Yoeleo R11 - di2 "budget" build

[Zdrenka89]

The comments about Chinese business culture is interesting. That said, I think that it's equally fair that the ones on the receiving end of no updates or, worse yet, false updates are also offended. Trying to save face in these kinds of scenarios by making patently false statements completely backfires as all you've actually gained is a bad reputation.

Patience is a fine option when you're originally told 30-45 days. Since it's coming from overseas that does seem reasonable. When you approach the 90+ day range with repeated +3 day excuses with statements like, "your frame is ready" patience runs thin.

I will give them credit for one thing. Their social media presence, Youtube videos, and pricing strategy did lure me to believe that they would be a tighter outfit than some of the other brands in the region.

Let's see how this all plays out.

Your frustration is very relatable!

Those of us who have bought several bikes from the 'Orient Express' have probably learned and adapted a huge tolerance for customer service and expectations in terms of delivery time. I guess my best advice for the future is to remember why you chose to buy from China - saving money and getting as much value as possible. That, unfortunately, means giving away some of that customer service we expect in this part of the world. The 'box of chocolates, never quite know what you are going to get'-factor is a lot bigger in these neck of the woods.  However, as mentioned, things tends to show up at some point in 99,9% of cases as long as you buy from a somewhat reputable vendor like you did and in the end it will be worth it from my experience.

[adriaanm]

To get back to the original topic, I finally got to go for a real ride today. Really happy with how it turned out! Some climbing (558m), some gravelly/muddy forest roads (underbiking ftw) and lots of asphalt. Comfortable on rougher ground (although maybe that’s the 32mm tires at 35/38 psi), and fast to accelerate & climb. Great complement to my gravel bike.

Two realizations:
- you really have to torque the seatpost head to 6Nm. Even with friction paste, my saddle flipped up when I went over a bump at speed. More hilarious than painful, but still. Increased torque and it hasn’t budged since.
- I’m not the biggest fan of how the handlebar clamps to the steerer. I guess I should’ve known to loctite the screws, but I haven’t had the bolts on other stems loosen like that. You also need two allen keys to tighten... The other issue is with the topcap. The H9 is compatible with 1-1/4 steerers, so the 1-1/8 topcap they shipped actually just fits through the handlebar unless you add a spacer. Will replace it as I don’t think it’s a very clean look for an integrated handlebar to have a spacer “wart” like that…

[curvenut]

Hi,

 Very nice build !

Could you share the cost of yout custom build ?

Thanks

[adriaanm]

Thanks! All the details and a cost/weight breakdown are in my first post. 3300 CHF total

Loving the ride in the meantime. Would recommend :-)

[Ferry]

@Adriaanm, have some questions about this frame

- what is the offset/setback of the seatpost that comes with the frame?
- did you solve the issues with loose bolts on stem?
- do you have issues with bad clamping of saddle rails and seatpost? I read somewhere that they have a design flaw

Thanks
Ferry

[adriaanm]

Hi Ferry,

I just measured the seatpost setback as 20mm (center to center), but it's hard to say precisely, it could be closer to 15mm. I attached a photo in case that helps.

I have not had any issues with the stem after replacing the bolts (definitely would not recommend the original bolts).

The seatpost itself has not slipped for me, while the seatpost head did rotate once when I hit a pothole (balltap!). I torqued it a bit more (6.5Nm I think) and it hasn't happened since. It comes with hardware for both common kinds of saddle rails.

Other than that, I've had zero issues with the r11 (it's my good weather road bike and it's winter here, so I've been spending more time on my cfr707 gravel and ragley hardtail), but perhaps next time I would go for a more standard setup with a round seatpost and regular stem+handlebar with external routing into the frame (like I have on my gravel bike and hardtail). I am a bit worried about the complexity of maintenance / availability of replacement parts for the custom parts.

[Tines]

Hello Ferry, are you still satisfied with the frame?
Im currently in the market for a lighter alternative.

Did you by any chance try to replace the rubber grommet on the seatpost by any chance?