Build Log - Carbonda hard tail for daughter's birthday.

[Linsook]

Wing has just emailed through a image of the frame, the paint job looks fantastic and I can't wait to see it in the flesh!

For an idea of the timeline:

First email to Wing - 26/04
Payment made - 27/04
A couple of technical questions in emails between then.
Photos of frame sent - 11/05

I will let you all know when the frame arrives with me and ready to build!

How much was the frame??

[Kommandant33]

How much was the frame??

This is all in USD:

FM1306A-SL : $560
Headset :$15
Rear axle : $ 15
Extra rear derailleur hangers: $8ea
(One is included with the accessories and one is mounted on the frame.)
Chameleon paint: $125
Shipping cost(1 set of frame in one box):$ 230 + $50 if you live rural/remote (I am near the city so didn't need to pay)

All up I paid US$995. A fair bit more than I wanted to spend - but I was more interested in paying more for a reputable manufacturer.

[Kommandant33]

This is the hard part - the waiting game!

Wing has emailed to let me know the tracking will be available soon.

I have a few other orders on their way from AliEx:

Shimano Deore 12 speed drive train

ZTTO Carbon Headset Washer Stem Spacers (not sure if needed, but one of those things that will be handy to keep in the spares bin)

Toseek Handlebars

Lexon 3d printed seat

Toseek ST006 MTB Stem

Lexon seat post clamp

Elita One seat post

Kocevlo Flat mount to post mount adapter.

[Kommandant33]

The wheels arrived today - I am stuck at work, but managed to un box them and weigh them only to box them back up so my daughter can unbox them after school

[gf]

The wheels arrived today - I am stuck at work, but managed to un box them and weigh them only to box them back up so my daughter can unbox them after school

Good! Add some details, impression on the wheelset; thanks!

[Kommandant33]

Good! Add some details, impression on the wheelset; thanks!

I will update once on the bike and built up, but so far:

They feel very light. Again, once I get some rubber, cassette and rotors on there, I will have more of a realistic understanding.

Build quality so far seems nice, nice finish, hubs feel nice and have a good sound to them.

Keep an eye on this thread for more to come

[Kommandant33]

The frame is out for delivery! It will be a long wait for my daughter to get home from school to unbox it...

In other news, we have been doing bits and pieces whilst waiting for the frame:

Most parts have now arrived, just need grips and pedals - and then any incidentals that may pop up during the build.

Set the wheels up tubeless - got some Vittoria Barzo tires on sale. 2.25 up front, and 2.1 on the back.

Not 100% sold on the disks - we will have to see how they perform.

And had to do a test fit of the tire and wheel on the fork... can you tell we can't wait for the frame to arrive?

[Kommandant33]

I got excited when I saw the delivery man... but I am getting too many deliveries at the moment!

Ride Wrap for the frame and fork

[Kommandant33]

Well, the build is complete!

It was very straight forward for my first full bike build.

There are a couple of things that I will need to change: the 1 x 12 groupset came with a 30t front ring, which just is not big enough for the wide range 12 speed. We don't live in a hilly area, so the bigger rear cogs aren't getting used at all. I will change it to a 34t - unless anyone has any suggestions?

The brakes are big and bulky - they look lovely, but the rear caliper only JUST fits, pressing up against the frame. I might get a mixed set of brakes - 2 pot on the back, 4 pot on the front like the magura trail sport, OR a custom order from Lewis bike.

The current weight is, and I will remind you this was not a weight weenie build, comes in at 9.86kg (the aim was to be lighter than her old, smaller 27.5" wheeled bike that was just over 12kg)

I will reply when I get some more time with the final costs (spoiler: it was significant, but still half that of a similar build from a boutique brand)

[stuart]

Wow. that looks really great. More importantly, how does it ride and does she love it?

[Kommandant33]

In other news - the brakes arrived today! Packaging was OK, the brakes themselves look fine.

The brakes are big and bulky - they look lovely, but the rear caliper only JUST fits, pressing up against the frame. I might get a mixed set of brakes - 2 pot on the back, 4 pot on the front like the magura trail sport, OR a custom order from Lewis bike.

Regarding the ZTTO Team brakes - our hands have been forced. It seems a seal has busted in the rear caliper, and oil has contaminated the pads, the rotor and we need a full bleed done. I will take these brakes off and install some XT 2 pot brakes and Shimano Ice Tech rotors. I really should have gone with quality brakes from the beginning.

[nicklej]

Those are the same braided hose Hope and Trickstuff use for their brakes .
They are pretty amazing for the price. There is plenty of power and the build quality is top notch, nicest brake I ever used.
I got mine on Lewis's official shop on Taobao using an intermediary service called Superbuy and I spent like $270 in total with shipping but if I have an issue with them, I'm pretty much on my own though.
My bike was stolen in January and i ordered a set again but for the new bike i'm currently building.
Lewis also sell a cheaper versions of vertical brakes called CL2V (2 pistons) and CL4V (for pistons) but only in China as far as i know. Those are actual copies of the Piccola with the alu levers and prices are $164 for the CL2V and $192 for the CL4V on Taobao .

I never got the Lewis Brakes. I did try the IIIPRO versions of these and they were a big disappointment from the feel to the amount of braking force. Bled them a few times but passed them on for free in the end. I used them on a weight weenie build and they looked sexy, too.

Are those prices you quoted per brake of for each set? F+R?

thanks JAKE

[xXROGXx971]

I never got the Lewis Brakes. I did try the IIIPRO versions of these and they were a big disappointment from the feel to the amount of braking force. Bled them a few times but passed them on for free in the end. I used them on a weight weenie build and they looked sexy, too.

I still have the ZRace version of the 4 pistons calipers paired with Deore XT levers. It's more powerful than the 2 pistons XT that i was using before, but the metal is pretty soft in my opinion...
I could feel the calipers expanding in my hands when pressing the levers. Some people noticed this on the MTBR forum as well and apparently it's worse on the 2 piston model.

Are those prices you quoted per brake of for each set? F+R?

Paid that for a pair of LV4 (so front + rear) but i got them on Taobao with an agent (so probably no warranty for me). You can also get them on their official website but they're more expensive there (at least $339)...

[Kommandant33]

I have been meaning to tally up how much this bike ended up costing.

Although comparable bikes would cost nearly twice as much, this is a LOT of bike for a 12 year old. That being said, she does love it.

Would I build another Chinese carbon bike? It depends. The bike market has come back down to earth now post COVID, and the value of building your own bike vs buying a commercially available bike with full manufacturer warranty is negligible.

All that being said, there is a certain pride when it comes to seeing the bike you built vs the bike you bought.

[xXROGXx971]

Would I build another Chinese carbon bike? It depends. The bike market has come back down to earth now post COVID, and the value of building your own bike vs buying a commercially available bike with full manufacturer warranty is negligible.

I don't think i'll ever got a bike from a name brand again... Maybe a frameset but not a full bike .