar Tape RC Dark Grey

The bike weighs 7.83 kg as pictured, complete with pedals, bottle cages, and tubeless sealant 😎

I’d like to order this frame as well. Could you also tell me what your saddle height is? I’m trying to decide between a size 50 or 52 too, and I’m trying to understand how much seatpost would be exposed. My saddle height is around 70–71 cm.
Did you put a 40 mm tire in the rear because a 45 mm doesn’t fit?
I’m also trying to figure out which gravel wheels currently offer the best value for money, with an internal rim width of at least 24 mm — someone does have any wheel recommendations?