Following the Rider’s Lens showcase of his photography last week, today’s edition of Reader’s Rig comes from Adam Wilkoszarski of Poznań, Poland, who shares his Lefty-equipped True Love Cycles Heart Breaker. Take a closer look here…

Words and photos by Adam Wilkoszarski

Hi, I’m Adam, and I’m excited to have the chance to share another one of my bikes here on this platform. I still spend every spare moment riding, cooking, and planning my next bikepacking adventures.

After months of touring on my beloved Kona Rove Ti and dealing with a wrist injury, I finally decided it was time to build a bike better suited to the rough trails I tend to choose. For a long time, I’d been dreaming of a frame from the Warsaw-based True Love Cycles—specifically the Heartbreaker model. I had been talking to Jan, the brand’s founder, about the idea for this build for quite some time, and from the beginning, we shared a similar vision: the bike should be equipped with a Lefty suspension fork.

I’ve been a fan of Cannondale and their unconventional approach to bike design for years. My first serious bikepacking trip was on a Cannondale Topstone Lefty, and I’ve always regretted selling that bike. This new build is, in a way, my redemption for that mistake.

The frame you see here is the very first ever produced by True Love. It originally belonged to Jan, who used it himself before replacing the downtube with a larger diameter one and shortening the headtube. Since we had gotten to know each other by then—and we happened to ride the same frame size—he agreed to sell me this frame with its own unique story.

Along with the frame came a set of ultralight Dandy Horse Kwazar XC wheels and a few other components. The bike is built with 12-speed SRAM Apex D1 mechanical levers with MTB cable pull, allowing me to use a wide-range 10–52 cassette and an 11-speed SRAM XX1 derailleur, modified with a Garbaruk cage.

• Frame: True Love Heartbreaker
• Fork: Cannondale Lefty Ocho
• Wheels: Dandy Horse Kwazar XC
• Tires: Specialized S-Works Renegade 2.35″
• Handlebars: 3T Superghiaia LTD (44cm)
• Headset: Chris King
• Crankset: Cannondale Si Hollowgram
• Pedals: Xpedo Ti
• Cassette: SRAM GX 10-52
• Derailleur(s): SRAM XX1 Type 2.1
• Brakes: Hope RX4
• Shifter(s): SRAM Apex D1
• Saddle: Specialized S-Works Power Mirror
• Seatpost: No name carbon
• Stem: Easton 80mm
• Front bags: Specialized/Fjallraven Handlebar Rolltop
• Frame bags: Ride and Get Lost
• Rear bags: Specjalized/Fjallraven Seat Harness
• Accessory bags: Baby Legs, Restrap top tube bag
• Other accessories: Jack the Rack front rack

The original 3T Superghiaia LTD handlebar didn’t hold up to the rigors of bikepacking and had to be replaced with an Easton EC70 after it cracked. I also found that the Ashima Ai rotors weren’t up to the task—too flexy and prone to overheating on steep descents with a loaded bike.

As for my bikepacking setup, I’m still using a Specialized/Fjällräven seat harness, now paired with the Specialized/Fjällräven front bag mounted on a Jack the Rack. I love this bag. It fits my sleeping bag, tent, sleeping pad, pillow, towel, MSR Pocket Rocket Kit, power banks and electronics, toiletries, and still leaves some room to spare. I’ve also added a large frame bag from Ride and Get Lost, which has been performing excellently. I still never leave home without my two Baby Legs stem bags. This setup has proven reliable, versatile, and ready for whatever the trail throws at me.

You can keep up with Adam on Instagram.

Further Reading

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