Rinasclta Granite Aero "All Road" Bike Frameset

[wwnero]

Very interested in getting a bike like this but with similar clearance to the crux (47mm). I only have room for 1 bike and the additional tire clearance will allow me to use my 40mm tires to do light singletrack.

[patliean1]

I suspect it will be a while before we see affordable Chinese brands offer direct competition (rather than cheaper alternatives) to a frame like the Specialized Crux. The Crux is basically an Aethos with 47c tire clearance.

Designing, engineering, and manufacturing a new frame and frame mold is very costly from what I'm told. The only way to keep the prices affordable to consumers would be to share the costs across several brands. Cinelli, Top Carbon, and ICAN all offer the same aero road frameset but at different price points: Pressure, TCRF040, and A40 respectively.

[patliean1]

My Granite frame is complete.

Paint: This is arguably my best paint job to date. It's a mix of chameleon green/purple paint, 3D glitter paint, and a 2K clear coat applied liberally. Rattle-can paint performs the worst in cold weather, so I kept the cans sitting in hot water between coats. This really helped prevent orange peel and paint drip.

Internal routing: As always, the FSA no69 headset system is a gamechanger. However, the supplied set of carbon handlebars isn't really designed for routing 4 cables (2 hydraulic + 2 mechanical shift). I ended up not using them. My go-to bars have always been both the carbon and alloy aero bars from Prime Bike Components. Makes handlebar routing a breeze and the ergonomics are TOP TIER. Sadly this frame uses the terribly designed front derailleur port similar to VeloBuild. This alone will probably be the reason I stick with Sram eTap going forward like I have with my previous two builds.

Only gotten a chance to ride it up/down the block to get sone photos. Will report back after a few rides.

-Size 54
-Weight: 7.9kg w/o pedals
-Ultegra R8020 (50/34 + 11-34t)
-4iiii Power Meter
-Yoeleo 35 Gravel Wheels
-Pathfinder Pro 38c Tires
-Prime Doyenne Aero Bars
-ZIPP 130mm -17 Stem
-FSA no.69/SRS Headset
-Fully Carbon Saddle
-Supacaz Bar Tape
-Kogel Bearings Ceramic Jockey Wheels

[s3si1u]

Sadly this frame uses the terribly designed front derailleur port similar to VeloBuild. This alone will probably be the reason I stick with Sram eTap going forward like I have with my previous two builds.

This is the main reason I switched to AXS on my 177. That front derailleur cable stop thing is a terrible design and really makes front derailleur setup and shifting a drag.

The Airwolf version of this frame and the CX-002 were looking like great choices for my next gravel frame. Options are few for aero all-road/gravel frames and these ticked all the right boxes, but I'd really like the flexibility of running a mechanical 2x drivetrain if necessary.
I went with this one instead: https://www.ornanbike.com/best-chinese-carbon-gravel-bike-frames-with-flat-mount-type_p106.html

[NoGrip61]

Sweet paint job!  That glitter effect must be cool in direct sunlight.

Sadly this frame uses the terribly designed front derailleur port similar to VeloBuild. This alone will probably be the reason I stick with Sram eTap going forward like I have with my previous two builds.

This is the main reason I switched to AXS on my 177. That front derailleur cable stop thing is a terrible design and really makes front derailleur setup and shifting a drag.

@patliean1 or @s3si1u, do you have any pictures of this issue explaining why it's a bad design?  Just so I know what I'm getting myself into... maybe there's a decent solution?

[TidyDinosaur]

Paint: This is arguably my best paint job to date. It's a mix of chameleon green/purple paint, 3D glitter paint, and a 2K clear coat applied liberally. Rattle-can paint performs the worst in cold weather, so I kept the cans sitting in hot water between coats. This really helped prevent orange peel and paint drip.

Do you have some more info on the process? I am thinking about painting some frames myself like my Carbonda 696... How many layers of each and how many cans did you use?
I have watched the youtube videos of Etoe and in one of them he says he used 1 can of 2K primer (2 layers), 1 can of the color (1K) and again 1 can of 2K clearcoat. Does that seem correct? I would hate to have too little, but these 2K cans are expensive so you don't want to buy too much either...

[jannmayer]

How many layers of each and how many cans did you use?
I have watched the youtube videos of Etoe and in one of them he says he used 1 can of 2K primer (2 layers), 1 can of the color (1K) and again 1 can of 2K clearcoat. Does that seem correct? I would hate to have too little, but these 2K cans are expensive so you don't want to buy too much either...

I used 2 cans each of 2k primer and 2k clear on my Carbonda 707 frame. You can probably get two coats or of one can, but once you mix the can you only have 24 hours. I wanted to sand between coats and make sure that each was fully dry do I needed a lot more than 24 hours.

In retrospect, one coat of primer would have been enough. Two coats of clear with give a more durable finish and I was able to fix a few issues from the first coat.

I followed ETOE as well but I'm not all that happy with how the Montana Cans color layer has held up. It chips pretty easily. Good coverage and easy to spray though, but I would not use it on another mountain or gravel bike.

Edit: would NOT use it for a gravel or mountain bike.

[TidyDinosaur]

I used 2 cans each of 2k primer and 2k clear on my Carbonda 707 frame. You can probably get two coats or of one can, but once you mix the can you only have 24 hours. I wanted to sand between coats and make sure that each was fully dry do I needed a lot more than 24 hours.

In retrospect, one coat of primer would have been enough. Two coats of clear with give a more durable finish and I was able to fix a few issues from the first coat.

I followed ETOE as well but I'm not all that happy with how the Montana Cans color layer has held up. It chips pretty easily. Good coverage and easy to spray though, but I would use it on another mountain or gravel bike.

Thanks. You did sand the primer before the color did you?

I think one layer of primer will not be enough since it will not be a new frame. The paint has been damaged in some spots so I will be using bondo and some sanding to remove dings and scratches.

[TidyDinosaur]

Never mind, I found your story about the painting process. Maybe sanding with 1500-2000 was a little too fine for the primer?

I found this: "600 to 800 Grit – This sandpaper grit range is perfect for sanding surface imperfections in the primer, prior to paint application. It is recommended to start at the low grit end and work your way up to 800 grit. "
https://sandpaperamerica.com/blog/the-correct-sandpaper-grits-for-sanding-car-paint/

[kbike]

The front derailleur frame mount makes it a pain to route the housing.  The tight angle you need to bend the housing to clear the bb then go up to the mount. 
On this frame I had to removed the screw holding the front derailleur mount.  Somehow I got the mount to hold to the frame from the tension of the housing.

[patliean1]

Do you have some more info on the process? I am thinking about painting some frames myself like my Carbonda 696... How many layers of each and how many cans did you use?
I have watched the youtube videos of Etoe and in one of them he says he used 1 can of 2K primer (2 layers), 1 can of the color (1K) and again 1 can of 2K clearcoat. Does that seem correct? I would hate to have too little, but these 2K cans are expensive so you don't want to buy too much either...

So the frame is actually split in half between two different colors

Top half of the frame: 3 coats of chameleon green/purple paint.
Bottom half: 3 coats of clear 3D effect glitter paint.
Entire frame: 3 coats of SprayMax 2K clearcoat.

None of colors used nor the clearcoat required even a full can of paint, respectively. Granted, I purposely wanted the raw carbon finish to bleed through the color. For perspective, when I painted my VB-168 in white paint, it required full two cans of paint. Just barely enough paint in fact.

No sanding required at all. Automotive vehicles don't get sanded went painted at the factory, so I haven't seen the value in it. Proper technique and good prep work will alleviate the need to sand anyway. Also it's winter time here so it's very cold outside. I would keep the paint cans sitting in a bucket of hot water between coats, to keep the paint warm. This has been biggest gamechanger to prevent both orange peel and paint drip.

Coat #1 - Light spray so the paint sticks.
Coat #2 - Moderate spray for coverage.
Coat #3 - Slow, full, and deliberate paint spray in close proximety to the frame. This is the coat which you start seeing the gloss build up. Both for the paint and the clearcoat.

[jannmayer]

Never mind, I found your story about the painting process. Maybe sanding with 1500-2000 was a little too fine for the primer?

I found this: "600 to 800 Grit – This sandpaper grit range is perfect for sanding surface imperfections in the primer, prior to paint application. It is recommended to start at the low grit end and work your way up to 800 grit. "
https://sandpaperamerica.com/blog/the-correct-sandpaper-grits-for-sanding-car-paint/

You're probably right. 800 grit would have had a bit more tooth so the paint probably would have stuck better. However, the Montana Cans paint is soft and can also be damaged by to much pressure on it, so it likely still wouldn't be the most durable.

[TidyDinosaur]

So the frame is actually split in half between two different colors

Top half of the frame: 3 coats of chameleon green/purple paint.
Bottom half: 3 coats of clear 3D effect glitter paint.
Entire frame: 3 coats of SprayMax 2K clearcoat.

None of colors used nor the clearcoat required even a full can of paint, respectively. Granted, I purposely wanted the raw carbon finish to bleed through the color. For perspective, when I painted my VB-168 in white paint, it required full two cans of paint. Just barely enough paint in fact.

No sanding required at all. Automotive vehicles don't get sanded went painted at the factory, so I haven't seen the value in it. Proper technique and good prep work will alleviate the need to sand anyway. Also it's winter time here so it's very cold outside. I would keep the paint cans sitting in a bucket of hot water between coats, to keep the paint warm. This has been biggest gamechanger to prevent both orange peel and paint drip.

Coat #1 - Light spray so the paint sticks.
Coat #2 - Moderate spray for coverage.
Coat #3 - Slow, full, and deliberate paint spray in close proximety to the frame. This is the coat which you start seeing the gloss build up. Both for the paint and the clearcoat.

Thanks man. Do you happen to have some close-up pictures of the frame so we can better see how it turned out?

[Ousermaat]

Hi, very nice paint job ! I love this frame and just ordered the twin frame from airwolf. I can’t wait to read your report after a few rides, especially concerning the ratio stiffness/comfort! . Could you maybe make a picture of the tire clearance? I want to use it with 2 wheelsets, one with my beloved compass barlow pass (38mm) and one with someting more beefier like the pirelli cinturato or wtb nano 40c. I’m wondering if there will be enough space for 40c? Thank you for this great post!

[jannmayer]

Coat #1 - Light spray so the paint sticks.
Coat #2 - Moderate spray for coverage.
Coat #3 - Slow, full, and deliberate paint spray in close proximety to the frame. This is the coat which you start seeing the gloss build up. Both for the paint and the clearcoat.

How long did you let each coat dry before spraying the next coat?