Chinese Carbon Road Bikes > Road Bike Frames, Wheels & Components

Advice on where to buy a frame - dengfu/ican/velobuild ?

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slow_poke11:
I'm looking at doing a bike build. Ideally 12 speed, mechanical shifting, hydraulic disc bike.  Something strong and long-lasting. I'm 187cm tall and over 100kg, so I'm not looking for anything ultra-light (massive weight saving opportunities exist above the saddle  ;))  I'm thinking about mainly using Chinese parts and I notice L-twoo are releasing a fully hydraulic (not cable actuated hydraulic) groupset. 

Anyhow, I digress, My starting point is the frame and I've done heaps of reading and youtube video watching, but am still a bit stuck on what brand of frame to buy. From what I've read, I'd probably order it along the following lines:

If I'm wanting peace of mind, quality control, communication, warranty and service then:

Winspace
Yoeleo
Elves

...but I'd be paying a premium for the brand and not necessarily getting a better frame (except maybe Winspace?).

If I'm wanting an equivalent (or better) quality frame at a lower price without having to pay for a brand name, then one of the following:

Dengfu - R12
ICAN - A22
Velobuild - R-177

My biggest fear is buying something where there hasn't been any pride taken in the build which may mean defects, problems with the build, and lack of responsiveness if I there is a problem which I need to get resolved.  Essentially, things like visible poor workmanship if I were to put an endoscope inside the frame. issues with carbon walls that might be too thin in places, rough finishing around the bottom bracket. disc-brake attachment points that don't line up properly, alignment issues in the wheel axle holes, things that might make internal routing of the cables nearly impossible.

From what I've read these 3 companies seem to have a very good reputation with people on this forum, so I will probably go with one of these. In short, this is a final due-diligence to ask if anyone thinks I should choose one over the other or whether there are greater risks with one versus the others? Any other companies I should consider?  :)

Thanks!

jannmayer:
Carbonda is also pretty well regarded. There are some lengthy threads for their frames on here. They have an aero frame and an endurance frame on their website although I don't have experience with either. I do have one of their gravel frames (CFR707) and it's really well made. They are a bit pricier than some of the other options but there haven't been nearly as many reports of problems as with some of the others.

RDY:
Of those 3, Deng Fu have definitely had the fewest disasters.

But yeah, if Carbonda do something that suits you, I'd second them for quality ... though they are not without pitfalls - they painted my FM909 with the bearings in it, locking them in.

jungian:

--- Quote from: RDY on October 30, 2022, 05:53:04 AM --- - they painted my FM909 with the bearings in it, locking them in.

--- End quote ---

What?? That's crazy, did they offer you any compensation for the mistake?

Thinking about building up a 909 myself, how do you like it and what suspension are you running?

RDY:

--- Quote from: jungian on October 30, 2022, 12:02:04 PM ---What?? That's crazy, did they offer you any compensation for the mistake?

Thinking about building up a 909 myself, how do you like it and what suspension are you running?

--- End quote ---

They tried to claim it was how they normally did it and that they didn't think people would remove the bearings (despite selling me a replacement bearing and bolt kit with the frameset and regularly selling them to others). They said they'd take my advice into consideration for improving painting procedure in future.  They were in full ass covering mode, probably because the finish I chose was so expensive (relative to most).

Not built yet, waiting on Acros headset and replacement seatpost clamp for dropper that customs kindly lost when they opened the box with my dropper.  But it'll be 120mm Manitou R7 Pro and Mara rear shock.  Trying to make it as downcountry as possible - geo screams it even if rear travel is a bit short.

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