Dengfu FM098 build thread

[karstenhorn]

Hello All

Apart from Mountain biking, I do like to to take some longer rides on my road bike together with my wife and I do also find it easier to conduct some cardio training when on a road bike. My good old Trek 5500 have had a long but good life but I think it is coming to an end as there is a hairline crack developing just above the bottom bracket. My 5500 started out as a team bike for a national Pro tour team for a year when I bought it 2. hand. It came with a very good setup and I have now ridden more than 10.000 miles in 10 years without a single issue with the Dura-Ace 7800 groupset and in 10.000 miles I have only had 6 punctures and 1 exploded tire(I only ride in dry conditions) !!

Based on my good experience with my Chiner MTB frame the choice was easy, my new road bike will also be based on a well proven Chiner road frame. Investigating the market with all the different Chiner road frames, I saw numerous good feedback on the FM098 aero frame as well as dealing with Dengfu. As I like well proven stuff(I just built a 036 MTB bike) the choice was easy and as I write this, my new frame is being prepared by Dengfu and it will ship within a week. As a side note I will highlight Dengfu as a fantastic company to do business with, very friendly and extremely quick in their replies to all my questions - I can only recommend Dengfu.

Picture of my beloved Trek - As it came with a rather aggressive setup, I had to change the position of the handlebar and I also had to go for a Compact crankset:



Picture of the new frame with my custom paint job illustrated:



The only parts from my 5500 that will be reused is the wheel set, still shopping all the other bits and pieces but the groupset will properly be based on the newest version of the Ultegra DI2 groupset, that is if I cannot find a good deal on a corresponding Sram Etap kit...... More to follow !

Kind regards

Karsten

 

[carbonazza]

Wow... it is the first time I see a seatpost that high.
Does it impact the handling?

[karstenhorn]

Wow... it is the first time I see a seatpost that high.
Does it impact the handling?

I guess that you mean the stem and not the seat-post - Handling is just fine and the adjustable stem is actually for a MTB but I needed something to raise the height of the handlebar as the original riding position was way too aggressive for my old back. Its been like this for 10 years and it saved me from buying a new fork when I got the bike. As a matter of fact I have also owned a Dura-Ace equipped Trek 5900(same frame as Amstrong won his last TDF) but I always preferred my old 5500 so I sold the other bike again.

The FM098 will be built with a 17 degree stem in order to achieve a little more upright riding position.

[carbonazza]

Ouch... it was the stem indeed

[karstenhorn]

I got a nice update from Dengfu this morning stating that my frame is ready for shipping out with DHL later today. There was a lead time for 15 days due to my custom paint job. They kept it within a couple of days and as always, when sending them a mail they always answer within 30 min. Until now it has been a great experience doing business with Dengfu and they seems like a vendor to be trusted.

Here is a picture of my painted frame:



I also got a fantastic deal on a Ultegra DI2 groupset from Bike24(1042€) so cant wait to start the build when parts start to arrive here in Denmark.

Karsten

[MTB2223]

Looks great already. What size frame did you order ?

[karstenhorn]

I have ordered a 56 cm frame as this is the one with the closest geometry to my old Trek. I'm quite tall 188 cm but my leg length is only 82 cm so 56 cm is in general my size.


Karsten
 

[karstenhorn]

Build completed and it was a very straight forward task, all the stuff, including the frame, was just as advertised and really no issues at all. As a side-note I will just highlight DI2, I have never ridden with a system so easy to adjust and the shifting is smooth like never tried before. I'm already considering ditching my XX1 group in favour of the new XTR DI2.

A few random pictures from the build:













7.50 kg with 450 gram old Look pedals is not too bad on a 56 cm frame



Karsten

[SportingGoods]

It's a very nice upgrade compared to your previous bike!

I would still question the choice of frame. Why pick such an aero/race type frame when what you want is obviously a comfortable ride? This forces you to max everything: spacers, up-right stem, very high position of the brake levers. You could have picked a frame with a higher stack and set the cockpit in a more natural fashion.

[karstenhorn]

It's a very nice upgrade compared to your previous bike!

I would still question the choice of frame. Why pick such an aero/race type frame when what you want is obviously a comfortable ride? This forces you to max everything: spacers, up-right stem, very high position of the brake levers. You could have picked a frame with a higher stack and set the cockpit in a more natural fashion.

As a matter of fact my well used body is beginning to get in better shape and after the above pictures were taken, I have removed 15 mm of spaces for a start. My concept was to start high and work myself down shortening a little by little. I don't want to do the mistake to set the bar too low for a start and then have to deal with workarounds later down the road. I have never been more comfortable on a road bike than the FM098.

[carbonazza]

...This forces you to max everything: spacers, up-right stem, very high position of the brake levers...

I'm kind of shocked too by the elevated aesthetic of the cockpit.
But may be we are too fashion sensible If Karsten is comfortable on his bike, does it really matter?

Except this little thing, very nice looking bike!

On my side, since I borrowed a Synapse of a friend this summer, I dropped the build of a road bike until early next year.
I will throw all I have on an eTap-hydro set, either on a Chinese gravel frame when available or a last year big brand model( I need a high headtube too ).

[karstenhorn]

...This forces you to max everything: spacers, up-right stem, very high position of the brake levers...

I'm kind of shocked too by the elevated aesthetic of the cockpit.
But may be we are too fashion sensible If Kasten is comfortable on his bike, does it really matter?

Except this little thing, very nice looking bike!

On my side, since I borrowed a Synapse of a friend this summer, I dropped the build of a road bike until early next year.
I will throw all I have on an eTap-hydro set, either on a Chinese gravel frame when available or a last year big brand model( I need a high headtube too ).

Well, its is not that elevated now - It will properly end up with about 20 mm lower than original picture and a typical 6 degree stem in the upright position. No way I can ever ride a road bike in Pro tour configuration and to be honest, how many recreational riders are actually able to use their drops for a prolonged time. Most of the riders I meet(Denmark is a cyclist country) only use the horns - Also in strong head winds........
Honestly I don't care what other people think, what matters to me is I'm feeling comfortable, also on a 120+ km ride. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 4 years ago and people who knows that disease will also know what is does to the joints of your body. Again, I have never been so comfortable as I am on the FM098 so in the end it was a good choice for me. I could properly afford a S-works Venge but would it justify the more than double up cost, I seriously don't think so.

I was dreaming about Sram Red eTap but I could not find a reasonable offer so I will live with my DI2 for now and it is indeed doing a fantastic job. My old groupset was a Dura-ace 10 speed and the Ultegra DI2 shift about a lightyear better 

Karsten


Karsten

[karstenhorn]

This is how it stands today and I'm debating with myself whether to go for a 6 deg stem or lower the stem another 10 mm.





Karsten

[exzos]

This is how it stands today and I'm debating with myself whether to go for a 6 deg stem or lower the stem another 10 mm.
Karsten

Just turn that stem upside down 

[SportingGoods]

I would say that it's best to choose the free option until you get your final position: just remove a 10 mm of spacer.
If you like it that way then you can improve the esthetic (which is a personal thing) by tweaking it with a new stem and the appropriate spacers.