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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Search this thread for my posts. I think I put a link to everything I bought. Can’t remember off hand but it was a Cube hanger. October 09, 2023, 03:47:26 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Hey folks. I did full housing from the shifter to the rear derailleur. No internal guides from what I could see. I can’t help with the front derailleur though, I did 1x. October 13, 2023, 02:49:00 PM |
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Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
Warning, fairly long post incoming. I've spent a lot of money on AliExpress over the years. I thought of doing a video like TraceVelo with my top 5 best and worst but I didn't want to just copy him. Anyways, here's a semi-short list of various items over the years. I broke it down into: Awesome, Not So Good, and Meh (kind of in the middle). In no particular order. Awesome: - Carbon bottle cages (Carbon Works copy): 7-8g each, cost was around $20 so not super cheap but better than $80 or whatever the real ones cost, and they've been solid. Have to make sure you get the updated version with a perpendicular bottom lip. I have 4 total and love these (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805102025523.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.c81b38daE33I3q&mp=1&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa) - Elita One seatposts: I have three on three different bikes and they've all been rock solid and offer a good weight savings - Black Inc copies (handlebars and full cockpit): really like these, plenty stiff and decent weight. Actually can't find the handlebars any longer which is a shame because I wanted to pick up another pair. The full cockpit is my favorite bar out there - UNO (Kalloy UNO) stems: probably the best price to weight stem available on the market. Period. Amazing stems, I have like 4 of them in different sizes on various bikes. - Magene PES P505 power meter and crankset: $300 for a power meter and crankset is crazy good. And they're just as accurate as western brands. Straight swap for Shimano cranks and chainrings, took 15 minutes to make the swap without any issue. Only small problem is inherent in many spider power meters is they don't do well with oval chainrings (read high). But really hard to beat for a budget power meter - Spexcel long thermal tights: only one ride so far but they're really nice - Stone oval 1x chainring: nice and solid, looks good and feels well built - DIY Di2 satellite shifters: probably one of my favorite purchases of all time. They're way cheaper than real shifters, low profile so easily hidden, and you get two buttons for one wire. They've been amazing. Hard to ride without them on my other bikes (https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805615867809.html?spm=a2g0n.order_detail.order_detail_item.3.274cf19c5jJ5OE&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa) - random aero socks: cost like $4, decent quality, no aero data but they look and feel just like my much more expensive ones - Sigeyi direct mount derailleur hanger: more expensive but high quality and low weight, lots of colors - Mixed brand direct mount derailleur hanger: cheaper but only comes in gray - WestBiking 3D printed saddle: almost put it in the meh category, but it's a decent saddle, just didn't work out becuase the shape of it required a zero setback seatpost to slam it forward enough. But they did get the firmness in the right spots - Ti bolts: I've bought so many from various companies. All have been good. Not So Good: - Tarmac stem computer mount: does its job, little heavy, weird spacing of screw holes makes swapping the actual mount piece impossible - Alpinist Cockpit copy: good weight at 250g for bar/stem, but insanely flexy and the computer mount rivnut broke on the second ride and you can't use normal round bar mounts - ZTTO bar tape (Supacaz copy): terrible quality. I bought some pink tape and the whole top layer was gone by the end of my first ride and my gloves were pink. Like it seriously lasted a single ride. - Spexcel arm warmers: ripped when pulling them on the very first time - Balugoe 3D printed saddle (Power Mirror copy): really bad quality. The rails were angled in such a way that the nose was pointing upwards at a very steep angle. Could barely get a level saddle position. The firmness of the 3D material was wrong, too. The rear was super soft (like a sponge) that you sunk in and could feel the carbon base, but the front was rock hard and super uncomfortable. - Darevie jersey: low quality, weird fit (loose in torso but super tight in armpits), corny phrases on sleeves - TanTan X19 frameset: terrible quality, multiple issues with frame and supplied (and missing) parts. Even worse customer service, threatened to doxx me (my name, home address and phone number) when I put in a claim Meh: - OG-EVKIN bar tape (Lizard Skinz copy) - not bad, nothing special but it's decent. Slightly more slippy when wet than real Lizard Skinz - Ride Now TPU tubes: I went back and forth on whether these should be on the awesome list or not. They're super light and make a great saddle bag backup tube. They're pretty cheap and you can get a bunch in bulk for a great price. But mine have been hit or miss with quality. I bought a 4 pack recently and 2 had holes right out the box. And you can't really test them out prior to use if you want to pack them down small for your bag. So far, I've bought 10 and 3 have holes without ever being ridden. - Spexcel jerseys: sizing is odd, L was too big and M fit like a toddler's jersey. Just too big of a gap between sizes. Decent quality otherwise just weird sizing for me Making this list just informed me on how much I've spent to "save money." Edit: Fixed the link for the Di2 satellite shifters. October 15, 2023, 07:29:47 PM |
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Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
They're the same bottle cages as trace velo tested right? Think they feel apart pretty quick. No. I put the link for the good ones. There are two very similar versions. One is crap. The one I linked is the stronger version. It’s the orientation of the little lip on the bottom. It’s hard to explain over text. The flat edge is rotated 90 degrees to change how the stress is applied. Good:  Bad:  It’s kind of hard to see. But the bad one is flat against the surface. The good one is perpendicular to the surface. Hope that makes sense. October 16, 2023, 05:19:56 PM |
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Re: Best and worst overall quality/value components/tools/gear from AliExpress?
I don't care, because water bottles are consumable items. Yea, I can't say I've ever cared if my bottles get scratched. They give them out like candy at a lot of places I shop so I have a box full of them. I have some larger 1L bottles I bought a few years back that have some wear, but it doesn't affect the use of the bottle. I see them like cleats. They're going to take a beating and I expect to replace them at some point. October 17, 2023, 08:01:19 PM |
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Re: Recomendations 27.2mm carbon seatpost
Elita One. Thread over.
November 01, 2023, 08:41:36 AM |
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Re: Magene P505 PES Base Spider Powermeter
I have the P505 Base with the cranks from Magene. Price was $300 USD with free shipping. Installation was very simple. Straight swap from my Shimano 105 cranks, preload the non driveside and then a single pinch bolt. I'll post the weights below. So far, data has been tracking spot on with my Favero Assioma pedals except in one condition. It does not work well with oval chainrings...sort of. So my setup is a little weird. I do a round outer ring and an oval inner ring. This is why the Magene has problems. It's a well documented "issue" that spider power meters overestimate oval chainrings. Which isn't a problem in itself because you can adjust the offset of the PM. So if you're running a single ring oval, just can adjust it down to be accurate. Or if you're running 2x oval. The problem I'm having is that it's accurate for the round outer ring, but reads high when in the small oval ring. My solution is that I ordered a round inner ring. It's on the race bike and I wanted to get bigger chainrings anyways, so I'm fine with using round rings. The other option would have been to just know in my head that the readings were 10W off in the small ring, but my solution seemed simpler. Overall, very happy with it. I wanted a cheap, accurate PM for my crit bike and this is it. Easy swap if you're running Shimano, and very accurate readings with round rings. I would buy again for sure. Magene is also making a pedal PM that looks promising but it's going to be a bit more expensive. Weights PM Spider: 112g Driveside crank arm and spindle: 312g Non driveside arm and preload bolt: 213g Total weight (no chainrings): 638g 
November 10, 2023, 08:59:29 AM |
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Re: VeloBuild VB-R-268 frame
Not sure how I feel about the quick release axles. Extra moving parts and a source or failure for little (or no) benefit. Not sure what the positives even are. Bummer about the seatpost. Would love to get a zero offset for my 168. December 03, 2023, 03:04:37 PM |
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Re: LTWOO ER9 & ERX - Electronic groepsets
With all the issues the eRX groupset is having, if you’re in the market for a cheap electronic group, The Pro’s Closet is selling Shimano Di2 at ridiculous prices. You can use their $40 off coupon for every $200 and build a full 105 Di2 for like $500 right now. Shifters are $100 each, brakes for $28, RD is $100, FD is $55, battery for $66.
December 15, 2023, 08:19:13 AM |
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Re: Magene P505 PES Base Spider Powermeter
I've installed my power meter now, I used this bottom bracket: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832835484740.html Mine were the same thickness (Shimano and Magene). Do you have any calipers you could measure with? Maybe bad QC? December 29, 2023, 09:06:50 AM |
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