I'm looking (actually ready to purchase) for a 29er or 29+ cf fork with gear/bottle cage mounts. And Carbonda & Carbon Speed both have a model.

My problem is neither is responding to my emails. Anyone in contact with either one?

I converted my gravel bike to a single speeder last July 2020. But let's backtrack a bit more.

Where I lived, SS conversion kit wasn't easy to find. In fact I didn't found any. I've scoured a dozen LBS for a couple of months and still couldn't find one and it's not even COVID related. I did came across one Fixed Gear shop but they only got fixed gear specific. So that's also out. I've contacted some bike shops in another city, they're out of stock (COVID related). And US-based shop have shipping difficulties due to COVID. Short story, Ali-Express to the rescue. Cost me just under US$20 per SS Kit. Comes with spacers, cog & lockring. You can buy their chain tensioner with a kit or separately. I didn't get the tensioner 'coz my frame had a horizontal dropout. In comparison, Surly, my first option was $40 spacer & lockring set, $30 cassette cog. I got 3 ZTTO kits, 16T, 18T, 20T. I wasn't sure if I will be good with a 16T or 18T but the 20T was for the mtb, which will probably be later this year. So 3 ZTTO kits for the price of 1 Surly kit... it's a no brainer even if stocks were available. At the time I got it, it only came in purple. And I eventually spend more purplelizing (if that's even a word) my bike.

The review... I've installed the 18T and you'll be happy to know that I got around 3,000km on it. I've paired it with 3 chainrings, depending on my rides. A 40T round and a couple of ovals, 36T & 42T. I've done gravel rides, muddy rides, roads (a few century & a double century) and even some light trails. Got rained on and even rode beside the sea. And I think you all know when the hills come, single speeders are gonna have to mashed it up. Suffice to say, it was ABUSED. Pictures 1-3 is the unused 16T and Picture 4 is the abused 18T. Doesn't look abused... do I need say more? That one 3,000km picture is enough to say it is worth more than what it costs.

And it now comes in red. Oh, btw, they are aluminum.

I just upgraded my DT Swiss 350 boost hub's 18T rachets with ZTTO 54T rachets. The ZTTO's cost me around US$32.60, comes with a pair of 54T rachets & a pair of springs. No special grease. I bought it from Lazada, it's our local equivalent of Ali-Express. Actually a lot of Ali-Express vendors are also there.

For about a third of the DT Swiss upgrade kit... well, we'll know if it's worth it a few months from now. Pics below of weight & some comparisons. Vendor's weight was pegged at 16.5 grams for rachets & springs. My scale showed 18 grams. DT Swiss 18T rachets & springs from my hubs we're 27 grams. 9 grams difference. For pics 4 & 5, I placed the 54T on top of the 18T to see if the 'grooves' aligns. Not perfect but they went in the hubs just fine. The upgrade was quite easy.

I wanted to put a video comparing the sound/noise of 18T & 54T but my cellphone's had problems picking up the sound.

Will update after a hundred kilometers. Oops, I mean after a thousand kilometers.

TITO TITANIUM Official Store
https://a.aliexpress.com/_d8CR1jJ

I just ordered this titanium Swallow-shaped handlebar 700mm. Trying it out.
https://a.aliexpress.com/_dZ24KWD

Thought some of you might be interested.

It's my second custom titanium frame from Chinese company Waltly Titanium. That should be enough to say that I was very happy with the first one.

This project was finalized around March 24th. But Amy of Waltly and I had been on the planning state since Feb 11. The main reason for the long planning was because my original project was a 29 plus bike but we hit a lot of bumps and what I wanted & would not compromise... a rather short chainstay, was as of now, not doable. I can't fault them at that as I am aware it wasn't going to be an easy task to do with titanium. Still we went at it for about a month until I settled with my fallback design, which is a 29er largely based on a Niner S.I.R. 9. Also holidays in China got in the way too. In the end, all I can say is Amy had extraordinary patience & very accomodating.

While the frame was finished and shipped to me as early as May 9th, it is only today that I received it. The long delay was caused by the COVID-19 lockdown. But it's here now and I'm pretty excited.

I'm sure the first thing you'd want to know is the weight. Well, it's actually lighter than I expect it would be (which was over 2kg) but it tip the scale at 1.952kg (this includes the pair of brake/TA/dropout brackets but without TA).

(Edit) 1.952kg also includes seatpost collar.

These were the features I wanted for this custom bike frame:
1. tire clearance for 29x2.35
2. boost rear hub (12x148) thru axle
3. 44/56mm head tube for tapered fork (1-1/8" - 1-1/2”)
4. internal cabling (brake hose, rear shifter cable & dropper post)
5. sliding dropout for post mount brake
6. seatpost 31.6mm
7. 3 bottle cage mounts
8. water drain hole under BB & chainstay
9. curved seat tube (like Niner SIR)
10. oval chainstay tubes
11. threaded bottom bracket BSA (English 73mm)
12. Ti tubes with polished finish
13. set rider weight w/ gears at 200lbs (91kg), I'm 165lbs (75kg)
14. 40T chainring

I'm getting old plus I am not that skullful to begin with, so I'm considering using knee pads. I do use neoprene knee supports but those are useless for bumps & spill on trails.

I've narrowed down to 3 pads but I don't see a lot of comparison videos on youtube. So l'm hoping some of you here can give me some more information to help me decide.

These are the 3 models I'm eying. Do feel free to suggest others.

POC VPD Air
IXS Flow Evo+
Scott Soldier 2

I don't do drops & jumps just XC types of rides, so comfort for all-day riding type is what I'm looking for. Opinions on sizing is also important to me because I'm caught between Medium & Large (high end of M & low end of L). And to compound the situation, nobody is selling them locally so I can't do fitting.

A few months ago, I finally went ahead with a project that I had been considering for quite a number of years. I got my custom Titanium bike frame built. This is gonna be my road/gravel/touring/bikepacking bike.

With a lot of research, I know which Chinese Ti frame builder I want to go with, my problem is that the company build according to customer specs and I'm just not knowledgeable with the technical details. Luckily, Peter of Carbon Speed had partnered with this company and I went through him instead. I know it costs a bit more but I needed the assistance. Plus I have a few transactions with him before and he's proven to be very reliable.

I still haven't got the frame yet but Peter had sent me some pictures and it is ready for shipping.