TopCarbon TCGF066 gravel frame

[RDY]

I got the updated headset part, but unfortunately can't use it since my frame is still in Guangzhou  I'm assuming it'll be there a while longer since it's been there since December 19th and they are under Covid lockdowns.  May be time to start looking for local frames since gravel racing is starting up soon.

That sounds wrong to me.  I'm fairly sure couriers haven't been frozen for 3  months in Guangzhou. 

[acedeuce802]

Yeah I know they haven't been frozen for 3 months, but I think Guangzhou just went on lockdown earlier this week.  Lexon has extended buyers protection already, so I have 28 days to open a dispute, although I believe I've read I could dispute now if I wanted, since I'm past the original promised 75 days.  They don't seem able to do anything, any time I've contacted them about the shipping, they just respond with a copy/paste response of "we will urge shipping company".  Here's the tracking for it...

[RDY]

I suspect it was sent by sea.

[acedeuce802]

Got my frame today!  Ordered December 7th, 123 days ago.

1237g - Frame with seat post wedge and cage bolts
431g - Bare fork
136g - Headset, including upper and lower bearing, aluminum top cap (plastic sent with frame, aluminum was separately shipped as they updated the part), compression ring, upper and lower plastic spacers and 7mm off additional split spacers
351g - 400x90mm handlebar
34/25g - R/F axles
210g - Seatpost

[acedeuce802]

Now I've got 2 questions. 

I'd like your opinions on the lower bearing seat on the fork.  Pearl posted about their experience here: http://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,3591.0.html
My bearing seat doesn't look near as bad as pearl's original fork (regarding the chamfer height, bearing height, and thus fork/frame gap), it seems more smooth in general, but does have the big sanding marks/scratches around the cable entry.  Looking at pearl's fork/frame gap on the new fork on page 3 of the above linked thread, mine looks the same as that.

I've also never routed a road bike frame internally, I've only done external road bikes or internal 1x MTB's with full cable inner.  I'm running a SRAM front derailleur, so the cable housing has to stop inside the frame.  There doesn't seem to be any molded parts to seat the cable housing in the frame, just a channel under the BB for housing to go.  Does the cable housing just go up until the hole at the channel under the BB, bare cable runs through the channel and up through the seat tube hole?  Seems that would work, I was just expecting some sort of housing ferrule molding or something, not just a hole that the housing would sit up against.

Also the way the cable exits the hole in the seat tube, there's not enough clearance for the cable to exit without touching the frame.  Is it okay if I just use the cable liner like this?  The cable liner would have kind of a bend to it, but at least it wouldn't be cable rubbing carbon.

Feel free to let me know if anyone wants any other closeup pictures.

[RDY]

I'm not sure about the cable routing.  But the fork / bearing aren't sitting properly.  You can't ride it like that. 

It looks to me as if Lexon are buying factory seconds with these.  The quality is so appalling.

The head tube, upper bearing seat, seat clamp area are all a total mess.  At least the steerer doesn't look quite as bad as the other one posted, but scratched and scored everywhere, terrible sanding job, again a very bad job with the cable hole, and a massive porous void where the hole is.  Again, I wouldn't ride this. 

That Lexon are selling these and TopCarbon are letting these out of the factory speaks volumes. 

[00Garza]

Yeah, thats pretty bad.
I wonder now what the insides of the frames looked like for others. Are these really a drop in quality, or have they all looked like this?

[acedeuce802]

Yeah, luckily I also ordered a CFR707 a few weeks ago. May just try to get some money back on this one make it a trainer bike. Since it's not "broken" and just "poor quality" I'm not sure how likely it'll be to get money back or a return/refund.

[acedeuce802]

Just wanted to share the difference in quality between the fork from the Lexon GFX and Carbonda CFR707.

[Overload]

I custom ordered the frame set with the handlebars from Lexon; unpainted (primer black) frame and with a SP-011 seatpost instead of the standard one (see pic).
Customer service didn't start to well with being unable to provide a working tracking number on month after it was allegedly shipped.
After two months it arrived with;

-  A Cracked headtube
-  Damaged fork/front axle threads
-  Missing handlebars (and headset spacers and the other accessories)
-  The wrong seatpost

When I pointed this out to the seller the responses was lacking to say the least.
They only ever wanted to address the fork axle threads and one of the responses was: "it is press fit  BB86"
I sent loads of photos but all the responses was like talking to a robot or someone trying to make fun of you.     
After having no luck with the seller I escalated my case to AliExpress and that's when Lexon offered me a refund of 15$. The missing handlebar alone is ten times that!!!
AliExpress in the end (after 30 pic, 3 videos and a month of processing) found all my complaints valid but still only refunded me 1/3 of what I had payed.
I will never buy anything ever again from Lexon.



I was offered the option to send it all back, at my on expense of course at approximately 3/8 the purchase price or ~320USD, for a "full refund" and a 30USD AliExpress voucher as compensation for all my troubles and shipping expenses. All that would of course be paid out after it had been received and safely gone through by Lexon to make sure that everything there and as described. Sure...

At this point I have _ZERO_ confidence in Lexon and if I where to send the frame back it would just mysteriously "disappeared" or gotten "damaged" or "pick-a-reason". Anything and everything to not refund me.
       
 

[Irideslowly]

its really starting to seem like we should stick to the main vendors...

Denfu
Hongfu
velobuild
carbonada
longteng
ICAN
yoeleo
winspace
Tantan/seraph

[RDY]

I custom ordered the frame set with the handlebars from Lexon; unpainted (primer black) frame and with a SP-011 seatpost instead of the standard one (see pic).
Customer service didn't start to well with being unable to provide a working tracking number on month after it was allegedly shipped.
After two months it arrived with;

-  A Cracked headtube
-  Damaged fork/front axle threads
-  Missing handlebars (and headset spacers and the other accessories)
-  The wrong seatpost

When I pointed this out to the seller the responses was lacking to say the least.
They only ever wanted to address the fork axle threads and one of the responses was: "it is press fit  BB86"
I sent loads of photos but all the responses was like talking to a robot or someone trying to make fun of you.     
After having no luck with the seller I escalated my case to AliExpress and that's when Lexon offered me a refund of 15$. The missing handlebar alone is ten times that!!!
AliExpress in the end (after 30 pic, 3 videos and a month of processing) found all my complaints valid but still only refunded me 1/3 of what I had payed.
I will never buy anything ever again from Lexon.



I was offered the option to send it all back, at my on expense of course at approximately 3/8 the purchase price or ~320USD, for a "full refund" and a 30USD AliExpress voucher as compensation for all my troubles and shipping expenses. All that would of course be paid out after it had been received and safely gone through by Lexon to make sure that everything there and as described. Sure...

At this point I have _ZERO_ confidence in Lexon and if I where to send the frame back it would just mysteriously "disappeared" or gotten "damaged" or "pick-a-reason". Anything and everything to not refund me.
     

It really does seem like the Lexon branded versions of this frame are a dumping-seriously-defective products scam.  Of course TopCarbon are also at fault for selling and not destroying these heaps of shit. 

I can't recall anything this bad being reported before in recent years on this forum or others.  Yes there's been appalling customer service from various sellers, and some defective MTB designs, but build quality that consistently befits the TO BE DESTROYED IMMEDIATELY bin is pretty unique.

[mrmonkey]

Guys,
what are exact dimensions of fixed axles on your TCGF066 frames please?
On my there are
12x100 P1.5 (119mm) front
and
12x142 P1.5 (165mm) rear

both axles seems to be a bit short.

Thank you

EDIT - photos added

[hahel]

Guys,
what are exact dimensions of fixed axles on your TCGF066 frames please?
On my there are
12x100 P1.5 (119mm) front
and
12x142 P1.5 (165mm) rear

both axles seems to be a bit short.

Thank you

I've just recived my frame (Direct order from Top-Carbon) no thru-axles were included, i have asked TopCarbon which length they recommend, no reply yet.
But measuring my frame those figures are not to far off, possibly the axles can be a couple of mm longer.
How far are the axles recessed on the threaded side on your frame?

I will report back if/when i get the offical dimensions from top-carbon.

/Hakan

[mrmonkey]

I have ordered these axles from Aliexpress ... I suppose these dimensions will fit just right ...

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002998033091.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.51911802H0ALlM

Front 122mm
Rear 168mm