Building the Bike: The Long Road to the Starting Line

When I committed to preparing for the 2027 IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga, there was one fairly important detail missing: I did not own an outdoor training or race bike.

Cycling was already the newest of the three disciplines for me. I had no established outdoor power baseline, no validated FTP, no experience sustaining race effort for 56 miles — and no bicycle on which to begin developing any of those things.

The first objective was simple: find a safe, properly sized bicycle that could carry me through training and eventually to the starting line.

Simple objectives have a sense of humor.

I began contacting bicycle manufacturers, component companies, local shops, cycling organizations, and veteran-support groups.

The request was deliberately flexible. A complete bike would have been ideal, but a frameset, demo bike, season-long loaner, meaningful discount, used equipment, or component support could all help move the campaign forward.

Most companies had already committed their sponsorship budgets or were unable to support an individual campaign. The responses were not always the answer I hoped for, but each conversation taught me more about bike sizing, compatibility, sponsorships, and what this build would actually require.

The likely frame-size range appeared to be approximately 51–54 centimeters, but that still needed to be confirmed through an in-person evaluation or professional fitting.

Erik, co-founder and engineer at Redshift Sports, offered to check whether Redshift had aerobars it could provide for the campaign.

Before compatibility could be determined, Redshift needed the bike's make, model, year, handlebar information, and photographs showing the handlebar and stem.

At that point, there was still a small technical obstacle: I did not yet have a completed bike — or even a fully identified cockpit — to photograph.

Redshift's offer remained open while the rest of the bicycle took shape.

The entire project changed when Betsy and the MBC community identified a donated 2012 Stradalli carbon frame that might serve as the foundation of the build.

Even stripped down to the frame, it looked fantastic. Better yet, its black, white, and red appearance fit naturally with the campaign's visual identity. Apparently the bike had received the branding brief before I did.

The frame appeared to be a road-oriented carbon platform that could potentially be configured for triathlon use. It was not yet possible to call it a complete bicycle, a proper fit, or a race-ready machine.

A bare frame is less a bicycle than a very attractive list of future decisions.

Bruce raised the most important question of the entire build: would the frame actually fit me?

The concern was not simply the nominal frame size. The approximate geometry and relatively low front end raised questions about stack, handlebar height, and whether I could maintain a comfortable and sustainable position during a 56-mile bike leg.

Those measurements suggested that the frame might be workable, but “might” is not good enough when comfort, handling, and injury prevention are involved.

The bike still required an in-person evaluation and preferably a professional fitting before significant money was spent completing it.

Fit first. Components second.

Betsy and the MBC team began evaluating the frame and identifying which components were already available.

The frame uses a 68 mm threaded bottom bracket, resolving one major compatibility question.

MBC also had an 11-speed wheel, an 11-speed cassette, a likely 11–32 cassette range, most of the remaining components needed for the build, and access to mechanics capable of assessing the frame and available parts.

The planned drivetrain would be Shimano-compatible and use a double chainring.

The exact build sheet remained subject to the mechanic's inspection, but the project had moved from searching for an entire bicycle to filling a much shorter component list.

Praxis confirmed that it could provide a compatible bottom bracket and crankset in the preferred 170 mm crank length.

I selected 50/34. That combination should provide a practical balance between usable speed, climbing range, training flexibility, and the demands of a first 70.3 bike leg.

Praxis also asked to be included in the bike-build story and campaign updates. Its support transformed the crankset and bottom-bracket question from an unresolved technical problem into one of the strongest confirmed pieces of the proposed build.

Jessica at Bicycle Cove offered complimentary labor for a pre-race tune-up, excluding any required parts.

The tune-up will need to take place several weeks before race day — not during the traditional athlete ritual of discovering mechanical problems at the last possible moment.

The bike does not exist as a complete machine yet, but it already has a place to receive its final mechanical inspection before Chattanooga.

After reviewing MBC's available components, the remaining major gap became clear: the bike needs a matched pair of Shimano-compatible mechanical rim-brake STI levers, commonly called brifters, for a 2×11 road drivetrain.

Hydraulic-disc levers, 12-speed levers, 10-speed levers, one-by levers, or randomly mismatched components will not solve the problem.

Brifters are awkwardly named, mechanically important, and apparently quite capable of standing between a carbon frame and its dreams.

Betsy recommended Redemptive Cycles in Birmingham as a possible source for used components.

I contacted the shop with the specific drivetrain requirements and asked whether it had a compatible used set available, along with questions about condition, pricing, and whether donated or discounted support might be possible.

The request emphasized that the immediate need is not an expensive upgrade. It's a safe, compatible set of controls that will allow the donated frame and available components to become a functioning bicycle.

Redemptive Cycles confirmed receipt of the request. Its response is pending.