Workswell WCB-M-062

[xcbarny]

LOL, I used to be a bike shop mechanic. Change of career now, and I try to steer clear of most bike shops. I don't need some kid telling me I need an 10K SWorks! But yeah I may need to drop into the old shop - they'll give me grief for buying a chinese frame!

This might allow you to cut off the Banjo, and thread the hose through from the front:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/191700531574?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Although after I'd threaded mine through, I wondered if taping an outer gear cable to the hose would work better to guide it through the tube?

Yes the stem will probably be slammed. I need it like that to get my correct bar height on a 29er. I love the slammed look, so its one other reason why I love 29ers!

The bar setup came off an alu singlespeed, that had an 80mm fork on it, but a longer head tube and top tube. It's a low riser ritchey bar, which counters the -20deg stem a bit. I think height will be right, but I may need to go from an 80 to a 90mm stem.

[bxcc]

I love the flat / ovalised shaping on the top tube and seat stays. i'm not sure if that is how a Stumpjumper looks, or if Workswell has done any design themselves. I usually don't pay much attention to specialized, after their prices sky rocketed.

Nice looking bike! I am really happy with mine. I think I may end up putting some wider 29er rims and a squishy fork on it and calling it a day. I see a Workswell Plus size frame in my near future.

The top tube does look great. But wait until it hits the inside of your knee.....

[bxcc]

Although after I'd threaded mine through, I wondered if taping an outer gear cable to the hose would work better to guide it through the tube?

This worked pretty slick for me.
http://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,728.msg8119.html#msg8119

[RS VR6]

LOL, I used to be a bike shop mechanic. Change of career now, and I try to steer clear of most bike shops. I don't need some kid telling me I need an 10K SWorks! But yeah I may need to drop into the old shop - they'll give me grief for buying a chinese frame!

This might allow you to cut off the Banjo, and thread the hose through from the front:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/191700531574?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Lol...I worked at a shop for a couple years. I left on good terms so I still have access to their stuff when I need it.

The eBay kit looks interesting. Being able to feed the hose from the front and not have to route up into the tube inside the frame would be way faster.

The wire into the end of the hose is what I ended up doing. I took a piece of wire I found in the garage and shoved it as far in the brake hose as I could. It just took me a few hours to get to that point. 

[xcbarny]

You didn't used to work as a bike courier / messenger too did you? That would just freak me out!

Have had a few conversations with Yoyo at Workswell. I can't figure out whether the BB is glued it! First he said it was, and the BB will work fine with my Cranks, even though I've told him numerous times that I wanted it to be PF30, so that I could fit an EBB (I'm fairly sure he has no idea what this is). No idea why anyone would glue in a BB though, so hopefully something has goton lost in translation.

I'm a bit annoyed that they put the BB in there in the first place when I ordered PF30.

[xcbarny]

I'm worried that this frame isn't going to work with the EBB, which needs an aluminum sleeve to press into.

I can't see any sleeves in there (I can see the cables running under the BB), so I think the adaptor I have in the frame already, is just pressed  and glued into the carbon (which would explain why they glued it in)

I specifically asked if the frame had an aluminum sleeve, but obviously the sales guy had no idea what I was talking about, and he's being particularly unhelpful now.

When I first asked whether their PF30 of BB30 would work better with and EBB, he said PF30 would work best for me. I know realise that he has no idea what an EBB is, and I should have gone with the BB30, which would have had the aluminum sleeve in.

Not sure where that leaves me. I could try Magic gear, or I could run a tensioner. Neither are ideal.

[RS VR6]

Is there another EBB that works with a PF30? I'm not familiar with press fit BB's.

The whole language barrier thing can be frustrating. I made them repeat my order to me three times to make sure that we were talking about the same thing.

[xcbarny]

OK, after inspecting the frame some more, I don't think there is any way of getting the PF30 to BB92 adaptor cups out without damaging the frame. They are well and truely glued in there.

So basically, it is unusable as a PF30 frame. The Adaptor is a POS too, because you wouldn't be able to fit an after market BB to it like a standard BB92, the only option would be to change the bearings, and since there is no internal sleeve to keep the crud out, I imagine its something you'd have to do fairly often.

For reference, this is the BB I was going to use. Most of the EBBs are a fairly similar design:
http://www.origin8.bike/product-description/?prod_model_uid=10319

So I'm not sure what to do now. In all my correspondence with them, they still claim to have sent me a PF30 frame. I could try to get them to exchange it, but I know it'll cost a fortune to ship back to china. I could try to sell it, or I could run a chain tensioner, which is something I really didn't want to do.

[xcbarny]

So they've offered to replace my frame, if I send mine back. Or if I want to sell my frame they can offer a discount on a new one.

The discount wasn't great, so I'll have to look into shipping it back.

Looks like it'll be a while before I get to ride this frame!

[RS VR6]

What's the cost to ship back to China? If you did...I would track and insure the frame.

[bruto]

Send them photos and ask what glue/epoxy they used
Maybe it can be pulled out with an application of heat

and if you paid by Paypal, you could also open a dispute, which might give those guys the missing bit of encouragement

[xcbarny]

Communication has been fairly difficult with them - he still swears that I have a PF30 frame, even though its now completely unusable as one, so I'm not sure I'd get that kind of info out of him.

In an early communication, when he didn't realise that he'd stuffed up by sending the BB92 frame, he said the adaptor was fitted with very strong glue, and couldn't be removed. Then when he realised I had to remove it, he said they use a little bit of glue, and to tap it gently to remove it!

I guess I'm a bit wary to do anything more with it. Looking inside the frame, at the cups they've pressed in, there is a lot of glue, which feels to me like epoxy. I'd be worried about damaging the frame by removing it.

[bxcc]

I would probably stay away from heat to remove it. Any amount of heat that would effect the glue/epoxy, would also effect the epoxy that holds the carbon together. The damage may not show up immediately, but it could definitely cause the structure to become brittle resulting in cracks. Sorry, I know that doesn't help your current situation, but that is all I have.

So did they send the wrong frame or just press and glue in a BB that you didn't want?

[xcbarny]

Yeh, that's what I figured too.

I'm just not sure they understand the differences between bottom brackets. I think they make them all PF30, and then add a sleeve to make the BB30, and these adaptors that I have to make it BB92. So mine has the BB92 adaptors glued in, even though I never asked for them, I just specified it to be PF30

The sales guy is still convinced they sent me a PF30 (so I guess technically they did), though he now seems to realise that I can't use my PF30 BB in it.

Before I ordered, I actually asked his advice on whether a PF30 or a BB30 would work better for me using an Eccentric Bottom bracket - some manufactures say not to use and EBB in a PF30 frame. He advised me to get a PF30 so that's what I ordered, and I ordered an Origin8 EBB from bikewagon.

I now realise that their standard PF30 isn't really suitable for an EBB, as it doesn't have an aluminum sleeve though the BB, which the EBB really needs to clamp onto, and not damage the carbon.

So now I need to return the frame and the EBB.

[RS VR6]

That's such a bummer. 

Are you going to exchange the frame or move onto a different one?