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Re: Velobuild VB-R-066 Rim brake (not dead yet?)
Still waiting for the wheels to show up. went with some Aliexpress light weight ones. should be around 1350g. Also waiting to sort out what tires to run. the frame is listed as able to clear a 25mm tire but i am thinking that 28 or even 30mm tires will fit. new wheels are 25mm wide so dont want to find out the hard way that 30mm wont fit when on the wider wheels. more pics to come as i get it built up. February 18, 2023, 01:07:09 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-066 Rim brake (not dead yet?)
Wow, sub 7Kg!…. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out with interest! My biggest thing with any Chinese bike frame is make sure they are trying to do their own thing. by this i mean they they are trying to make thier own brand or make a name for themselves. the fake Pinarello bikes are a prime example of what to avoid. i feel it is one thing to copy frame geometry and design ideas vs trying to fool people into thinking they are getting the real thing. If they have their own website and are using their own name they generally i have had good luck. the only time i have heard of (never had issues myself but i dont buy imitations) issues is with the frames that are trying to look real for 50% the price. I have always just bought the frames and then sourced the other parts elsewhere. i am a bit of a weight weenie so i usually search for lighter options than the frame companies have. the few times i have gone with bars or stems though they have worked great for the limited time they were on my bikes. February 25, 2023, 08:09:42 PM |
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Re: LightCarbon 918?
Im at 24.75 lbs. Not sure how the other guy got the sane weight with a bunch of aluminum parts. My build is SiD fork, XO1 mechanical w carbon cranks, Light Carbon wheelset at 1445 grams, generic carbon bars and seat post. I'm at 24.75 size large, one bottle cage, wahoo computer and mount and pedals of course. i will re-weigh it once i get a new scale. you have me very curious now. XO1 seems to loose a lot of the weight in the cassette vs shimano and i have a super light ZTTO cassette installed. it is XX1 territory for weight. i have XTR brakes and the XT cranks are not that much heavier than X01 as well. plus i am running 2.25 tires that are pretty XC oriented. February 25, 2023, 09:31:43 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-066 Rim brake (not dead yet?)
Good to see the bike built up, look forard too hearing your on road review once you have the opportunity / weather to be able to get out. Yes, the bike that this velobuild frame is replacing is a GT GTR elite frame with the Sensah Empire Pro 2x12 group set. It was the full group set with the CVR hard rock crankset. I was actually quite impressed with it over all. Runs very quiet while on the trainer and shifts well. I would be lying if I didn't say there was a definite difference between the Sensah and my Dura Ace group but the is. However, if I were looking at spending the 700$ or so for a 105 group set I would really have to think twice about the Sensah. It is really good. It would be even harder if you are used to or prefer the Sram shifting method. I am really in love with how Shimano shift so I know that makes me bias but if you are a Sram guy already then I would say go Sensah. A friend build a gravel bike with the SRX group set and I built it up for him. Same basic comments there as well. Super impressed and it works really well. That was the main driver of me getting the empire set. If you have any questions please let me know. Happy to answer. February 26, 2023, 09:54:29 AM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-066 Rim brake (not dead yet?)
NERD ALERT post. Still waiting on the wheels and as soon as they are in i will double check the fit for those waiting on whether a 28C or 30C tire will fit. I did however get some total nerd parts in. Some people love weight weenie parts and some don't, i am one who does. feel free to ignore this post if you are not. Elita one seat post came in, 135g which is 60g less than stock velobuild SRACE 11-28t cassette 195g Carbon bottle cage x2 - 12.8g vs 45g titanium bolts a plenty! Bottle bolts, seat binder bolts, jockey wheel bolts and brake pad and brake cable clamp bolts 30.1g vs 16g. February 28, 2023, 07:13:23 PM |
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Re: Overall AliExpress carbon pucker factor? + CLANNAD wheels
I just purchased a set of their rim brake road wheels. I wanted specific hubs and I also wanted the upgraded Pilar 1420 spokes. I asked a bunch of questions and they answered them very well and quickly. Once built I got pictures of them and then they shipped. Still waiting for them (only been 6 or 7 days) but so far very happy with their service. Once I get them I will try to update this thread with my thoughts. I stumbled across them but I have found that to many of these Chinese companies, aliexpress is their main outlet to the western markets. What seems like a back ally market place to us is in fact a very legitimate marketplace for them. I feel like this view is pushed a lot by YouTube shills that are supported by big brands. Those big brands don't exactly want to compete against direct to consumer options and spreading fear and trying to de-legitimize the products they offer is a great way to do it. My whole fleet of bikes are open mold frames and open mold rims. I don't ever see myself buying a name brand carbon components again. March 03, 2023, 08:09:24 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-066 Rim brake (not dead yet?)
Are we there yet..... OMG I know. Not yet. Tracking says landed in US on 3/1. Not sure why USPS didn't drop everything to drive my package directly to my door with no stops or interruptions. Hahahha. Hopefully in the next few days. March 03, 2023, 08:14:30 PM |
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Re: Fake eeBrakes G4
due to popular demand, these are the bolts that i bought to replace the standard issue bolts that come on the fake EE brakes. i used the stock washer as it is very thin and fist well around the shoulder on the new titanium bolt. one other nice thing is the new ti bolts use a 4mm hex key instead of the T25 torx. i am not a huge fan of torx for bikes as that is the only thing that uses them on my bike. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804682267951.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.83.26821802TDMD8r&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US as for the performance of these brakes, i have only taken them around the block a few times. they seem to be very powerful in the few times i slammed them to test them out. i was able to lock them with ease and they do feel very firm and solid at the lever. i have read of some other super light brakes feeling very spongy but these are very nice. March 08, 2023, 08:44:43 PM |
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Re: Are AliEx/open mold carbon bikes common in your area?
I have been on open mold frames exclusively for about 6 yrs now. My fat bike, MTB, road and gravel all are open mold. I have only come across a few other riders on them. they are more popular in the fat bike world but still not common. I do agree that it is crazy how much people spend on bikes just to have that name brand. I run exclusively shimano drivetrains just because when I started, sense didn't exist and I had to pick one for continuity of repair parts and processes. the ability to have a top spec drivetrain on an open mold frame gives me a riding experience on par or above most riders at a fraction of the cost. I would rather have multiple bikes tailored for a specific riding type then one uber expensive bike that I have to use for everything. I probably spend the same amount of $$ on bikes but I have a whole fleet.
March 10, 2023, 11:50:13 AM |
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Re: DT 240EXP hub clones Goldix, Venfort
Any recommendations for budget hubs ticking following boxes: 11s shimano road compatible, 135mm QR, center lock preferred over 6 bolt. Looking to modernize my older CX frame. I am pretty sure the Novatec 411/412 can be run as a QR with the end caps. those tick all of your boxes and are super light and affordable (110-130$ for the pair) March 10, 2023, 01:09:36 PM |
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