Chinese Carbon MTB Forums
News:
Happy Holidays!
See likes
See likes given/taken
| Post info | No. of Likes |
|---|---|
|
Re: Lexon "Riot 10"
Finally got the build completed and took it out for a ride yesterday...unfortunately on gravel due to a lot of recent rain. While I wasn't able to pedal on miles of singletrack I did manage hit a few short rocky descents and climbs along with some wet roots and the bike handled it all very well (I set 3 new PRs without even trying). On these features the bike felt very secure and the rear wheel really planted, I'm coming from a hardtail so this is one of the riding aspects I was looking forward to in a full suspension bike. On the gravel trails it felt exactly like how an XC bike should feel, quick and snappy. On that point, based on current categorization the Riot is an XC bike, however when compared to my 2014 Specialized Crave with its 71.5 degree headtube angle, to me the Lexon Riot felt down right "Downcountry" with its 68 degree HTA and longer fork travel (120mm vs 100mm). My build is a couple pounds heavier than what I was shooting for weighing in at 27 pounds, than the targeted 25 pounds. However I don't think this will be too much of hinderance for the trails I ride along with the 2-4 races per year I compete in (CAT 2 middle of the pack). I've never been overly concerned with weight, I like having a dropper post and BIG flat pedals, therefore if I wanted to shed some weight I could, change out the seat post, pedals, go with carbon rims, etc. For now I think I'm set. By the way, I ended up mounting the new Mavic rear wheel and e13 cassette, the DT Swiss rear wheel that I was planning on using during the winter needs some new bearings in the hub. Below are all of the components: Frame: Lexon Riot 10 Shock: Rockshox Monarch RL - Purchased with the frame Fork: Rockshox Reba 120mm travel with Charger 2 damper - I upgraded the internals on old 100mm Reba Wheels: Mavic Crossmax (142mm rear with spacers to conform to boost)- The wheels are a warranty replacement and Mavic wouldn't upgrade it to boost, the new front wheel hasn't been mounted yet but fits the fork without any need for spacers Tires: F - Maxxis Ardent / R - Continental CrossKing - I like this set up, Ardent grips the corners well and the CrossKing is very efficient, good traction and rolls well. Cassette: e*13 11 speed, 9x46 - New and doubtful I'll be using the 9t cog too much, but the 46t granny gear is nice Crank and Chainring: Sram dub 32t (non-boost) - This pairs well with the non-boost rear wheel, drivetrain shifting is spot on. (Never used before, I had purchased it for my old bike) Pedals: Pedaling Innovations Catalyst (I like big flat pedals, my 5/10 shoes really stick to these pedals) and from my old bike Shifter: Sram GX 11 speed - From my old bike Derailleur: Sram GX 11 Speed - From my old bike Dropper Seat Post: PNW Loam 150mm travel - New Dropper lever: Wolftooth - From my old bike Saddle: Fizik Gobi M5 - From my old bike Handlebars: Nukeproof Horizon (carbon) - New, 780mm seems a little wide but want to ride them for awhile before making any adjustments Stem: Ragley 50mm - New, It seems to be the right length Brakes & Rotors: Shimano Deore (older reservoir version) F - 180mm, R - 160mm - From my old bike Grips: ODI waffle (old) - Switching up to PNW loam grips once they arrive Cables: Jagwire - Also used the Jagwire foam in the downtube to keep the cables and brake hose from rattling Wrap: Ride Wrap Covered - Help protect the frame from scratches along with some mastic tape in a couple of spots Final thoughts, I'm pleased with Lexon Riot. I've always done my own bike maintenance, but building a bike from the ground up was quite an experience and took a lot of patience. The challenging part was using some old bike parts for the build and figuring out how to make them fit the latest standards. Also, be prepared to buy the necessary tools if you don't already own them: torque wrench, headset press, brake line cable cutter and barb driver are the tools that I purchased during the build. I'm going to need to get a bearing press sometime as well for future maintenance. I have named my bike...The Rocket! Many thanks to this site and those who contribute, I don't think I could have researched, purchased and built a mountain bike without Chinertown.com. January 03, 2022, 10:31:14 AM |
8 |
|
Re: Lexon "Riot 10"
Hit some proper XC single track trails yesterday that were snow and ice covered so I couldn't send it as hard as I would normally ride. That said, so far I am very pleased with the frame and bike build overall: ride, feel, feedback, climbing, downhills, responsiveness, the ability to hammer through rock gardens, everything that I was looking for in a modern XC bike. The only area I haven't had the opportunity to test is hard cornering, the trails were just to slippery yesterday. A few comments on the components: - The drivetrain with the e13 cassette is running great, I like having the 46T cog for the hill climbs. - PMW Loam post is solid and works great. - The upgraded Reba fork to 120mm travel works well with the frame. - The Charger damper upgrade in the fork is really nice and much better than the crappy Rockshox motion control damper. It is expensive but I'm glad I splurged. - Nukeproof Horizon handlebars feel great, I did scrape a tree so I'm still thinking I will cut them down from the 800mm width to at least 780, maybe even down to 760. I do have one question, early on in this thread someone indicated that you could add a second water bottle. I don't see how this is possible inside the front triangle, the only way I can see is adding to the underside of the downtime via a strap, which would end up covered in dirt or mud...no thanks. Does anyone have any other recommendations on how to accomplish a second water bottle on the frame? I tried posting another photo but I kept getting an error message that the photo was too big, I reduced the size several times and finally just gave up. January 09, 2022, 10:19:13 AM |
1 |
|
Re: Cabon Frame Manufacturer Ranking
I would agree, figure out the frame first and then research it and the provider/manufacturer. I purchased my first Chinese carbon frame back in October, I heavily relied on the information here and some YouTube videos. My process was: - Identify the type of bike frame I wanted to purchase, in my case a FS XC with a 120mm of fork travel and at least a 68 degree head tube angle. - I created a spreadsheet of all of the frames that met the criteria (or at least close enough to be considered) with the main criteria plus the metrics like seat tube angle, reach, stack, BB type, price, what's included, etc. - Researched the top ones I was interested in by reading everything I could find here, Aliexpress ratings (although I didn't give too much weight to this) and general google searches. - Finally pulled the trigger, I was live chatting with the provider (in my case Everjoy Industries) at the time of purchase (I was monitoring on a code release for work in the middle of the night so this was the perfect opportunity). The live chatting was moments after I made the purchase, but reassuring nonetheless. They were very responsive, sent me photos of the frame as it was prepared for shipping, threw in an extra derailleur hanger for me at my request. Overall I was pleased with them and the experience. One of the best pieces advice I saw somewhere was to pick a frame from a brand that would put their brand name on the frame (as opposed to a knock off of some other frame without branding). I went with the Lexon Riot 10 for what it is worth, you can see my posts in that thread as I went through the research, to purchase, to build journey. Lexon brands the frame, although I went with the matte black and no Lexon branding, additionally the frame is used by a pro XC rider, Eva Lechner. If it is good enough for her, I figured it was more than good enough for me as a middle of the pack finisher in CAT 2. Good luck and enjoy the journey. January 14, 2022, 07:36:28 PM |
1 |
|
Re: Lexon "Riot 10"
Quick update - I've had the chance to get in a few more rides on singletrack trails (albeit the trails are frozen rock hard) and the Lexon Riot has performed well. Very good at descending, especially with the 120mm travel fork, I've managed to pick up several PR's. Nimble enough for corners and getting over rocks and roots while being solid on drops and jumps. It climbs well, even better after I swapped out the 32T chainring for a 30T to go with the E*13 9-46 11 speed cassette. I can see maybe even dropping to a 28T chainring to go with the cassette.
January 22, 2022, 08:27:08 PM |
3 |
|
Re: Lexon "Riot 10"
I'm 6' and riding a large Riot, I find it fits me well and I do not feel cramped. My previous bike was a Specialized Crave 2014 hard tail, the Riot is "bigger" in most aspects when compared to my old bike, 30mm longer reach (but I'm using a shorter stem now and wider bars) and the wheelbase especially is much longer (50mm) due to the slacker head tube. Earlier in this thread there are a bunch of comments on bike measurements which may be helpful to you. In my opinion it seems Lexon is keeping with traditional sizing charts, whereas today many bike brands have increased the size of bikes, so what used to be a large is now considered a medium and so on. All said at 6' I'm comfortable on the size large Riot, I don't feel cramped or stretched out and I'm using 175mm cranks. Hope this helps.
February 13, 2022, 10:51:53 PM |
1 |
Re: Lexon "Riot 10"
@RongGearBob what's the wheelbase on your L build? Is that with the 100 or the 120 fork? My wheelbase on the size L frame with 120mm RS Reba is ~1193mm. February 20, 2022, 10:42:23 PM |
1 |
Re: Lexon "Riot 10"
Awesome, thanks! My Norco sits at 1188mm and I was concerned that the Riot would be considerably shorter, based off its relatively small reach & TT numbers. Would hate to order & build one up just for it to be a squirrelly twitchy mess. No problem and it has not felt twitchy at all. FWW I'm running a 50mm stem and 800mm wide bars. I plan to have the bars cut down to at least 780, maybe even down to 760. The bars keep hitting trees on the trails I ride most frequently. February 22, 2022, 08:44:37 PM |
1 |
|
Re: Looking for the perfect XC Carbon frame
I was looking for an XC frame last year and after evaluating all of the options I went with the Lexon Riot. I'm running it with 120mm fork, I have been pleased with it so far and would buy it again. While heavier than my old hard tail I haven't found it to be too heavy on the climbs. Per AliExpress the Riot frame weight is 1950 while the Lexon Genius is 2150. Good luck.
April 26, 2022, 09:46:01 PM |
1 |
Re: Lexon "Riot 10"
Hello guys, just three questions: Here's my experience so far with my Lexon Riot: - I can fit a 24 oz (709ml) water bottle using a Specialized side entry cage and it is pretty tight at that. You may be able to fit a larger bottle with a cage mount adapter so the cage can move further down the downtube. I don't know this for sure. I'm looking to get a waist pack to carry more water and tools - so far I've just jammed an extra water bottle, multitool, snacks, etc. in the back pockets of my cycling jersey. If anyone has recommendations on their solution to carrying tools and water please speak up. - I'm 6' (183cm) and the Large fits me well, I'm using a 50mm stem. - I'm running a RS Reba 120mm fork and ride mostly flowy trails with some punchy hills. I like the extra travel and no issues with handling or climbing. I've got 325 miles on the Lexon Riot and it has not disappointed, it has met all of my expectations and been fun to ride. May 01, 2022, 10:30:35 PM |
1 |
|
Re: Lexon "Riot 10"
I went with the Specialized Zee Cage II, you can get with a multitool attached to the bottom of the cage as well part of their SWAT system. I just went with bottle cage. https://www.jensonusa.com/Specialized-Zee-Cage-II-1 Also Problem Solvers has a bottle cage adapter to move the cage further down the downtube. https://www.jensonusa.com/Problem-Solvers-Cage-Height-Adapter-Black-45mm-Of-Adjustment?loc=usa May 02, 2022, 09:59:22 AM |
1 |