I received my Model S last Friday (I opted to pay a bit more to avoid taxes), making it a total of 18 days from the order placement, which is quite reasonable. Initially, I was informed there would be an additional 5-day wait due to opting for a color that was out of stock. Here are my first impressions:
The rear triangle and fork don't seem to be the stiffest. This makes me wonder, especially since I have two other Chinese bikes that I've somewhat retired – one being a 2016 HM66 Hongfu and the other a 2017 Workswell endurance bike. I'm considering doing a comparison video and sharing it here. My usual ride is a 2018 Cannondale HM, which is noticeably stiffer, but then again, it was significantly more expensive.
The paint job is exceptional; it's hard to find any faults. The handlebar has surpassed my expectations; it's plenty stiff. There are definitely some rough edges inside the frame. I haven't finished building it yet, but I can feel some rough work between the top down tube and the head tube. The bottom bracket went on smoothly, the only component I've fitted so far.
I'm still waiting on some parts and pondering over the groupset. My plan is to build it with an Ultegra 11-speed mechanical groupset, as I didn't want to invest too much and see this more as a budget build, aiming for around £1200. I'll likely use a mix of Ltwoo R9 shifters, Ultegra R8000 & R8100 components, Elite wheels, etc. I'm not entirely sold on Chinese groupsets just yet.