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Chinese Carbon Road Bikes => Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components => Topic started by: fhold on January 09, 2025, 09:48:02 AM

Title: Advice Needed: Budget-Friendly Commuter – Repurpose G056 or Start Fresh?
Post by: fhold on January 09, 2025, 09:48:02 AM

Hi everyone,

After completing my Spcycle G056 build (GRX 812/600 Group, Carbon Wheels, Scenix Crank) which I initially intended for both gravel and commuting, I’ve been considering building a dedicated commuter bike instead. My idea is to create a practical and budget-friendly commute setup with fixed fenders, two wheelsets (one for winter, one for summer), a bell, and a rack for mounting bags.

Here’s where I’m unsure and need your advice:

• Should I repurpose the G056 as the "budget" commuter?
  If I go this route, I would move the expensive parts (like the wheels) to a new build and make the G056 the dedicated commuter. However, I’m not sure what frame would be considered a real upgrade compared to the G056 frame. So far, I’ve been really happy with the G056. Are there specific frames or features you’d recommend as a worthwhile step up?
• Alternative Option – Keep G056 as Gravel Only:
  If I decide to keep the G056 purely as a gravel bike, I’d look at upgrading it with better components (carbon crank, power meter, electronic shifting, etc.). In this case, I would repurpose some of the obsolete parts (GRX Group, Scenix Crank) from the G056 and would need a new frame to build the commuter from scratch. The question then becomes: what’s a budget-friendly (~€400) yet reliable commuter frame? Weight wouldn’t be that important, but of course lighter would be better. Any recommendations for frames?
• Wheelsets for Versatility:
  My plan for either approach is to use two pairs of Alexrims CXD4 700c or Syncros RP2.0 for the commuter to keep costs down:
  
  • One with slicks for summer commuting.
    
  • One with gravel tires for occasional off-road or winter conditions.Does this sound like a practical setup, or would it make more sense to focus on a single, all-purpose wheelset?
  What has worked best in your experience?
  

I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you’ve faced similar decisions or have insights into balancing upgrades with building a dedicated bike.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Cheers,
Flavio[/list]

Title: Re: Advice Needed: Budget-Friendly Commuter – Repurpose G056 or Start Fresh?
Post by: fhold on January 13, 2025, 09:15:46 AM

I will answer my own question :-)

After doing more research here on the forum and the recent posts about beginner buidls I decided to keep the G056 as my gravel only bike and improve it where possible and take the obsolete parts to my new budget commuter build.

For the commuter build I plan to go with a BXT 135 in the hope that I can get a decent deal in the upcoming march sale. For the wheels I will stick to Alexrims CXD4 as they seem to be cheap (135€ at the moment) and light (1560g for the pair). I will start with one wheelset and see if I really need a second one, if so there should be no problem to buy a second set of the Alexrims.