KABON Folding Bike - Roadie Build

[Taicho_Cyclist]

For the lack of folding bicycle category, I have decided to post here since the build is steered towards road bike build.

I bought a Kabon T800 carbon fiber folding bicycle for commuter recently to replace my existing BXT Carbon folding commuter. However, my evil mind decided to build an aero folding bicycle that not only can commute but go fast. When I looked around home for existing components, an Ultegra R8100 crankset with Stages G3 left crank vs Xcadey DUB carbon crank, BBs, spare Sensah Empire Pro (12s) and Sunshne SL 12T-32T, carbon road handlebar are available. So it was quickly decided to put a roadster together.

So here are intial pictures of the first build based on what I have being put together. Originally I had installed the Xcadey powermeter but the BB bearing was atrociously unsmooth so I changed it out. Parts and all are entirely from Aliexpress which includes brakes, rotors, cables and housing, steering saddle. The bike came originally with an ally aero seatpost that weighed at a whopping 544 grams. So I had it replaced with the carbon version at a diet weight of 385 grams.

Current build is 8.85 kg with stock Aliexpress carbon 451 wheelset and IRC Jetty Plus 20x1-1/8" tires. I have purchased a carbon steerer column which came with M23 locknut otherwise it would have reduced the weight to 8.55 kg. It is not compatible with the fork nut size with is a M20 so a replacement has been ordered which is en-route. Will update again once all the modifications are complete.

Here are initial pictures:

[maza]

This is beautiful! Last year I was drooling on the Stijn Peg 2.0 minivelo. Do you have any pictures of it folded? Does the drop bar interfere with foldability? How is the handling and does the geometry work? Peg is designed to be road minivelo and allegedly rides very well!

[Taicho_Cyclist]

I am not happy with the alloy steerer as first it is weighty, and as a right fold is not great as the handlebar will impeded by the frame/wheel. Hence I bought the 2-piece carbon steerer which can insert betweem the frames and wheels when folded. I used the stock QR Magnets to hold both wheels together when folded for secure hold in the subway.

[MDZPNMD]

Yesterday I thought about building this thing and today I find your post. What a pleasant coincidence.

Why the switch from the BXT?

Your build is great, do you mind posting some links or search words for the new steerer and maybe the components you've used or a components list?
Where did you get the seatpost? My biggest concern was breaking it and being unable to get a replacement.

How much tire clearance do you have? I assume you'd probably be faster and more efficient changing to 32-50mm continental contact urban tires despite the weight penalty. Especially with smaller wheels wider tires compensate for the smaller contact patch and rolling resistance penalty on uneven terrain.

Please keep this post going, I greatly enjoy it

[Taicho_Cyclist]

The Kabon has been something I have been eyeing for a long time but due to the 1X configuration, I went with the BXT instead which has a round seat column which supports a clamp on front derailleur. In the end, I stayed 1X as the clamping is just not necessary for a folding commuter. So I passed it to a relative in the family and finally bought the KABON

Components list:
Groupset: Sensah Empire Pro (12S) - Rear derailleur, carbon version of the shifters (easily available to search on Aliexpress through Sensah Official Store or LingMai who is a trusted seller)

Wheelset: Non-branded 20x451 carbon clincher disc wheelset (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004341879551.html)

Tire: IRC Jetty Plus 20x1-1/8 (buy what you like)

Carbon head steerer: Sourced is from a Taobao seller; the steerer comes with M23*1.0 lock nut. If your steerer uses a M20*1.0 version, you need to get the M20 version else the mounting column will not fit (https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?_u=l1uad1v69da3&id=821991830494&pisk=gRs_sF_l3fc_Mv-xhF2eFCX6QTxVcJrzDx9AEtnZHhK9lmBNNKo2uPvjcB68ICz0Ss_CM6Yw6I82cK1ytOo4IOybctBJ6n7w_KCFG60N_iRVTo6lNFoNHikG-_W-bGzM0miMmnFzaurPQOxDD3eJSdhgvLJ70mL96hxKaCMayurPIOxDD7Pz4iog71pskmCxW23ptKGvMnCvvkpX9cpxXKhLdBAKMjp9BvppnLm9DmLvvkpwhjn9DIEppBvvDjpAM9eB3Bdx_kcB3P9ACR4cpNsQgFX9OmnAXhY6Gggqcm1JBFgMWB6FLM965Q8H3CZRX6WAbGY3oq-cLa1fks4r-h6AWhpPIliB2OQFcpS43qOOLM6dcUMYeQIGpgxp8ue5pMfNIM6qHopFaBBGX3hLmpjNHGTfcSgDbaWPmUITfbAerK1wT_E-AHLA41iyNzoZlvToDpggdJgmoHCuxA4YUYOMWpvT4JwIOqcoDmuh0Jgx7FpHBNwQdXGA.&spm=a1z09.2.0.0.314c2e8d9iL2cz)

Replacement fork mounting lock nut: M20*1.0 (https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?from=cart&id=754132743093&pisk=ggHjFGGnbZbbwSeOfSxzAVAwCLwal3JFCGZtxcBVX-eY5Risv5Bwi-P_C4Ur3ro4Hico8DBq3I2NCt2gBe8eLpoqmR2T2sDXbZj8xlJaDsUYn8Esn_8pLpommR298eJEQtj4BofOBVCAy7UuvoBY6VFRel4RHlBYXaK7rzETXOUTy0EUx1IxWtB82lrgXZUTk0p8XzUTBSCx23ZgyoeTBjt1PlRbXmtDeWzpxdQROWXOBYZbwWoYk7VWboPXwmalBujuqSsqDz6OBYczpgP3kBjzS-zmxogMKt2Y1Xmafq9fHVinE4Z-Jd6Uk0mETSDvK1VQBPNL2vKNtzk7uVHbwHWQ_8HU9-hyZEPahleYtbxGgPhtAvwquUXTuXi-PWkPz9yirf3Tf4Qf4k6URBWV1gNhBu1DV31Gs83HEiqqJ6LLMuqvL3t5P1bhBO5oQ31OgSEuDjtWVa_O.&skuId=5201071729816&spm=a1z0d.6639537%2F202410.item.d754132743093.3e087484w7V0RX)

From my existing spares lying around: carbon handlebar and stem, saddle, some spare Ti bolts to replace the rear racks mount screws that are made of steel.

Build Note: I set up the build from the comfort of my own home. Cabling was relatively smooth with some minor snag to route the housing correctly to the rear brake and derailleur correctly. Once that sorted it is quite straightforward as the rest of the process is mounting the head steerer, seatpost, rotors on wheelset, tires, and the usual alignment job.

Tire clearance from bare rim without tire is 5cm high and 6cm wide, rear is about 5cm heigh and 5 cm wide.

[Changebiker]

Nice built - heavier than one would expect though.
My Brompton with steel frame is slimmed down to close to 8kg for reference - that's a surprise.

[MDZPNMD]

Nice built - heavier than one would expect though.
My Brompton with steel frame is slimmed down to close to 8kg for reference - that's a surprise.

Would be interested to know your build.

The Kabon frame should be around 1,2-2kg lighter than the Brompton steel frame or 0,3kg heavier than the TI version.
Disc brakes should also add like 500g and road bike shifters and handlebar are also heavier and sensah not the lightest but completely fine for a budget build.

Kabon Frame:

Frame 1,4kg
Fork 0,4kg
Standard Seatpost: 0,544kg
carbon seatpost: 0,385

Brompton Frame Weight by Material:

    Steel frame (standard Brompton):

        Main frame (steel): around 2.0 to 2.3 kg (~4.4 to 5.1 lbs)

        Rear triangle and fork (steel): about 1.1 to 1.5 kg combined

    Superlight (Steel + Titanium mix):

        Main frame (steel): similar to standard, around 2.0 kg

        Titanium rear triangle and fork: significantly lighter — around 0.9 kg total

    T Line (full titanium frame):

        Entire frame (main frame + rear triangle + fork): about 1.5 kg total (~3.3 lbs)

[MDZPNMD]

The Kabon has been something I have been eyeing for a long time but due to the 1X configuration, I went with the BXT instead which has a round seat column which supports a clamp on front derailleur. In the end, I stayed 1X as the clamping is just not necessary for a folding commuter. So I passed it to a relative in the family and finally bought the KABON

Components list:
Groupset: Sensah Empire Pro (12S) - Rear derailleur, carbon version of the shifters (easily available to search on Aliexpress through Sensah Official Store or LingMai who is a trusted seller)

Wheelset: Non-branded 20x451 carbon clincher disc wheelset (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004341879551.html)

Tire: IRC Jetty Plus 20x1-1/8 (buy what you like)

Carbon head steerer: Sourced is from a Taobao seller; the steerer comes with M23*1.0 lock nut. If your steerer uses a M20*1.0 version, you need to get the M20 version else the mounting column will not fit (https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?_u=l1uad1v69da3&id=821991830494&pisk=gRs_sF_l3fc_Mv-xhF2eFCX6QTxVcJrzDx9AEtnZHhK9lmBNNKo2uPvjcB68ICz0Ss_CM6Yw6I82cK1ytOo4IOybctBJ6n7w_KCFG60N_iRVTo6lNFoNHikG-_W-bGzM0miMmnFzaurPQOxDD3eJSdhgvLJ70mL96hxKaCMayurPIOxDD7Pz4iog71pskmCxW23ptKGvMnCvvkpX9cpxXKhLdBAKMjp9BvppnLm9DmLvvkpwhjn9DIEppBvvDjpAM9eB3Bdx_kcB3P9ACR4cpNsQgFX9OmnAXhY6Gggqcm1JBFgMWB6FLM965Q8H3CZRX6WAbGY3oq-cLa1fks4r-h6AWhpPIliB2OQFcpS43qOOLM6dcUMYeQIGpgxp8ue5pMfNIM6qHopFaBBGX3hLmpjNHGTfcSgDbaWPmUITfbAerK1wT_E-AHLA41iyNzoZlvToDpggdJgmoHCuxA4YUYOMWpvT4JwIOqcoDmuh0Jgx7FpHBNwQdXGA.&spm=a1z09.2.0.0.314c2e8d9iL2cz)

Replacement fork mounting lock nut: M20*1.0 (https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?from=cart&id=754132743093&pisk=ggHjFGGnbZbbwSeOfSxzAVAwCLwal3JFCGZtxcBVX-eY5Risv5Bwi-P_C4Ur3ro4Hico8DBq3I2NCt2gBe8eLpoqmR2T2sDXbZj8xlJaDsUYn8Esn_8pLpommR298eJEQtj4BofOBVCAy7UuvoBY6VFRel4RHlBYXaK7rzETXOUTy0EUx1IxWtB82lrgXZUTk0p8XzUTBSCx23ZgyoeTBjt1PlRbXmtDeWzpxdQROWXOBYZbwWoYk7VWboPXwmalBujuqSsqDz6OBYczpgP3kBjzS-zmxogMKt2Y1Xmafq9fHVinE4Z-Jd6Uk0mETSDvK1VQBPNL2vKNtzk7uVHbwHWQ_8HU9-hyZEPahleYtbxGgPhtAvwquUXTuXi-PWkPz9yirf3Tf4Qf4k6URBWV1gNhBu1DV31Gs83HEiqqJ6LLMuqvL3t5P1bhBO5oQ31OgSEuDjtWVa_O.&skuId=5201071729816&spm=a1z0d.6639537%2F202410.item.d754132743093.3e087484w7V0RX)

From my existing spares lying around: carbon handlebar and stem, saddle, some spare Ti bolts to replace the rear racks mount screws that are made of steel.

Build Note: I set up the build from the comfort of my own home. Cabling was relatively smooth with some minor snag to route the housing correctly to the rear brake and derailleur correctly. Once that sorted it is quite straightforward as the rest of the process is mounting the head steerer, seatpost, rotors on wheelset, tires, and the usual alignment job.

Tire clearance from bare rim without tire is 5cm high and 6cm wide, rear is about 5cm heigh and 5 cm wide.

Can you elaborate on the BXT, is the frame heavier? Lighter? stiffer? Pros and cons?

Also how did oyu get the carbon seatpost for the Kabon? I can only see the aluminium one online

[Taicho_Cyclist]

BXT is a solid frameset for self build. The main body is carbon fiber while the joints are a pair of alloy sleeves. Tehnically there is nothing wrong with the BXT and is actually easier to build than the Kabon especially for cabling. One nice touch it has over the Kabon is dedicated top tube mounts for bottle cage/top tube bags that can be bolted down. The weight is about sub-9kg which is not shabby due to the alloy seatpost instead of carbon fiber, dual sided alloy pedal for either SPD or flat-sided. However, the main difference was I used Wheeltop EDS OX wireless shifter with the 1X crankset which reduced cabling work to just brake housings and rear derailleur.

As mentioned before, I just liked the look of the Kabon better than the BXT which led to the build today.

You should search the seller shop for the Kabon frame. The carbon fiber seatpost is sold separately as an individual listing. They messed up my purchase and sent the alloy(!) version to me instead and insisted they sent the correct one. After much debating and justification, they finally relented and sent the correct version to me (buying should not be that difficult!). So that's the story behind my carbon seatpost which fits correctly (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008519169100.html).

Regards.

[Changebiker]

Would be interested to know your build.

Yeah, it's a normal steel frame, built up from scratch - with rear triangle(480g) and Fork(275g) from a S2LX.
Frame clocks in at 2150g
Apart from that without going into every screw...

carbon seatpost (225g) and handlebar (75g)
custom built hubsmith wheelset, (419g and 551g)
Scorcher tires (325g)
Ridenow TPU inner tubes
Litepro crankset (372g)
litepro 58t Chainring (102g)
VPone pedals with Ti spindles (148g/pair)

[MDZPNMD]

Yeah, it's a normal steel frame, built up from scratch - with rear triangle(480g) and Fork(275g) from a S2LX.
Frame clocks in at 2150g
Apart from that without going into every screw...

carbon seatpost (225g) and handlebar (75g)
custom built hubsmith wheelset, (419g and 551g)
Scorcher tires (325g)
Ridenow TPU inner tubes
Litepro crankset (372g)
litepro 58t Chainring (102g)
VPone pedals with Ti spindles (148g/pair)

sounds like a great build, but also pricier. How did you get the fork?
Compared to this Kabon you save 100g on the seatpost and probably around 150-200g on the wheelset.

What shifter/rear derailleur do you use or do you use a Brompton solution?

Your frame+fork+seatpost combo might only be around 200g heavier. Makes you wonder how over engineered the Kabon must be, it should be around 200-400g lighter than the Ti Brompton but is actually heavier..

I wish there was a light carbon folding bike frame but so far only came across the Brompton Ti, Kabon, BXT and clones, the Kabon seems to be the only choice

[kwantani]

Wish someone can design a folding bike around the road drop bar, where the road drop bar can be folded nicely along with the bike.

[Taicho_Cyclist]

Wish someone can design a folding bike around the road drop bar, where the road drop bar can be folded nicely along with the bike.

For folding bikes to use road handlebars and simultaneously commute, the head steerer must be detachable and stowaway in a manner that does not obstruct and/or damage the bike. The detachment however can only be done upon being stationary though.

Here are some pictures of how other riders unmount their steerer tube when folded.

[MDZPNMD]

Is that one of yours?

[Taicho_Cyclist]

Is that one of yours?

Nope， I am using a reference photo off cyberspace to show how the roadbar is managed when folded.
For my case it should be similar as I can only stow it in such a manner when not moving.