The SL8 Build Diaries / 6.42kg

[ryanw]

Great build and even better reading.

[mmaslen]

Great build thread and love the personalization. Its way nicer to have a bike customized with the parts you love instead of just sticking with a built spec out of a cataloge.

If any bike was asking for a gold YBN chain this is the bike. It always is nice to have more chains in rotation, especially if you are waxing, and its fun to try out different options to see which you prefer.

Some thoughts on color tuning: At a high level it seems like you are going for sections of blackout and are keeping the white marble to the main frame and then using gold as an accent color and marbeling as an accent texture. I like this approach and personally prefer it to splashing gold bolts haphazardly all over the bike.

I highlighted some areas that I think you can work with to personal preference
IMG_1091.jpeg
The blue circled areas are small pops of black color directly transitioning from the white marble. You can remove the bottom cage bolt and white vinyl wrap over all three places to hide them if you desire to better keep the white marble standing out as a solid visual block.

All of the transitions to from marble to black are sudden and smooth except for the FD bolt highlighted in yellow which stands out with high contrast between black and the white marble. I'd try and minimize this bolt visually like I documented here.
fd bolt.PNG
The carbon-ti chainring cutouts, highlighted in orange are something else you can play with that I haven't seen anyone do yet. Given they are cutouts they natively just show whatever color is behind them. This might be a bit hard to convey in text but using two cutouts of vinyl wrap you can have an outward facing wrap under the carbon-ti cutout and attach it to the inner face of the chainring using a larger section of wrap facing inward. I'd use black for the portion that sticks onto the inner face of the chainring and for the section under the cutout you can use black or gold.

I also like that the F1x has light marbling (kind of in between marbling and crystal effect) which carries through the accent texture from the frame. If you are in the market for wheels again in the future your color and texture choices leave you tons of room to pick between matt, UD, crystal effect, or marble which is great.

The Grandprix(black) 5000(white) german flag always kills me on those tires. They really need to come out with a TT30 & 32. Also could consider going Aero 111 29mm on the front.

Wow, you have really put a huge amount of thought into this. Thanks.

I like the thought of the carbon ti, shining through with a white vinyl, think this would look super cool. I will have to look into this!

In regards to popping some over the thru axles...are you mad! My lovely overfast carbon axles...hidden away so no one can tell me how pointless they are! lol.

I was tempted to go for a marble finish on my rim from light bicycle, but decided it may be a bit much on this bike, but something for another set maybe.

Thanks for the ideas. Brilliant.

[mmaslen]

Great build and even better reading.

Really appreciate the kind words. Especially as your IG account was where I spent hours of my time admiring your amazing builds.

Thanks

[OtterSpace]

In regards to popping some over the thru axles...are you mad! My lovely overfast carbon axles...hidden away so no one can tell me how pointless they are! lol.

I was tempted to go for a marble finish on my rim from light bicycle, but decided it may be a bit much on this bike, but something for another set maybe.

Thanks for the ideas. Brilliant.

No one can tell they are overfast from the drive side which is the only side worth considering covering. Some bikes are even capping the drive side in carbon now for a smoother look. You might be able to reach out to overfast and see if they would make stickers with their logo that look like the NDS if you are trying to show them off on the DS. If Overfast were smart they would include a bunch with each of their axles for marketing purposes.

Yeah the marble light bicycle rim finish is a bit odd and although called marble I wouldn't exactly call it that. Almost looks like wet hair stuck to a shower tile or something but that is not a term that would drive sales. They are a bit like the crystal ice effect which is a very specific look that is a bit too eye catching and can look cheap unless you go all in with a matching effect on the frame and are not contrasting another texture.

[mmaslen]

SL8 Build Diaries: The Gold Standard (Bar Ends Edition)

Do I need ridiculously lightweight bar ends? Absolutely not. Will I notice the difference they make on a ride? Not a chance. Did I buy them anyway? Of course! When you’re this far down the rabbit hole of bike builds, practicality stops being a factor. These golden beauties are pure indulgence—and worth every single unnecessary gram saved.

Crafted from 3D-printed silk gold PLA, these are the UL (Ultra Lightweight) version, tipping the scales at an astonishing 1.69 grams for the pair. That’s lighter than the average jelly bean and just as sweet. They tie in perfectly with the gold decals on my SL8, adding a dash of bling to an already dazzling machine.

The genius behind these tiny masterpieces is Lucendi, a Swedish artisan who’s using his 3D printing wizardry to help weight weenies like me shave grams off their bikes one obsessively engineered component at a time. If you haven’t already, go check out his work on Instagram at lucendi.ww. You’ll find yourself questioning why you haven’t upgraded your dust caps to aerospace-grade titanium yet.

These bar ends aren’t just the cherry on top of the SL8 cake—they’re the edible gold leaf. They remind me why custom touches make any bike build unique. Sure, I could’ve gone with something off-the-shelf, but where’s the fun in that?

Next up in the SL8 Diaries: preparing for the 2025 Fred Whitton Challenge with a new ultra-lightweight climbing wheelset. Because if I’m going to suffer for 112 miles of brutal Lake District terrain, I might as well do it in style. Stay tuned.

[AM7Jeremy]

SL8 Build Diaries: The Gold Standard (Bar Ends Edition)

Do I need ridiculously lightweight bar ends? Absolutely not. Will I notice the difference they make on a ride? Not a chance. Did I buy them anyway? Of course! When you’re this far down the rabbit hole of bike builds, practicality stops being a factor. These golden beauties are pure indulgence—and worth every single unnecessary gram saved.

IMG_1247.jpeg

Crafted from 3D-printed silk gold PLA, these are the UL (Ultra Lightweight) version, tipping the scales at an astonishing 1.69 grams for the pair. That’s lighter than the average jelly bean and just as sweet. They tie in perfectly with the gold decals on my SL8, adding a dash of bling to an already dazzling machine.

IMG_1244.jpeg
IMG_1246.jpeg

The genius behind these tiny masterpieces is Lucendi, a Swedish artisan who’s using his 3D printing wizardry to help weight weenies like me shave grams off their bikes one obsessively engineered component at a time. If you haven’t already, go check out his work on Instagram at lucendi.ww. You’ll find yourself questioning why you haven’t upgraded your dust caps to aerospace-grade titanium yet.

These bar ends aren’t just the cherry on top of the SL8 cake—they’re the edible gold leaf. They remind me why custom touches make any bike build unique. Sure, I could’ve gone with something off-the-shelf, but where’s the fun in that?

Next up in the SL8 Diaries: preparing for the 2025 Fred Whitton Challenge with a new ultra-lightweight climbing wheelset. Because if I’m going to suffer for 112 miles of brutal Lake District terrain, I might as well do it in style. Stay tuned.

How are you getting in contact with Lucendi? Last I checked I didn't see him on IG anymore.

[mmaslen]

I just went on his instagram page and dropped him a message. As the story said. Just look for lucendi.ww

[justinfoxphotos]

Nice job on the Lucendi bar end plugs. I got some too on the way (he's super quick and responsive on Instagram).

I've been holding back from leaving negative feedback as it's obvious that you're really happy with your bike and ultimately that's all that matters, but just an opinion of a retired graphic designer, the black stroke (outline) on those gold stickers really kill it for me.

I get that the black stroke makes it easier to go over the original logos by giving you some buffer so none of the original logos show through, and it would totally disappear on a black (or dark) coloured bike, but on a light frame the black outlines stand out so much.

I'm not even sure if Speedy Decals offers their stickers without a black stroke? I got up close and personal with a bike that had white stickers to cover the original gold stickers and it had no outline and it looked perfect (not sure where she got them from though, can ask if need be): https://www.zengarage.com.au/find-your- ... nifer-kay/

But again, no offence meant, and hey if you're happy that's all that matters!

[mmaslen]

No offense taken. I went back and forth with the decals. It's was always going to gold, but I intentionally wanted a black outline....after going to and fro with the idea. I may go without in the future when the decals are looking tired. Speedydecals do the decals without the black line, but for me, it was something I really wanted. Again not everyone's taste....but I'm not building for everyone...just me!

I hope your enjoying your sl8 too. What a great ride.

[Ritsuke]

Late to the party but what a build and what a story. I got sucked in the whole experience by reading your journey. Beautiful!

[mmaslen]

Late to the party but what a build and what a story. I got sucked in the whole experience by reading your journey. Beautiful!

I'm glad you liked the story. It's been so much fun doing this build and I wanted to carry this over in my build story too. Hope you liked the bike. I just wish the weather would improve so I could get to ride it a bit more!

[mmaslen]

SL8 Build Diaries: Dust Caps, But Make It You

When I say “dust caps,” your mind probably goes straight to the usual: functional, boring, and practically invisible. Well, throw that thinking out the window, because my SL8 just got the most outrageously personal upgrade yet: custom Lego head dust caps. Not just any Lego heads—me. Helmet? Check. Sunglasses? Check. Absolute swagger? Double-check.

This genius gift came courtesy of my lovely wife, who clearly understands that bikes shouldn’t always be about watts, grams, and marginal gains. Sometimes, it’s about fun. Sure, these aren’t lightweight or aero (and they certainly won’t save me on the Fred Whitton Challenge), but they’re possibly the coolest little detail on my bike. If bikes are an extension of personality, these dust caps scream, “I may be over 40, but I’ve still got a sense of humor.”

The wizards behind these mini masterpieces are brickcaps.com, and honestly, if you’re not already clicking over there to design your own, what are you doing with your life? Whether you want a mini-me, a goofy character, or just something to make your bike stand out at the café, they’ve got you covered.

Cycling can get so serious: chasing watts, perfecting aero positions, trimming grams like they’re gold dust. But these tiny caps remind me why I fell in love with bikes in the first place—because they’re fun. It’s the small, playful details like this that make people stop, smile, and say, “What on earth is that?”

Next up: possibly the most important decision of all—my climbing wheelset. Because even with Lego heads guarding my valves, I’ll still need all the help I can get for the Lake District climbs!

[mike]

love the lego dudes and the gold handlebar caps!

[mmaslen]

The gold bar ends are fantastic. Superb quality and fit perfectly. The Lego caps....shouldn't everyone have a personalised version!

[bfaz]

Really enjoyed this - great work!


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