Revisiting this as the weather is warming up and I need to make a decision on the new race bike. Really just want a stiff bike to race crits.

Have considered:

- TT-X38/DCRF26 (Scott Foil copy) Looks nice, can get it for $500 right now on sale. ot super stiff according to some.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805149001283.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_groupList.8148356.1.6cf87dd0p2826g&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21EUR%21%E2%82%AC%20789%2C94%21%E2%82%AC%20473%2C96%21%21%21%21%21%40210318b816795981986032905e9149%2112000032651802741%21sh&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

- Spycle (Canyon Aeroad copy)
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806415702077.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.50e838daP7gPLb&mp=1&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

- TFSA JH-10
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806149240864.html?spm=a2g0o.cart.0.0.50e838daP7gPLb&mp=1&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

- Hygge Model S
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805027452578.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2usa4itemAdapt

Or to go completely the other way, a local guy is selling a State Undefeated Road Disc frameset for $300. It's alloy, heavier than the open mold frames, and doesn't have hidden cables or any real aero features. Build it up with deep carbon wheels and parts I have laying around. Can pick up a fork from Winspace for another $300 to hide all the cables. But at that point it's more expensive than the open molds. The benefit is that it's going to be stiff and probably not have the assembly issues as is normal here.



Or go more expensive with an Allez sprint. Know entity thats stiff and aero, hidden cables, plus a warranty and local support.

Any more long term reviews of this frame? Can pick one up for around $500 USD with the current AliEx sales. I want a stiff bike to race crits. Wondering if this will fit that bill.

Focus Izalco Race with Cube Attain fork.....(frame head tude and fork tube tapered 1 1/8"-1 1/4"




Frame with  Defy OD2 fork









Detail upper headset (FSA OD2)

]

Hmm. Interesting. All the diagrams I've seen would suggest that the Giant OD2 bearings and headset pieces are smaller than my current setup. So maybe the cups are recessed more with the Giant.



The Giant top bearing is 6mm, my normal top bearing is 8mm. So it should sit lower in the frame. But it looks like the Giant frame bearing is recessed into the frame. I wonder if a different top cap would work.

I ordered a Giant bearing to try with my frame to see what it looks like. We'll see.

without counting the new TCR 2025...all previous TCRs have the seat for the steering the same up or down...so all TCR frames can mount OD2 or OD fork......You just have to install the appropriate bearings, up and down.

I have a Giant OD2 fork at home and I can place the fork on a Focus frame and on a Cube, with the OD2 lower bearing...the problem is at the top, although the bearing fits into the frame, when putting the adjustment wedge and the bearing cover, there is a lot of space between it and the frame

From what I have looked at, the superior OD2 bearing has an external diameter the same as other bikes with a 1 1/8 headset (the ones named Focus and Cube and many others...) but that bearing, the wedge and the cover are specific for OD2 forks.....There may also be a difference in the depth of the seat at the top of the frame.....

in short.....In the same TCR frame we could mount their OD2 and OD forks and other forks that have a 1 1/4" bottom, but the Giant OD2 forks with a 1 1/4" top tube would not be suitable for other frames....we would just have to check the Canyon and Scott using above 1 1/4"

Are you saying the Giant bearing is too short or too tall? Or rather, is the bearing seat too far down in the steerer? I’m trying to visualize what you said. Do you have any pictures?

EXS makes a carbon fork that's meant to hide the cables on the old TCR. I'm wondering if anybody makes a similar fork with a 1 1/8" steerer tube.

https://www.pandapodium.cc/product/exs-fk-01-integrated-fork/

Hi Eddy,

Currently at £486 on AliExpress. I agree about the handlebar / stem combo. I Currently use 38 / 110mm but considering 36 / 110mm. My current cockpit is a Og Evkin HB1300. Big fam of this and would be great if it was compatible with the Spcycle frame.

Mikey.

Yea I noticed you can save some money if you order it without the cockpit, which is nice since it would just gather dust in the garage. Price isn’t terrible. It’s definitely on my short list. Still eating until the Taipei Bike Show to see what’s new. Rumor is that Bross will be selling the Zenith aero bike to other countries (like me in the US). So if they do I’d probably go with that. But this is a decent option for a lot less money.

The JH-10 looks absolutely sick, and advertised 950g is incredibly light for a frameset, and like others have said, it looks fast in all the right places--deep tubes, fairly narrow headset clean lines, shields the water bottles.

BUT as Patty and others have pointed out, the geometry is not great. 72.3 degree seat tube but no zero-setback option for the seat post? Not great. Narrowest bar is 380mm with a max stem length of 90mm? Not great. The 582mm stack for a 56 is wild to me--my Seka which is supposedly "endurance" geometry has a 571mm stack. I support it--it supports very new school "tall and long" bike fits that I like. But damn it's tall bike.

Yea I think the sizing is like one size off. Their 56 is almost a 58 from other places. Look at the top tube length, 575. That’s almost the same as my 58 Tarmac SL7 at 577. If you go one size down than normal, it’s not too bad, albeit short reach. I’m normally a 58 but would definitely do a 56 here.


The other frame I was looking at is the BXT aero frame, the one that looks like the previous model Madone.

Haha, I too bought a 12s YBN chain and got an 11s one. No worries because I got a full refund so I basically got a free 11s chain. Funny that I’m not the only one.