For many of us, bicycles are a passion that develops early in childhood as the thrill of pedaling creates opportunities to explore beyond where your walking legs can take you. Some people come to cycling later in life due to circumstances that force them onto the bike as they must give up another sport, while others find it by accident with the simple joy that they never realized existed or because they had forgotten those feelings from long ago. In all cases, cycling becomes a passion and a way of life.

In the case of Paul H. (last name withheld), his cycling journey began 10 years ago. In those early days, he became enamored with titanium bikes and realized that at some point he was going to get one. When Paul came to Sage, his main goal was that he wanted to explore new terrain and places. His original choice was the Barlow due to the 40mm tire clearance and road style geometry that lined up neatly with his first road bike. The Barlow has been in our line up since 2017 and was our original gravel bike. In that time, gravel has evolved and with that, our lineup as well. The tendency is for customers to look at the Barlow thinking that is all they could ever need, but not realizing how much more they could do if they open their minds to the possibilities of what can be. We worked with Paul to really dig into what he was going to do with the bike so that we could be sure we were making the best recommendation for him. In the end, it turned out to be the Storm King GP that was the model best suited for him.

In Paul’s own words:

“Ever since I started road biking ten years ago, I wanted a titanium bike.  My friend, who had a Seven, couldn’t wax on enough about his bike, while the craftsmanship of titanium bikes really appealed to me. As I am a mountain biker at heart, my road bike had to be able to go off road.  This was before the whole gravel scene exploded, so my first road bike was a Specialized Crux cyclocross bike and it really fit the bill. However, the itch to get a titanium bike never went away. As the years went on and I looked through different bike builders, I would always come back to Sage.  There were few builders who had a true off-road pedigree.  So, after following Sage the better part of a decade, I finally took the plunge and went for my dream custom-built titanium. 

Initially I had my eye on the Sage Barlow as it was similar in form and function to my Crux.  There’s a lot of climbing in Taiwan and the downhills require stability and nimbleness.  However, over the years, I’ve been exploring more of the forestry roads scattered throughout Taiwan, and many of them are more suited for an XC rig.  My Crux was often overwhelmed, and I found myself hanging on for dear life while downhilling on these “gravel” roads. I was also becoming more interested in bike packing and wanted a bike that could handle the load on long trips.  After discussing with David, it became apparent that the Storm King GP was the do-it-all bike that I was looking for.  Not only could I go explore the mountains of Taiwan, I could also send it in short track races. There is a bit of a weight penalty but with modern bike technology, it’s a wash.  In all, the Storm King GP is a perfect blend of utility and performance.”

Once the model was settled, it was time to select the components. During this process, we worked with Paul to meet his needs. He knew he wanted BERD wheels due to their amazing ride quality, a Fox TaperCast suspension fork, and a Cane Creek eeWings titanium crankset for its light weight and stiffness. A mullet drivetrain was in order with SRAM Force shifters/ calipers mated to a SRAM Transmission XX SL Eagle Rear Derailleur along with a Reverb AXS XPLR wireless dropper post. These components would be the ideal setup for the massive amounts of climbing in Taiwan that Paul was going to be riding. To complete the build spec, Paul selected Enve, Wolf Tooth, Schwalbe, and Chris King components as his finishing build kit.

Of course, this bike would not be complete without a custom finish. Paul had fallen in love with our 2023 Enve show bike (Storm King with anodized finish) and asked if he could have something like that. We explained to him that this was our “Maker’s Choice” where the anodizer has complete autonomy to do anything they want with the design and artwork. What we would be receiving would be a total surprise even to us. The only guideline was “What colors do you NOT like?”. Beyond that, everything was fair game to our amazing friends at Titanium Finishing. We sent the frame and cranks off to them and a few months later, this is what showed back up to us. As always, we were blown away and Paul instantly fell in love with the finish on the bike.

Again, Paul’s own words:

“When it comes to custom builds though, it’s more about selecting the builder than the bike.  David has been involved every step of the way, from design to build spec to shipping, and has been super responsive with his communication.  After suffering a mid-life episode, I made the snap decision to do this custom build, which left me a couple of days to get fitted in New York before leaving the country.  David got me set up with a fitter immediately, which gave me confidence about the whole process. It’s been a joy and great learning experience working with David and Sage, and I look forward to the good times with my forever bike.”

Paul has put quite a few miles on his new bike in both California and Taiwan. He gets a lot of comments about the bike while on the trail and is always happy to answer questions. Cycling is a lifelong love affair and when you have the passion for your bike and the ride experiences it brings you, you have something very special that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

• Frame: Storm King GP anodized & bead blasted with “Maker’s Choice” theme
• Fork: Fox Factory TaperCast suspension fork with 40mm travel
• Headset/ BB: Chris King Inset 7 Headset/ Headset Spacer/ T47 30X BB: Two Tone Black/ Gold
• Cockpit: Enve Stem and SES AR Bar/ Rock Shox Reverb XPLR AXS Dropper Seatpost/ Enve Gray Bar Tape, Sage Beccus Saddle
• Drivetrain: SRAM Force AXS Shifters and Calipers/ SRAM XX SL Eagle Transmission Rear Derailleur with XX SL-1299 10-52 Cassette. Cane Creek eeWings Titanium Crankset with Wolf Tooth Chainring and SRM Power Meter
• Wheelset: Berd Sparrow Wheels with Onyx Hubs, Schwalbe G-One R 700×40 Tires