Chinese Carbon MTB Forums
News:
Happy Holidays!
See likes
See likes given/taken
| Post info | No. of Likes |
|---|---|
Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
I am about to buy this frame but the spacers and c ring problem with the headset people have like Zdrenka89 and berndson is a bummer. Seems like a hit or miss with this frame. hi there, - together with the 168 frame i bought a 177 for a friend which we've just built last week. Bearings, c-ring, headset, everything in that area is identical between both mentioned frames. Anyway, that really simple fix with the vice worked for me and workes for my friend, so don't see this as a blocker! Despite that the only further "fix" was a small 0.25mm shim between C-Clip and dust cap since without it the gap seemed a little too narrow for me so i just used it. You will get such a shim in almost every local bike shop which does repairs. Altough i wrote about several "issues" with the frames, i would buy it again! I wanted to point out some weaknesses and fixes to help others, not to complain. For me its still a great deal, its just fact that most people will need to do some small adjustments and fixes in order to build a bike without any functional drawbacks which makes them happy. May 07, 2023, 04:25:15 PM |
1 |
Re: Velobuild VB-R-168 Frame
The C Ring is way too stiff since its just massive. Due to that, the headset needs to be compressed with a lot higher force than its made for in order to cause the elastic deformation of the C clip which is needed to close the gap between inner bearing ring and fork tube (which is what it is all about in order to avoid headset play). Good observations and definitely true. I cant believe so many Chinese framesets use this C-ring design. To stiff and too open. All this compression on this C-ring will just end up scoring your headset bearings. May 09, 2023, 04:10:25 AM |
1 |
|
Re: Consensus on replica frames ??
My 5 cents. Aero road bikes now look very similar, with maybe Trekk as an exception. Look at Spec, Cannondale, Scott, BMC, their aero all rounder road bikes look alike. Henceforth, I'd say buy a velobuild type frame, like the 177. It's heavily inspired by current trends, but it doesnt parade as a knock off. It's illegal in most places afaik to buy fake goods, but you can't be blamed for buying proven engineering. Customize your frame however you want, but don't slap a Specialized logo on it. I wouldn't buy a frame that is marketed as fake specialized or a fake pinarello, because it's illegal, and maybe more importantly, you shouldn't trust thieves & crooks, so why risk your life riding something crooked people sold you? I also believe it is very clear that the fake frames are NOT the same as the real deal, they dont just happen to be extra units, all else equal, from the same production line. While that might happen sometimes, most of the time it's going to be different QC, materials, moulds, factories, and so on. May 16, 2023, 05:28:14 AM |
1 |
|
Re: 2023 VeloBuild CX-002 Cyclocross Frame
Quick update on my CX-002. Full disclosure I have not ridden it that much, but enough to offer a marginal update. I probably should make a video on this topic since my last video on the channel was 3 months ago. Yikes. These days sadly I pretty much only have time to train or make videos. But not both. At the moment, maintaining a high level of fitness is priority. Yes the frameset was sent to me by VeloBuild to review. While it's probably impossible to be completely unbiased, it's also a bit undermining to believe a $500-600 frame is going to substantially impact my feelings toward it. Especially when I still had to purchase the eTap Rival groupset, those wildly expensive ENVE G23 wheels, and every other component. I've criticized both in videos and in this forum how the VB-168 is not the best modern road frame VeloBuild offers (the VB-177 is superior for the price) and I received push back from 168 loyalists. Bottom line is you can't please everyone, so take both forum users and YouTubers' opinions with a grain of salt. End of the day these are disposable frames. 1. So far zero quirks. No BB creaks, no rattles, no lose bolts. Nothing. The disc calipers where the easiest to setup of all my sub-$1000 Chinese frames. Either the caliper mounts were faced or I just got really lucky. 2. The standover height is tall because the BB height is also tall. It's a cyclocross frame after all. This really isn't an issue if you aren't constantly mounting/dismounting outside of the realm of cyclocross. 3. Not the lightest frame ever, however this for sure provides more road compliance. 4. Road feel. This is completely subjective. Could be the tubeless tires or the ENVE wheels but it's a very comfortable frame. If it had fender/bag mounts you could certainly use it for bike packing. I think the overall added weight of the frame and bigger tires allow the bike to handle rough pavement very well. I suppose this should be obvious. The bike as a complete build just feels bullet proof. 5. The Rinasclta/Air Wolf Granite All-Road is a better road/rough road/touring frame. The VB-002 is a better gravel/CX bike. I cant see myself ever putting standard road tires on the CX-002. However, I also would never use the Rina Granite for CX. Both frames would be brilliant with 38c Pathfinder Pro gravel tires, but the CX-002 going to be both funnier and more gravel compliant than the Rina Granite. 6. Minus the tall standover height and lack of frame mounts, I reckon the CX-002 could replace my Yoeleo G21 gravel frame. The difference between the two is the CX-002 feels like you're "on top" of the bike, whereas the G21 feels more like you're "inside" the bike. This probably is only important for stability when you're descending at 45mph/70km. Something I've down several times with the G21. If you only could have a single bike for literally everything, I'd take the Rinasclta. But if you had room for two super affordable bikes (road and gravel/CX), I'd take the VB-177 and the CX-002. May 30, 2023, 10:43:16 AM |
1 |
|
Re: Unreadable Topic: "VeloBuild Headset Play Issue"
Update: I dremelled a similar slot to the new design from VB on my "gen 2" C-Ring and I believe it worked! I just built up a CX-002 with the full internal handlebars and after road ride and a 40 mile gravel/rough-road/dirt-road ride, I think it's safe to say there is no headset play or rattles. There is a slight creak when I stand on it and mash the pedals, but I think I just need to retighten the headset bolt (things may have settled) and put some carbon paste on the steerer tube. I'll report back if this fixes the minor issue. Additional notes: I DIY spray painted my bike and did not mask off the headset bearing area, so there's a little build up of paint there, which takes up some of the gap around the bearing. I think some loctite 638 retaining compound may help if your frame is not painted there and has gaps. Or tape, per Pat's suggestion. June 10, 2023, 07:45:03 PM |
1 |
|
Re: 2023 VeloBuild CX-002 Cyclocross Frame
Ok the bike is finally finished! Goal: What started as a want for a road bike in 2021, and wanting to build a bike from the frame up, led to a livery design in search of a frame… then buying a used road bike… and then determining that I would be better on something dirt-road capable of riding longer distances safely. So the goal was to get a reasonably fast dual-purpose road+gravel bike that could also withstand 1-2 CX races if I felt like it; IE: surviving bunny hops. Ideally, something like the Airwolf 066 (Rinescalte Granite) would have been more ideal, but I was not a fan of how it looks (subjective!). DIY Spray-paint job: The Livery (paint job) is a throw-back to late 70’s - mid 80’s race cars and sport bikes. I did all of the striping by hand with 1/16” tape and spray paint. I think I’ll document my paint process for anyone who wants to read how it can be done – lots of lessons learned from over the years applied here that I want to write down for DIY’ing a spray paint job. That may require it’s own post if anyone’s interested. I initially asked if VB could paint it, but they didn’t want to do the rounded corners of the stripes, which was critical to the design, so that’s why they sent it in primer. It’s no fault of theirs since this was a complicated paint job. 1. To start, the inside of the (exterior) frame was sanded down to the carbon and sprayed in Spraymax 2K Matte clear (posted above). 2. Then taped for the outer parts. The white is Honda/Acura’s Platinum White Pearl (NH-883P), which has a red and blue flake in it. I wanted a metallic white that wasn’t too creamy/pearly in color. I applied a light coat of Spraymax 2K clear. 3. After letting that cure, I sanded it very lightly with 1000 grit just to give the paint something to stick to. Then I did the hand striping … which took a while to get straight and then symmetric. The blue’s are from Montana Gold, then finished with 2K spraymax. Unfortunately, the Montana Gold is a bit dusty, so some paint dust got in the final clear coat  .. But it’s only noticeable at 3 feet away. 4. After that stage cured, I applied an Invisiframe’s Generic CX/Gravel kit to protect the sensitive area’s. I think the sizing matched the frame pretty well, with some clever ingenuity needed at the top of the seat stay and the back of the seat tube for the wheel indent. Maybe an SL7 kit may fit better? Assembly: This is the first road bike I’ve assembled, and the integrated bars with the full hydro/mech drivetrain was a bit of a chore, but after a lot of wrestling, I figured it out. Bike Specs: - VB-CX-002, Size 56, with top tube mounts. Final weights without pedals or accessories: -- Gravel: 8.655kg/19.08lbs -- Road: 8.475kg/18.68lbs -- Weight with accessories and pedals: ~22lbs - Integrated bars, 110x440, 10mm spacer - Rider: 6’1”, 185cm, 34” inseam - perfect fit and standover. Kind of like an older style frame with a nearly horizontal top tube. - (Used) GRX-810 2x drivetrain. 48/31 Chainrings, 11-34T, 11S, 172.5 crank arms - Token Ninja Bottom Bracket - thread together style - Elite ENT Wheels 50 deep x 27ow 17iw, upgraded spokes, 25mm GP5K TLS, tubeless - Elite ENT Wheels 30deep x 28ow x 18iw, Pathfinder Pro 38mm, tubeless - 160mm SRAM rotors - Jagwire LEX-SL cable housing (min bend radius: 25mm) - Lyne Components bottle cages and Holy Rail tool bag kit - Fiziks 3.0 Bondcore cush tape Road and Gravel ride impressions coming mid-week, but so far I am really happy with it 
June 11, 2023, 01:50:35 PM |
1 |
|
Re: 2023 VeloBuild CX-002 Cyclocross Frame
Initial Ride impressions: Disclaimer: I come from a mountain biking background, and I am getting more into road biking, so, my opinion of the CX-002 may be less refined than others about road bike differences. Also, a road bike is a road bike to me since they’re all way more efficient than a mtn bike. I have an XC hard tail with 2.35/60mm tires, so I didn’t want to build a bike that would overstep its intended use; the XC bike can do gravel, but not as quickly. Road manners: I took it out for a road ride to put it through its paces at the local riding “spot” and it handled itself wonderfully! The Modern CX geo is really a nice hybrid between a road bike and a gravel bike. Compared to my 2013 Trek Madone which has “compact geometry” (which I feel is too extreme for me, but it is a rocket ship on road), this bike feels a little more “lazy” in steering and agility, but this was expected. The CX’s BB height is only 2mm taller which isn’t really noticeable, but I’m still getting used to the bike, so higher speed tighter turns will take some getting used to. The WB is 40mm longer, which makes it more stable. This is especially noticeable on high speed downhill sweepers. The CX is also about 2lbs heavier, so that was noticeable (esp with the added gear), but for my riding style and what I want out of this bike, I am OK with that. Gravel manners: This thing really is at home off road. Like Pat said, it is really comfortable on rough roads, dirt roads, and on double track. I have about 30 miles of off-pavement experience on these 38mm Pathfinder Pro’s, and they seem to be a good match for this bike. The bike soaked up all the small bumps very well and was a nice place to be. It was really stable on the dirt road downhill turns and I felt confident maintaining a decent amount of speed. I feel it could do more once I learn the tires a little better. I did slip the front end once on a loose over pavement turn-in, but I was able to catch it and keep going thanks to the Longer WB (compared to the road bike). Again, overall, I’m really happy with the frame selection and what I’m getting out of it. Is this a crit racer? no. Is this a long adventure bike, not really. Is it a gravel race bike? Maybe, tho the BB offset could be lower. Is its a nice quiver killer for a road/gravel/cx bike? I think so. I was inspired by the YT'er "outdoorbros" and his reviews of the Specialized Crux as a dual purpose gravel & road bike and "quiver-killer". I think with CX bikes (as a subset) modern geo's, this is more possible than in years past when BB drops of 60-65, causing them to be pretty twitchy. Over time I may upgrade the groupset and other components, but honestly the mech/hydro GRX810 2x11 setup is pretty nice. The 48/31 chainring gearing is great for solo rides. I'll have to an end of season review after a CX race or 2. June 14, 2023, 08:27:46 PM |
1 |
|
Re: shipping times from aliexpress
Just when I though shipping times were becoming faster.... The majority of my orders in the past month have added another stop in the USA as the package more slowly makes it to my house. Just a month ago, tracking used to indicate that it has made it through customs and was in Los Angeles, followed by a stop in West Valley City Utah. Then the package would show up in my local town and out for delivery. Now... Goes through customs in Los Angeles, followed by a stop in GreenWood IN, where it is takes 3 more days for the package to show up in; West Valley City Utah. Then the package shows up in my local town. Why the extra stop these days? Any one else seeing this new stop in their tracking of packages? June 22, 2023, 08:39:43 PM |
1 |
Re: shipping times from aliexpress
13 of my orders were combined into one - all small bits and pieces for color coding (screws, cables, caps etc). This was ordered on 16th June and after consolidation the package left China on 26th. Usually this would happen in 2-3 days. Some of those items are 15 day guarantee items too. I wonder how it would work now. May be slower shipping items will benefit too? I've read combined shipping works faster for certain countries, but I think for the US it's quite a bit slower. I've received all of my items from the summer sale, so I'll probably hold off order for awhile. The weather is good right now, so I'll spend more time riding instead of online shopping! 
June 28, 2023, 11:42:55 PM |
1 |
|
Re: shipping times from aliexpress
Shipping times likely to improve tremendously in the near future as Cainiao is launching 5 day global delivery - https://postandparcel.info/153377/news/e-commerce/cainiao-to-launch-5-day-global-delivery-service/ Could be rising pressure from Temu but a great news regardless. With that said, in the past 2 months most of my orders have arrived in less than 15 days, some in a week so things are definitely on the way up compared to last year where almost every order took a month or more. June 29, 2023, 07:44:44 PM |
1 |