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VB-R-168 Build- A sceptic's experience
Hello all. I am located in USA so all of the links below may not work for you. This is just an overview of my experience and what I found while building the new bike. I purchased a VB-R-168 frame, integrated bars, VB-60 carbon wheels, and the rest of the components needed to make it a rolling machine  . Before I start, I wanted to say I was very sceptical of this purchase and worried that it would not turn out as good as it did. Chris from VB is very helpful and responsive. I have read of negative experiences relating to VB, but mine was thankfully a pleasant one. Parts ordered - VB-R-168 frame (size 58- matte black)- Velobuild http://www.velobuild.com/products/-171 - VB integrated bars (440 mm width- matte black)- came with frame/forks/seatpost/spacers - VB-RC-60 carbon disc wheels (matte black) - Velobuild http://www.velobuild.com/products/-57 - Continental GP5000 25mm tires- Amazon- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RNVPQY3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - Inner tube- Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XMJFJ5L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - Carbon assembly paste- Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0012RIEM6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - Park tool grease- Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NORVHI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - Foam cable covering (to stop noisy cables)- Hardware store that sells everything https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/2029n11 - Shimano 105 groupset/ disc brakes/ press fit BB- Aliexpress- 007Bike Store https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32943199402.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.4cdd4c4dIxdtcS - Bleed kit- Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWN4LSD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - Shimano Ultegra center lock discs (160mm front 140mm rear)- - Fizik saddle- Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PDLTTNN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - Sram bar tape- Amazon- I would not do this again. terrible feel https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00142FFCG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - Inner cable set (2) - Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JLWSF82/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The good- The frame, bars, and forks came within two weeks (to USA). The wheels took longer because I requested 350 straight pull hubs. Everything went together nicely (I definitely recommend using carbon paste and torque wrench). Getting the cables through the frame and bars was reasonably difficult, but not too bad. The bike is all together and I have a few rides under my belt. Great bike, stiff, fast. Definitely a great bike for the price. I hate when my bikes are noisy from cable rattle, etc... so I made sure I took all necessary precautions when building this one. The end result is pretty great considering the price point. The not so great- The seat post has slipped on me (it may not do this if you are smaller. I am 220 lbs-100 kg). I found adding more carbon paste and upping the torque setting slightly definitely helps. The wheels took a bit longer due to covid and my customizations which isn't the end of the world. The aero bars may be too aero for some. I purchased the VB separate stem and bar combo to replace the integrated bars- that hasn't arrived yet. I left the steerer tube slightly long to add spacers later on. I have added some pictures of the bike fully built. Feel free to ask any questions if you have. Thanks for reading/viewing. October 08, 2021, 09:01:24 AM |
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Re: VB-R-168 Build- A sceptic's experience
Correct. Usually the width is either 19mm or 21mm I'm in the process of building my 168 and will be using the Farsports Gravel Carbon rims which are laced to Bitex 312 Hubs with Sapim CX-Ray spokes and brass nipples. The rim profile is 50mm deep, 24mm wide internal and 30mm wide external, and I'm using 28c tyres which have a lovely profile using this rim width. The full wheelset is 1440g so relatively light given the depth of the rim. I could have easily knocked off another 200g or so if I'd selected more expensive hubs but didn't have the budget (or the need) for this. Aluminium nipples would save another 30g but are more prone to rust and failure than brass so didn't see this as a worthwhile weight saving. Overall I'm super happy with the wheelset, and have done around 3,000km on them to date. They are still perfectly true and ride the same as the day they were first put on.Very highly recommended. Here's a link to my wheelset: https://www.wheelsfar.com/gravel-wheelset-built-with-bitex-straight-pull-disc-hub-p0059.html Here's the same wheelset with lighter hubs: https://www.wheelsfar.com/gravel-wheelset-built-with-extralite-cyber-spd3-disc-p0105.html October 12, 2021, 09:45:46 AM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Hi all! I have been lurking this thread for the past few months while deciding if I should go ahead with building my own bike, and whether to get it from Velobuild. Really helpful tips so far and definitely helped with my decision to make the purchase! I finally decided order a VB-R-168 from Chris, in Matte Chameleon Green colour. I thought it would be useful to share my experience and two-cents on the bike building process. It was one rewarding experience to finally be out riding on your self-build bike! Size: 52 Groupset: Ultegra R8000 Hydraulic Disc: RT800 140mm Front and Rear Handlebar: 400mm/90mm Wheelset: From Taobao 60mm Depth with Hubsmith hubs Tires: GP5000 TL Saddle: AliExpress power saddle lookalike Pedals: AliExpress Lollipop pedals Weight: 8.2+Kg there about The building of the bike was not too difficult, just gotta do research and watch youtube for bike building process, tips and tricks, note the torque settings of the various components. The most tedious of all would be the internal routing. I routed the cables through the handlebars first, followed by the rest of the routing through the frame. Used an old brake wire to help with the guiding of cables through the respective cable holes. The FD cable stop was some what tricky, I had to file off the edges to get the cable to fit in to the hole. There is a small bracket to secure the FD cable stop into, it is rather flimsy and mine broke off. I had to fit it back into the frame from the bottom bracket hole, and screw the cable stop into the bracket. (sorry i didnt have pictures to explain it better). Another problem I had was that the headset compression ring not being able to sit squarely into the bearing, I had to squeeze the compression ring inwards a little (with a lil force) for it to sit properly into the bearing. Otherwise there would be large gap between the headset spacer and frame. Otherwise, rest of the installation was rather smooth! This is my first full carbon bike with deep wheels, so I cant exactly do any comparison. In general the bike rides really well, with much better handling, and maintains speed better. Overall very happy with the whole build! October 18, 2021, 09:10:54 AM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Really nice build !The wheels are from this Chinese seller on Taobao, Timibike. They are able to customise various combinations, went with them as they were the only few offering the hubsmith hubs (really loud hubs) so far they are rather smooth. Can't attest to its logetivity yet. The wheels arent that lightweight weighing in at about 1720g including rim tapes. Cost was about USD 510 shipped. October 19, 2021, 11:04:31 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
Finished!! All was fine, but the internal cabling thru the stem-handlebar is not easy…at the end looks great. I’ll ride tomorrow to test it, will see how it works. Info: this bike shares geometry with SL7, but the seatpost has little seatback.. have in mind to fit. - Velobuild frame VB-R-168 size 58. - Velobuild integrated stem+handlebar 110/440 - Ultegra 8020-8070 - Crankset Rotor 3D+ 1x (42t) - Cassette leonardi 9-36 - wheels serenade 45mm (28mm witdth) tubular - 7,6kg with pedals and bottle cages. October 21, 2021, 01:11:16 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
After more than 500km, I’m still very happy with the bike.. no issues 
November 06, 2021, 07:12:01 AM |
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Longteng LTK 268-D Frame / velobuild 099
Hi Everyone, After spending weeks reading every forum about building a Chinese carbon bike, I pulled the trigger on the LTK 268-D http://www.ltbikes.com/product/93.html From what I’ve read, this bike is the same as the Velo build vb-r 099/168. Also, I’ve been told Longteng is the same company as Seraph And Tantan. I ordered the LTK 268 in their glossy Blue chameleon color.    The color looks more purple in person while it was supposed to be blue. The paint is not what I expected, but spectacular nonetheless.  The bike was built with Wheels: Elite Wheels ENT disc 60mm depth. These hubs are comically loud. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000033583741.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4duPm21v Yoeleo H9 CARBON ROAD BIKE INTEGRATED HANDLEBAR (VERSION 2) : https://www.yoeleobike.com/products/h9-carbon-road-bike-integrated-handlebar Groupset: Sensah Empire 2x11. Purchased on eBay from 318store. He also has a aliexpress shop; Sigeyi spider power meter from eBay. GP 5000 tires JUIN TECH F1 brakes KMC x11 chain Jagwire compressionless cables SL7 Seatpost cover : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005002182490794.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.b6bb4c4dPm3iS5 The total cost was approx. 3600$ CAD including duties. The bike weighs around 17lbs. Here comes the issues. 1 - Elite wheels sent my wheels without the dust cap on the drive side of the rear wheel, then tried to charge me for a replacement one. My LBS had a spare.  . I haven’t tried the frame on the road yet. I rode a few minutes around the parking lot. We have snow in the northeast. I hope this can help someone out. If you are in quebec, canada, i can refer you to a great bike shop. PM for details. TIP HIM WELL! December 07, 2021, 02:32:58 PM |
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Re: Velobuild VB-R-177
Mine is the version where the stem and handlebar are separated, also having a hard time getting the cables neutral, they keep forcing the steerer left, tried to run the cable twice so far. http://www.velobuildmall.com/products/2021-new-carbon-handlebar-with-separate-stem December 20, 2021, 09:27:13 AM |
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Re: carbon dropouts are evil ?!
Greetings to all members of the forum! started thinking about buying a carbon frame from China, and found that all frames have carbon dropouts, hence the question to everyone who already operates such frames, how quickly do carbon dropouts break? I have an Italian frame Chesini modulo, manufactured in 2012, in which all the dropouts are made of aluminum, the mileage is 90 thousand kilometers, and the dropouts are still in good condition! I liked the V-BR - 068 aero frame, but judging by the photo, the dropouts are carbon fiber! Feedback from users of this frame model! The hanger will snap before anything, I would not worry about that. A friend has the 68 he is happy with it, I had the newer disc version 99 and I loved that frame. Took a while to adjust the fit with the integrated cockpit but in the end the bike was very good to ride. December 23, 2021, 10:19:10 AM |
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Re: Airwolf YFM-026 - 1 month in
Took a long while to hear back to be honest and i gave up. I emailed the seller on Aliexpress who are Airwofl directly. Then i had to email someone from Yaoflying. I didn't hear back for 5 weeks and kept messaging the seller intermittently to let them know I hadn't heard back. I did eventually get a reply from Beatrice at Yaoflying which was on the 20th December (so about 2.5 months later-ish). They asked I send the frame back for inpection. As often with these items, the return shipping, and namely hassle, outweighs the warranty benefit. So i just scrapped the frame. I am waiting for my Koga World-traveller to finish being built and this was a project to have fun with in the meantime for a few months. I'll probably move the components over another time with an ICAN frame or similar. January 07, 2022, 03:16:50 AM |
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a crack at the top / seat tube junction and now a snapped chainstay! I really hope your issues are an anomaly and are addressed quickly. I washed and checked mine over the weekend and so far its fine, but interested to hear how your chainstay snapped and how your warranty claim goes with Airwolf.