See likes

See likes given/taken


Posts you liked

Pages: 1 ... 16 17 [18] 19 20
Post info No. of Likes
Re: LTWOO ER9 & ERX - Electronic groepsets
Just coat it outside the lip should be fine. What's important is that you ensure the cable is firmly plugged in. Personally I would prefer hot glue or liquid tape since that ensures a waterproof seal and yet is easily torn off when needed.

Chain catcher shouldn't be needed. Do note the FD limits are all adjusted in app.

I finished my bike rebuild last night and I opted to use rubber cement around the cable ports and then applied dielectric grease once it dried. I figure a glob of rubber cement should provide adequate adhesion that's easy to remove and the dielectric grease over that for moisture protection. So after installing the chain catcher, I was able to adequately tune the FD. I was too lazy to remove it though.

First impressions. Everything shifts excellent once setup. Though it was an all-day affair tuning the bike. I'm not sure it was any easier over setting up a cable mechanical bike. The software tuning app is amazing. I've never owned SRAM AXS or DI2, but gear protection and one touch shifting are awesome. I used a quality pair of batteries and battery life seems to be good so far.

On the not so bright side. I'm not fond of the puny RD springs LTwoo and Sensah tend to use. They work, but it's more confidence inspiring how Shimano uses an over engineered spring coil. Also my RD cage looks like it can only accommodate the same size jockey wheels provided. There's no wiggle room to tweak the size. Weight-wise, the ER9 isn't exactly less weight compared to mechanical Ultegra. I either broke even or maybe added a few grams to my bike.


April 04, 2024, 01:32:19 PM
1
Re: LTWOO ER9 & ERX - Electronic groepsets
There were only a few issues I had when riding. I seemed to accidentally hit the left shift button inadvertently switching to the small chainring while descending in the drops. Also I didn't like that both left FD buttons functioned the same. I'd prefer to have one button dedicated to the small chainring and the other to the big chainring. Without auto trim, it's hard to hear if the chain is rubbing on the FD or not especially when listening to music. The LTwoo grips are a bit too narrow for my taste, I tend to prefer beefier grips. The LTwoo hydro brake calipers work fine, but they're definitely heavy, I might swap them out later on for some lightweight calipers.

I think you have "one touch shift" enabled, that's why both shifter paddles work the same for the FD. The default config is one paddle for big, one for small.

Also agree that the hoods feel a little too small/thin for my hands. Prefer sensah ones which feel meatier.

April 05, 2024, 12:13:38 PM
1
Re: LTWOO ER9 & ERX - Electronic groepsets Keep in mind that the gear protection feature will not entirely block the big/big or small/small combo. If you are on either end of the cassette and click the FD shifter buttons it will still make the shift despite gear protection. So you should at least have it set up so your chain won’t get too slack or is not too short, otherwise you might damage your RD.
April 05, 2024, 01:48:54 PM
1
Re: LTWOO ER9 & ERX - Electronic groepsets So far I'm quite pleased with my ER9 groupset. I've been riding it back-to-back with my mechanical Ultegra bike and they're both good in their own ways. In my opinion, it's similar to driving an auto assist car versus a manual transmission. I find installing the ER9 easier than mechanical, but it's faster to tune mechanical once installed. Though I wish there were RD cage options with the ER9/X. The one thing I like with the OSPW Ceramic Speed knock-off I'm using on the Ultegra bike is the 4 levels of spring tension. For someone like me who climbs and descend rough California fire roads the added tension keeps the chain from bouncing without having to use a clutch RD. LTwoo's looser cage tension and smaller spring are a bit bouncy on rougher roads.
April 09, 2024, 01:20:25 PM
1
Re: LTWOO ER9 & ERX - Electronic groepsets
Avoid these cages at all costs. Broke two of these, last one on a cobble section in a race. Pure garbage! Consider yourself warned :)

I've been riding these on some of the roughest urban Los Angeles roads with no issues. I don't ride my road bikes in the rain, only use immersive waxed chains and they work fine. If you crashed, it probably would have happened to the real Ceramic Speed OSPW. It's getting to the point people keep saying everything is junk on AliExpress, but for some weird reason all the junk seems to work for me with proper care and maintenance.

I'm starting to think on the same lines as @Serge_K that most problems people have on here are due to user error/negligence.

April 11, 2024, 09:30:13 AM
1
Re: VeloBuild VB-R-268 frame
In your Video you said, that there is a significant difference between this frame and a higher priced frame.
As someone who rides his Scott CR1 in the last 14 years and doesn’t ride a lot of different road bikes, I can not imagine what the difference is. Would it be possible to elaborate this?

There is no standardization in testing here. He compares bike ABC with different groupsets, bars, and wheels (incl tyres type, size, wheel depth, spoke type) plus a whole bunch of variables with what looks to be minimal testing time (first impressions). Unless someone sets up bikes with exactly the same components and A/B tests them back to back in set conditions, then isolating and commenting on the frame's "performance" would be mighty difficult.

The observations on geometry, customer service, and finishing are useful, however. The bike seems really nice, and it is good to see Velo has been working on their customer service. I was really impressed with the presale on my order; every question was answered in a friendly and timely manner. Having dealt with many in the past (Ican, Light, Yishun etc) this is the best I have seen any of them do in presales bar Yoleo) So far so good.

April 16, 2024, 12:05:13 PM
1
Re: VeloBuild VB-R-268 frame
Correct. First impression video and then long-term video per usual. Even if I were to conduct standardized test, I would get called out for doing "bro science" as other YouTuber's have. Thankfully the support of this very forum over the years is what allows me to continue and make content. I'm very grateful.

Using the same wheels, could you do a NorCal kind of video on a loop you know well, swapping 2 or 3 bikes? You have to use the same wheels for any credible kind of comparison. Your times would be interesting, but equally interesting would be your impression.
I take issue with the "because it's 500usd it can never compete with a 1500usd frame", given the 268 is t800&1000, EPS moulded, proven geometry & shape: it's latest best practice afaik. Now yoeleo or the likes are, afaik, just taking oem frames and branding them for a premium, just less of a premium than western brands. Having looked at their specs sheet, manufacturing methods, reputation for QC, the reason why I don't buy them is because I don't see that my money would go into the frame.
I'd like to be proven wrong, because I can afford to pay 1500 for a frame, or 5000 for that matter, but i care about relative value.
Last, i saw you have a colnago video, any chance you would test ride that with your own wheels for comparison?
Colnago Vs velobuild video would break the internet :D

April 17, 2024, 02:00:09 AM
1
Re: Magene l508 vs garmin radars I own both a Garmin Varia RTL510 and Magene L508 with current firmware.

I bought the Varia first, had a minor issue with the micro USB cover bouncing loose on a gravel ride and it had to go back to Garmin for warranty (to replace the cover). I bought the Magene as a temporary replacement as I feel much safer riding with a radar on the rural roads around here with radar.

I have had one false negative from both the Magene and the Garmin in about a thousand hours of riding.  In both cases I could blame how I mounted the radar on that one bike, below a seat roll, without a full unobstructed view.

False positives are common from both units and they occur when vehicles pass in the opposite direction (about 1 in 100), they are very brief.

Differences
The Garmin has micro USB port and will hold the signal of a vehicle that approaches you and then matches your speed for a few seconds longer than the Magene
The Magene is USB C, has a spot for a lanyard and acts as a smart tail light aka brake light. You decelerate it goes brighter.

I have lent the Garmin to three friends I ride with and they have all bought the Magene, after being convinced of the need of a radar and all are satisfied with the Magene.

Never fully tested battery life, my max ride is usual 6 hours and I recharge my devices after that.

How's the magene in group rides? Does it go crazy?
No, it will pick up bicycles as vehicles and if a bike is approaching  with a speed differential (best guess is 8kph or so)  it will issue an alert. So it is quiet during a bunch ride. However, I do use it during races on closed circuits with the light turned  off. It will give me an alert if I am riding on (or close to) the front and somebody is launching an attack from the back.

April 17, 2024, 03:20:00 AM
1
Re: VeloBuild VB-R-268 frame I don't really get worked up by "testing" that norcal does. He doesnt make scientific claims and seems to just be making videos about the testing that he does to try and decide what equipment he is going to run. He even says stuff like "i think i get better traction over crappy roads on wider tires and therefore for my riding ____ is the best for me." Is that theoretically valid argument? No. Grip on an ideal surface is only a function of normal force and CRR, contact patch has nothing to do with it. In the real world is he right? Maybe?

Reality is that this stuff is really complicated and trying to create repeatable results that are distinct enough to make an unqualified claim is hard even with better experimental design and better instrumentation. You hear that from Peak Torque now too in the way he discusses results. Its a change from a few years ago despite his experimental design and instrumentation being among the best of the popular you tubers.

This is a very long winded way of saying that I think experiences are still worth sharing and discussing even if they aren't "scientific" as long as you acknowledge the limitations of your insights.

April 17, 2024, 12:07:52 PM
1
Re: VeloBuild VB-R-268 frame
Based on the hundreds of messages I received over the years, the typical viewer of my channel isn't looking for VeloBuild to be an equal alternative to one of the major brands. What they want is assurance their money won't be stolen, and that their collarbones won't be broken from a random catastrophic failure. Basically is the frame good enough all things considered. I try to keep my videos light-hearted and sensible. Save engineering and race opinions for the engineers and racers.

Confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance is human nature. Whether VeloBuild or Specialized, we all want to believe we've made the best purchase. No harm in that.

9:10 in the video - "If you are expecting a $500 frame to compete with a 1000-1500 dollar frameset" Why not? As serge points out Latex moulding, t800/t1000 build up. Evolution of a frame that was well regarded to be punching above its price point anyway.

"If you're looking for a frameset to compete with a winspace or Yoleo, this is not it." Why not? In what regard and how do you know on your first ride?

Section at 9.46: " How does it feel in relation to 168 and 177?" Your builds are completely different, with too many non-standardized parts to differentiate between the frames. Esp on the 68, which is essentially the same geometry

"It's def stiffer than 168." Maybe so with the layup and tube size changes but again different bars, wheels, etc

"More refined" Again, different wheels, bars, tyres

On constructive note, I like the sections with how the build goes, the ordering process, the finishing quality, the service etc that's all really useful and as you say useful in letting people know that these companies are producing very good products.

The non-committal reviewer speak "caveatinging" dubious statements is a huge minus in the vids though.

I don't know what the solution is, honestly; many many people are seeing through all these BS cycle reviews at this point, they are sick and tired of it. These channels are kind of at a crossroads (GCN even seems to be completely swerving reviewing bikes at this point). Your going to get smashed for being to positive or negative or being to safe especially with the current statements and methodology but I and I doubt anyone else is accusing you of shilling like some of the others.  For me I'd be happy to just watch you showcase of these builds, let us know the ordering process, the issues, the finishing, comfort (position geometry) and build etc The builds look beautiful in your vids and the filming and sound is also great.

Frames are the trickiest but don't stop featuring them, i don't think anyone expects you to set up the frames with exact same components and A/B test them, your not a science based tester or someone who pretends to be so and its def not practical for a small channel to build bikes that ways (sucks the fun right out of builds). For frames hold off on the unquantifiable statements I highlighted above and more on that showcase of the product or comment on "this build" and caveat it with stiffness, aero etc is an amalgamation of the parts. For wheels, tyres, bars, tape, seats etc they can be popped on and off one designated test bike to provide a more standardised testing platform with more objective observations which I would enjoy hearing.




April 17, 2024, 01:07:14 PM
1