10,000km on a Temple Adventure Disc

From coffee cyclist to traversing mountain ranges

10,000km on a Temple Adventure Disc

Location: The Philippines, South Korea

Rider: David Alibudbud

Bike: Adventure Disc 1 custom build

Camera: Fujifilm XT-2, Fujinon 23mm F2 WR

Route: Trail to Busan 2024

I started cycling as an escape when the pandemic happened and the entire country was on lockdown, like a lot of people did. The empty streets gave liberty to people on bikes, and a much-needed respite from being locked up in their homes. I became what people would call a coffee cyclist, heading from one cafe to another on a vintage Bridgestone Roadman.

I was more after the lifestyle and aesthetic appeal of cycling than the performance aspect. But I had always been jealous of my friends who would go on long rides on their touring and gravel bikes, able to go anywhere. So, when I came across the Temple Adventure Disc, a bike that had the classic look that I liked, but performed like a modern bike, I knew it was what I wanted. I bought the frameset and a mechanic friend of mine built it with the GRX 810 2x11 groupset and a carbon wheelset.

I thought I already enjoyed the feeling of riding with my previous bikes. But who knew I could enjoy it even more? I started going further, and faster. I was riding a lot more frequently, and was constantly pushing myself. Century rides became common, and I found myself choosing climbs over flat roads. The catalyst for me came when a group of friends decided to do a bike tour in Japan, from Nagoya to Tokyo. I didn’t get to join them, so I ended up doing a bike tour on my own with only about a week’s worth of preparation. I decided to just ignore all the worries and apprehensions I had. And this is what really got me hooked on long-distance cycling.

Then a favourite adventure of mine shortly followed: a solo 633km cross-country ride from Seoul to Busan, South Korea, following the paths along South Korea’s major rivers, traversing mountains, and visiting different towns and cities in between. It allowed me to appreciate the country in a deeper way, to fully take in all the sights and sounds, and to immerse myself in a totally different culture.

Another memorable ride was a solo birthday trip to the mountainous regions of the Philippines, climbing some of the highest elevations, and passing through the notorious Halselma Highway. Known as one of the most dangerous roads in the world due to constant landslides and slippery corners that often lead to falling off cliffs, and with multiple climbs exceeding 20% gradients. Soaked after hours of rain, the high-altitude making breathing more difficult, and with temperatures dropping to 10°C, it was one of my most challenging rides.

Fast-forward to a little over a year of adventures with my Temple and I’ve now logged more than 10,000km with it! From training rides, to a Gravel Earth Series race, to multi-day bike tours around the Philippines, it’s a bike that I just love riding.

Each time, my Temple delivered. Regardless of wet mountain roads or rough, off-road paths, it was fast, stable, and had that ride quality that was comfortable even after 10 hours on the saddle. It’s that “steel is real” kind of peace of mind, knowing that you can just chuck it under a bus, or in a cardboard box on a plane, and not worry about the frame cracking. It’s a bike that looks good whether I’m in jeans or Lycra. And it’s a bike that I know will be there with me for a long, long time, and for thousands of kilometers more riding.

DAVID'S BIKE